The Project Gutenberg eBook of The 2006 CIA World Factbook, by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

- There have been some significant changes to the latest edition of The World Factbook. The successful secession referendum held in Montenegro in May of 2006 allowed it to legally leave its union with Serbia the following month. These two Balkan countries have now been formally recognized and are listed separately in the Factbook.

- In the Government category, the 'Capital' entry has been greatly expanded and now contains up to four subfields, including significant new information having to do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself, its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.

- The Transnational issues category now has a "Trafficking in persons" entry. Human trafficking connotes modern-day slavery and this important new field will include information on the most egregious countries (Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3) as listed in the US State Department's annual report.

- A new Appendix G lists Weights and Measures. The appendix includes information on mathematical notation and metric interrelationships, as well as over 400 examples of standard conversion factors.

- Revision of some individual country maps, first introduced in the 2001 edition, is continued in this edition. Several regional maps have also been updated to reflect boundary changes and place name spelling changes.

[Transcriber's note: To search on a country in this file, prefix the country's name with "@", e.g. "@Afghanistan". "Afghanistan" will find all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]

Afghanistan
Akrotiri
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan

Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Baker Island
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bassas da India
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi

Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic

East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Europa Island
European Union entry follows Taiwan

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Gabon
Gambia, The
Gaza Strip
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana

Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Holy See (Vatican City)
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island
Hungary

Iceland
Iles Eparses
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy

Jamaica
Jan Mayen
Japan
Jarvis Island
Jersey
Johnston Atoll
Jordan
Juan de Nova Island

Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingman Reef
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan

Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Midway Islands
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique

Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway

Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palau
Palmyra Atoll
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico

Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Southern Ocean
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria

Taiwan entry follows Zimbabwe
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tromelin Island
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu

Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Uruguay
Uzbekistan

[Transcriber's note: To search on a field code in this file, prefix the code number with "@", e.g. "@2001". "2001" will find all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]

2001 GDP (purchasing power parity) 2002 Population growth rate (%) 2003 GDP - real growth rate (%) 2004 GDP - per capita (PPP) 2006 Dependency status 2007 Diplomatic representation from the US 2008 Transportation - note 2010 Age structure (%) 2011 Geographic coordinates 2012 GDP - composition by sector (%) 2013 Radio broadcast stations 2015 Television broadcast stations 2018 Sex ratio (male(s)/female) 2019 Heliports 2020 Elevation extremes (m) 2021 Natural hazards 2022 People - note 2023 Area - comparative 2024 Military service age and obligation (years of age) 2025 Manpower fit for military service 2026 Manpower reaching military service age annually 2028 Background 2030 Airports - with paved runways 2031 Airports - with unpaved runways 2032 Environment - current issues 2033 Environment - international agreements 2034 Military expenditures - percent of GDP (%) 2038 Electricity - production (kWh) 2042 Electricity - consumption (kWh) 2043 Electricity - imports (kWh) 2044 Electricity - exports (kWh) 2046 Population below poverty line (%) 2047 Household income or consumption by percentage share (%) 2048 Labor force - by occupation (%) 2049 Exports - commodities 2050 Exports - partners (%) 2051 Administrative divisions 2052 Agriculture - products 2053 Airports 2054 Birth rate (births/1,000 population) 2055 Military branches 2056 Budget 2057 Capital 2058 Imports - commodities 2059 Climate 2060 Coastline (km) 2061 Imports - partners (%) 2062 Economic aid - donor 2063 Constitution 2064 Economic aid - recipient 2065 Currency (code) 2066 Death rate (deaths/1,000 population) 2067 Military expenditures - dollar figure 2068 Dependent areas 2070 Disputes - international 2075 Ethnic groups (%) 2076 Exchange rates 2077 Executive branch 2078 Exports 2079 Debt - external 2080 Fiscal year 2081 Flag description 2085 Roadways (km) 2086 Illicit drugs 2087 Imports 2088 Independence 2089 Industrial production growth rate (%) 2090 Industries 2091 Infant mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births) 2092 Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%) 2093 Waterways (km) 2094 Judicial branch 2095 Labor force 2096 Land boundaries (km) 2097 Land use (%) 2098 Languages (%) 2100 Legal system 2101 Legislative branch 2102 Life expectancy at birth (years) 2103 Literacy (%) 2105 Manpower available for military service 2106 Maritime claims 2107 International organization participation 2108 Merchant marine 2109 National holiday 2110 Nationality 2111 Natural resources 2112 Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population) 2113 Geography - note 2115 Political pressure groups and leaders 2116 Economy - overview 2117 Pipelines (km) 2118 Political parties and leaders 2119 Population 2120 Ports and terminals 2121 Railways (km) 2122 Religions (%) 2123 Suffrage 2124 Telephone system 2125 Terrain 2127 Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 2128 Government type 2129 Unemployment rate (%) 2137 Military - note 2138 Communications - note 2140 Government - note 2142 Country name 2144 Location 2145 Map references 2146 Irrigated land (sq km) 2147 Area (sq km) 2149 Diplomatic representation in the US 2150 Telephones - main lines in use 2151 Telephones - mobile cellular 2153 Internet users 2154 Internet country code 2155 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 2156 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 2157 HIV/AIDS - deaths 2172 Distribution of family income - Gini index 2173 Oil - production (bbl/day) 2174 Oil - consumption (bbl/day) 2175 Oil - imports (bbl/day) 2176 Oil - exports (bbl/day) 2177 Median age (years) 2178 Oil - proved reserves (bbl) 2179 Natural gas - proved reserves (cu m) 2180 Natural gas - production (cu m) 2181 Natural gas - consumption (cu m) 2182 Natural gas - imports (cu m) 2183 Natural gas - exports (cu m) 2184 Internet hosts 2185 Investment (gross fixed) (% of GDP) 2186 Public debt (% of GDP) 2187 Current account balance 2188 Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2193 Major infectious diseases 2194 Refugees and internally displaced persons 2195 GDP (official exchange rate) 2196 Trafficking in persons

[Transcriber's note: To search on a rank order in this file, prefix the rank's name with "@", e.g. "@Population". "Population" will find all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]

Rank Order pages are presorted lists of data from selected Factbook data fields. Rank Order pages are generally given in descending order -highest to lowest - such as Population and Area. The two exceptions are Unemployment Rate and Inflation Rate, which are in ascending - lowest to highest - order. Rank Order pages are available for the following 47 fields in six of the nine Factbook categories.

Population
Birth rate
Death rate
Infant mortality rate
Life expectancy at birth - total
Total fertility rate
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS - deaths

GDP (purchasing power parity)
GDP - real growth rate
GDP - per capita
Labor force
Unemployment rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Investment (gross fixed)
Public debt
Industrial production growth rate
Electricity - production
Electricity - consumption
Oil - production
Oil - consumption
Oil - exports
Oil - imports
Oil - proved reserves
Natural Gas - production
Natural Gas - consumption
Natural Gas - exports
Natural Gas - imports
Natural Gas - proved reserves
Current account balance
Exports
Imports
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt - external

Telephones - main lines in use
Telephones - mobile cellular
Internet hosts
Internet users

Factbook fields with Rank Order pages are easily identified with a small bar chart icon to the right of the data field title.

Not all Rank Order pages include the same number of entries because information for a particular field is not available for all countries. In addition, not all data fields are suitable for displaying as Rank Order pages, such as those containing textual information. Textual information is more readily viewed by clicking on the Field Listing icon next to the Data field title. The other icon next to the data field title provides the definition of the field.

All of the 'Rank Order' pages can be downloaded as tab-delimited data files and can be opened in other applications such as spreadsheets and databases. To save a Rank Order page in a spreadsheet, first click on the 'Download Datafile' choice above the Rank Order page you selected; then, at the top of your browser window, click on 'File' and 'Save As'. After saving the file, open the spreadsheet, find the saved file, and 'Open' it.

Additional Rank Order pages being considered for future updates of the Factbook Web site include:

Along with regular information updates, The World Factbook features several new or revised fields. In the Economy category, the Factbook is now reporting national GDP figures in US dollars converted at Official Exchange Rates (OER) in addition to GDP at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) rates, since both measures contain information useful to our readers. Traditionally, only PPP-converted GDP values had been reported. In the Transportation category, the former Highways entry is now Roadways, while Ports and harbors has been retitled Ports and terminals.

This information is included in Appendix A: Abbreviations, which includes all abbreviations and acronyms used in the Factbook, with their expansions.

An acronym is an abbreviation coined from the initial letter of each successive word in a term or phrase. In general, an acronym made up solely from the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is rendered in all capital letters (NATO from North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an exception would be ASEAN for Association of Southeast Asian Nations). In general, an acronym made up of more than the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is rendered with only an initial capital letter (Comsat from Communications Satellite Corporation; an exception would be NAM from Nonaligned Movement). Hybrid forms are sometimes used to distinguish between initially identical terms (WTO: for World Trade Organization and WToO for World Tourism Organization.)

This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first- order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted.

This entry provides the distribution of the population according to age. Information is included by sex and age group (0-14 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over). The age structure of a population affects a nation's key socioeconomic issues. Countries with young populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in schools, while countries with older populations (high percentage ages 65 and over) need to invest more in the health sector. The age structure can also be used to help predict potential political issues. For example, the rapid growth of a young adult population unable to find employment can lead to unrest.

This entry is an ordered listing of major crops and products starting with the most important.

This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, or gravel surfaces) but may include closed or abandoned installations. Airports or airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no facilities, etc.) are not included. Note that not all airports have accomodations for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.

This entry gives the total number of airports with paved runways (concrete or asphalt surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m, (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m, (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m, (4) 914 to 1,523 m, and (5) under 914 m. Only airports with usable runways are included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.

This entry gives the total number of airports with unpaved runways (grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m, (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m, (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m, (4) 914 to 1,523 m, and (5) under 914 m. Only airports with usable runways are included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.

This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.

This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).

This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.

This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.

This entry includes revenues, expenditures, and capital expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.

This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes throughout the year.

This entry gives the total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea.

This category deals with the means of exchanging information and includes the telephone, radio, television, and Internet host entries.

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

UTC is the international atomic time scale that serves as the basis of timekeeping for most of the world. The hours, minutes, and seconds expressed by UTC represent the time of day at the Prime Meridian (0º longitude) located near Greenwich, England as reckoned from midnight. UTC is calculated by the Bureau International des Poids et Measures (BIPM) in Sevres, France. The BIPM averages data collected from more than 200 atomic time and frequency standards located at about 50 laboratories worldwide. UTC is the basis for all civil time with the Earth divided into time zones expressed as positive or negative differences from UTC. UTC is also referred to as "Zulu time." See the Standard Time Zones of the World map included with the Reference Maps.

Most versions of the Factbook provide a country map in color. The maps were produced from the best information available at the time of preparation. Names and/or boundaries may have changed subsequently.

This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.

This entry identifies the national medium of exchange and, in parenthesis, gives the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4217 alphabetic currency code for each country.

This entry records a country's net trade in goods and services, plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits, and dividends, and net transfer payments (such as pension funds and worker remittances) to and from the rest of the world during the period specified. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

This information is presented in Appendix D: Cross-Reference List of
Country Data Codes and Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic
Data Codes.

In general, information available as of 1 January 2006, was used in the preparation of this edition.

This entry is included for those entities that have adopted a policy of adjusting the official local time forward, usually one hour, from Standard Time during summer months. Such policies are most common in mid-latitude regions.

This entry gives the average annual number of deaths during a year per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. The death rate, while only a rough indicator of the mortality situation in a country, accurately indicates the current mortality impact on population growth. This indicator is significantly affected by age distribution, and most countries will eventually show a rise in the overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in mortality at all ages, as declining fertility results in an aging population.

This entry gives the total public and private debt owed to nonresidents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

This entry describes the formal relationship between a particular nonindependent entity and an independent state.

This entry contains an alphabetical listing of all nonindependent entities associated in some way with a particular independent state.

The US Government has diplomatic relations with 188 independent states, including 187 of the 192 UN members (excluded UN members are Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the US itself). In addition, the US has diplomatic relations with 1 independent state that is not in the UN, the Holy See, as well as with the EU.

This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.

This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.

This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.

This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub- Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.

This entry refers to net official development assistance (ODA) from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations to developing countries and multilateral organizations. ODA is defined as financial assistance that is concessional in character, has the main objective to promote economic development and welfare of the less developed countries (LDCs), and contains a grant element of at least 25%. The entry does not cover other official flows (OOF) or private flows. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

This entry, which is subject to major problems of definition and statistical coverage, refers to the net inflow of Official Development Finance (ODF) to recipient countries. The figure includes assistance from the World Bank, the IMF, and other international organizations and from individual nation donors. Formal commitments of aid are included in the data. Omitted from the data are grants by private organizations. Aid comes in various forms including outright grants and loans. The entry thus is the difference between new inflows and repayments. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

This category includes the entries dealing with the size, development, and management of productive resources, i.e., land, labor, and capital.

This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends.

This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.

This entry is the annual electricity generated expressed in kilowatt- hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.

Some of the independent states, dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and governments included in this publication are not independent, and others are not officially recognized by the US Government. "Independent state" refers to a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory. "Dependencies" and "areas of special sovereignty" refer to a broad category of political entities that are associated in some way with an independent state. "Country" names used in the table of contents or for page headings are usually the short-form names as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names and may include independent states, dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty, or other geographic entities. There are a total of 272 separate geographic entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows:

INDEPENDENT STATES

193 Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated
States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan,
Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

OTHER

DEPENDENCIES AND AREAS OF SPECIAL SOVEREIGNTY

6 Australia - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island

16 France - Bassas da India*, Clipperton Island, Europa Island*, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands*, Guadeloupe, Juan de Nova Island*, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tromelin Island*, Wallis and Futuna (* consolidated in Iles Eparses entry)

17 UK - Akrotiri, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dhekelia, Falkland Islands,
Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands,
Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and
Caicos Islands

14 US - American Samoa, Baker Island*, Guam, Howland Island*, Jarvis
Island*, Johnston Atoll*, Kingman Reef*, Midway Islands*, Navassa
Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll*, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands, Wake Island (* consolidated in United States Pacific Island
Wildlife Refuges entry)

MISCELLANEOUS

6 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara

OTHER ENTITIES

5 oceans - Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean

This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:

Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater fish and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions (see acid rain).

Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is damaging and potentially deadly to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using the pH scale where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are considered alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid precipitation; note - a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been measured in rainfall in New England.

Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting trees and plants; reforestation involves replanting trees on areas that have been cut or destroyed by fire.

Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used in fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic in particulate form.

Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism, community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced disruption.

Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence, abundance, and health reveal the general condition of its habitat.

Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given area or volume.

Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits.

Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and runoff; an important water management technique in areas with limited freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar.

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT was banned in the US in 1972.

Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves artificially; often used in agricultural practices for weed control, and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health.

Deforestation - the destruction of vast areas of forest (e.g., unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural and range land clearing, and the over exploitation of wood products for use as fuel) without planting new growth.

Desertification - the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or semi- arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally productive soils, or climate change.

Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms (e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant destruction of reef and ocean-floor ecosystems.

Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is generally anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide; often results in an over harvesting and waste of large populations of non-commercial marine species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping the ocean clean".

Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of organisms and their specific environments.

Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial waste which are released into the environment, subsequently polluting it.

Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction either by direct hunting or habitat destruction.

Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, and underground aquifers.

Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower atmosphere causing surface warming; water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth often in naturally occurring reservoirs in permeable rock strata; the source for wells and natural springs.

Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by Lesotho and South Africa to redirect Lesotho's abundant water supply into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most costly and controversial; objections to the project include claims that it forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and squanders economic resources.

Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) - represents the 145,000 Inuits of Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland in international environmental issues; a General Assembly convenes every three years to determine the focus of the ICC; the most current concerns are long-range transport of pollutants, sustainable development, and climate change.

Metallurgical plants - industries which specialize in the science, technology, and processing of metals; these plants produce highly concentrated and toxic wastes which can contribute to pollution of ground water and air when not properly disposed.

Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than it can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant cover, a common effect of too many animals grazing limited range land.

Ozone shield - a layer of the atmosphere composed of ozone gas (O3) that resides approximately 25 miles above the Earth's surface and absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation that can be harmful to living organisms.

Poaching - the illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern with respect to endangered or threatened species.

Salination - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water becomes salt (undrinkable) water; hence, desalination is the reverse process; also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused by evaporation of excessive irrigation water, a process that can eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops.

Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted with silt and mud, a side effect of deforestation and soil erosion.

Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in which trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land for temporary agriculture; the land is used until its productivity declines at which point a new plot is selected and the process repeats; this practice is sustainable while population levels are low and time is permitted for regrowth of natural vegetation; conversely, where these conditions do not exist, the practice can have disastrous consequences for the environment .

Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because of poor agricultural practices such as the excessive use of pesticides or fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or erosion of topsoil, eventually resulting in reduced ability to produce agricultural products.

Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind, compounded by poor agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy emitted by the sun and naturally filtered in the upper atmosphere by the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans.

Water-born diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are transmitted through, water; always a serious threat in areas with an untreated water supply.

This entry separates country participation in international environmental agreements into two levels - party to and signed, but not ratified. Agreements are listed in alphabetical order by the abbreviated form of the full name.

This information is presented in Appendix C: Selected International Environmental Agreements, which includes the name, abbreviation, date opened for signature, date entered into force, objective, and parties by category.

This entry provides an ordered listing of ethnic groups starting with the largest and normally includes the percent of total population.

This entry provides the official value of a country's monetary unit at a given date or over a given period of time, as expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and as determined by international market forces or official fiat.

This entry includes several subfields. Chief of state includes the name and title of the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government. Cabinet includes the official name for this body of high-ranking advisers and the method for selection of members. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election.

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

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

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

This entry identifies the beginning and ending months for a country's accounting period of 12 months, which often is the calendar year but which may begin in any month. All yearly references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as a noncalendar fiscal year (FY).

This entry provides a written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.

Most versions of the Factbook include a color flag at the beginning of the country profile. The flag graphics were produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time of preparation. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.

This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at offical exchange rates (OER) is the home-currency-denominated annual GDP figure divided by the bilateral average US exchange rate with that country in that year. The measure is simple to compute and gives a precise measure of the value of output. Many economists prefer this measure when gauging the economic power an economy maintains vis- à-vis its neighbors, judging that an exchange rate captures the purchasing power a nation enjoys in the international marketplace. Official exchange rates, however, can be artifically fixed and/or subject to manipulation - resulting in claims of the country having an under- or over-valued currency - and are not necessarily the equivalent of a market-determined exchange rate. Moreover, even if the official exchange rate is market-determined, market exchange rates are frequently established by a relatively small set of goods and services (the ones the country trades) and may not capture the value of the larger set of goods the country produces. Furthermore, OER-converted GDP is not well suited to comparing domestic GDP over time, since appreciation/depreciation from one year to the next will make the OER GDP value rise/fall regardless of whether home-currency-denominated GDP changed.

This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The difference between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the weathly industrialized countries are generally much smaller.

This entry gives the percentage contribution of agriculture, industry, and services to total GDP. The distribution will total less than 100 percent if the data are incomplete.

This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year.

This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and expressed as a percent.

In the Economy category, GDP dollar estimates for countries are reported both on an official exchange rate (OER) and a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. Both measures contain information that is useful to the reader. The PPP method involves the use of standardized international dollar price weights, which are applied to the quantities of final goods and services produced in a given economy. The data derived from the PPP method probably provides the best available starting point for comparisons of economic strength and well-being between countries. In contrast, the currency exchange rate method involves a variety of international and domestic financial forces that may not capture the value of domestic output. Furthermore, exchange rates may suddenly go up or down by 10% or more because of market forces or official fiat whereas real output has remained unchanged. On 12 January 1994, for example, the 14 countries of the African Financial Community (whose currencies are tied to the French franc) devalued their currencies by 50%. This move, of course, did not cut the real output of these countries by half. Whereas PPP estimates for OECD countries are quite reliable, PPP estimates for developing countries are often rough approximations. In developing countries with weak currencies, the exchange rate estimate of GDP in dollars is typically one-fourth to one-half the PPP estimate. Most of the GDP estimates for developing countries are based on extrapolation of PPP numbers published by the UN International Comparison Program (UNICP) and by Professors Robert Summers and Alan Heston of the University of Pennsylvania and their colleagues. GDP derived using the OER method should be used for the purpose of calculating the share of items such as exports, imports, military expenditures, external debt, or the current account balance, because the dollar values presented in the Factbook for these items have been converted at official exchange rates, not at PPP. One should use the OER GDP figure to calculate the proportion of, say, Chinese defense expenditures in GDP, because that share will be the same as one calculated in local currency units. Comparison of OER GDP with PPP GDP may also indicate whether a currency is over- or under-valued. If OER GDP is smaller than PPP GDP, the official exchange rate may be undervalued, and vice versa. However, there is no strong historical evidence that market exchange rates move in the direction implied by the PPP rate, at least not in the short- or medium-term. Note: the numbers for GDP and other economic data should not be chained together from successive volumes of the Factbook because of changes in the US dollar measuring rod, revisions of data by statistical agencies, use of new or different sources of information, and changes in national statistical methods and practices.

GNP

Gross national product (GNP) is the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, plus income earned by its citizens abroad, minus income earned by foreigners from domestic production. The Factbook, following current practice, uses GDP rather than GNP to measure national production. However, the user must realize that in certain countries net remittances from citizens working abroad may be important to national well-being.

GWP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All telephone numbers in The World Factbook consist of the country code in brackets, the city or area code (where required) in parentheses, and the local number. The one component that is not presented is the international access code, which varies from country to country. For example, an international direct dial telephone call placed from the US to Madrid, Spain, would be as follows: 011 [34] (1) 577-xxxx, where 011 is the international access code for station-to-station calls; 01 is for calls other than station-to-station calls, [34] is the country code for Spain, (1) is the city code for Madrid, 577 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number. An international direct dial telephone call placed from another country to the US would be as follows: international access code + [1] (202) 939-xxxx, where [ 1] is the country code for the US, (202) is the area code for Washington, DC, 939 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Why are Taiwan and the European Union listed out of alphabetical order at the end of the Factbook entries?

Taiwan is listed after the regular entries because even though the mainland People's Republic of China claims Taiwan, elected Taiwanese authorities de facto administer the island and reject mainland sovereignty claims. With the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1979, the US Government recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China.

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Since we have an ambassador who represents the US at the Vatican, why is this entity not listed in the Factbook?

Vatican City is found under Holy See. The term "Holy See" refers to the authority, jurisdiction, and sovereignty vested in the Pope and his advisors to direct the worldwide Catholic Church. The Holy See has a legal personality that allows it to enter into treaties as the juridical equal of a state and to send and receive diplomatic representatives. Vatican City, created in 1929 to administer properties belonging to the Holy See in Rome, is recognized under international law as a sovereign state, but it does not send or receive diplomatic representatives. Consequently, Holy See is included as a Factbook entry, with Vatican City cross-referenced in the Geographic Names appendix.

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Why don't you include information on entities such as Tibet,
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The World Factbook provides information on the administrative divisions of a country as recommended by the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). The BGN is a component of the US Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic names—domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to have access to uniform names of geographic features.

Also included in the Factbook are entries on parts of the world whose status has not yet been resolved (e.g., West Bank, Spratly Islands). Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries are not covered.

A doubly landlocked country is one that is separated from an ocean or an ocean-accessible sea by two intervening countries. Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein are the only countries that fit this definition.

Why is the spelling of proper names such as rulers, presidents, and prime ministers in The World Factbook different than their spelling in my country?

The Factbook staff applies the names and spellings from the Chiefs of State link on the CIA Web site. The World Factbook is prepared using the standard American English computer keyboard and does not use any special characters, symbols, or most diacritical markings in its spellings. Surnames are always spelled with capital letters; they may appear first in some cultures.

The spelling of geographic names, features, cities, administrative divisions, etc. in the Factbook differs from those used in my country. Why is this?

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Why doesn't The World Factbook include pronunciations of country or leader names?

There are too many variations in pronunciation among English-speaking countries, not to mention English renditions of non-English names, for pronunciations to be included. American English pronunciations are included for some countries like Qatar and Kiribati.

When American and British spellings of common English words differ, The World Factbook always uses the American spelling, even when these common words form part of a proper name in British English.

The Factbook staff uses many different sources to publish what we judge are the most reliable and consistent data for any particular category. Space considerations preclude a listing of these various sources.

The names of some geographic features provided in the Factbook differ from those used in other publications. For example, in Asia the Factbook has Burma as the country name, but in other publications Myanmar is used; also, the Factbook uses Sea of Japan whereas other publications label it East Sea. What is your policy on naming geographic features?

The Factbook staff follows the guidance of the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). The BGN is the component of the United States Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic names—domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to have access to uniform names of geographic features. The position of the BGN is that the names Burma and Sea of Japan be used in official US Government maps and publications.

Why is most of the statistical information in the Factbook given in metric units, rather than the units standard to US measure?

US Federal agencies are required by the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-168) and by Executive Order 12770 of July 1991 to use the International System of Units, commonly referred to as the metric system or SI. In addition, the metric system is used by over 95 percent of the world's population.

The Factbook staff judges that this information would only be useful for some (generally smaller) countries. Larger countries can have large temperature extremes that do not represent the landmass as a whole. In the future, such a category may be adopted listing the extremes, but also adding a normal temperature range found throughout most of a country's territory.

Flag designs used in The World Factbook are those recognized by the protocol office of the US Department of State.

We have two sets of GDP dollar estimates in The World Factbook , one derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations and the other derived using official exchange rates (OER). Other sources probably use one of the two. See the Notes and Definitions section on GDP and GDP methodology for more information.

On the CIA Web site, Chiefs of State is updated weekly, but the last update for the Factbook was an earlier date. Why the discrepancy?

Although Chiefs of State and The World Factbook both appear on the CIA Web site, they are produced and updated by separate staffs. Chiefs of State includes fewer countries but more leaders, and is updated more frequently than The World Factbook, which has a much larger database, and includes all countries.

Because of rounding, percentage distributions do not always add precisely to 100%. Rounding of numbers always results in a loss of precision—i.e., error. This error becomes apparent when percentage data are totaled, as the following two examples show:

  Example 1 43.2 43
                          30.4 30
                          26.4 26
                          —— —
                         100.0 99

  Example 2 42.8 43
                          31.6 32
                          25.6 26
                          —— —
                         100.0 101

When this occurs, we do not force the numbers to add exactly to 100, because doing so would introduce additional error into the distribution.

In deciding on the number of digits to present, the Factbook staff assesses the accuracy of the original data and the needs of US Government officials. All of the economic data are processed by computer—either at the source or by the Factbook staff. The economic data presented in The Factbook, therefore, follow the rounding convention used by virtually all numerical software applications, namely, any digit followed by a "5" is rounded up to the next higher digit, no matter whether the original digit is even or odd. Thus, for example, when rounded to the nearest integer, 2.5 becomes 3, rather than 2, as occurred in some pre-computer rounding systems.

Why do you list "Independence" dates for countries like France,
Germany, and the United Kingdom?

For most countries, this entry presents the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For other countries, the date may be some other significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, or state succession and so may not strictly be an "Independence" date. Dependent entities have the nature of their dependency status noted in this same entry.

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The World Factbook home page has a link entitled "Text/Low Bandwidth Version." The country data in the text version is fully accessible. We believe The World Factbook is compliant with the Section 508 law in both fact and spirit. If you are experiencing difficulty, please use our comment form to provide us details of the specific problem you are experiencing and the assistive software and/or hardware that you are using so that we can work with our technical support staff to find and implement a solution. We welcome visitors' suggestions to improve accessibility of The World Factbook and the CIA Web site.

Hundreds of "Factbook" look-alikes exist on the Internet. The
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Some of the files on The World Factbook Web site are large and could take several minutes to download on a dial-up connection. The screen might be blank during the download process.

When I open a map on The World Factbook site, it is fuzzy or granular, or too big or too small. Why?

Is The World Factbook country data available in machine-readable format? All I can find is HTML, but I'm looking for simple tabular data.

The Factbook Web site now features "Rank Order" pages for selected Factbook entries. "Rank Order" pages are available for those data fields identified with a small bar chart icon located next to the title of the data entry. In addition, all of the "Rank Order" pages can be downloaded as tab-delimited data files that can be opened in other applications such as spreadsheets and databases.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD
  chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] 202-483-6410
  FAX: [1] 202-483-6488
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA
  chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
  FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES
  embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
  mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles,
  VA 20189-9510
  telephone: [355] (4) 247285
  FAX: [355] (4) 232222

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55 FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V.
  PIA-COMELLA
  chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
  FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (3) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (3) 205-5206

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKITI
  chancery: 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1258
  consulate(s) general: Houston, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia EFIRD
  embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of
  Luanda), Luanda
  mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda;
  pouch: US Embassy Luanda,US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place,
  Washington, DC 20521-2550
  telephone: [244] (222) 64-1000
  FAX: [244] (222) 64-1232

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
  commercial salt ponds) (2005)

Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)

Environment - current issues: supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system

Geography - note: the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22.8% (male 1,557/female 1,510)
  15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,878/female 4,608)
  65 years and over: 6.9% (male 412/female 512) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 31.2 years
  male: 31.2 years
  female: 31.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 20.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.28 years
  male: 74.35 years
  female: 80.3 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other
1.5% (2001 Census)

Religions:
  Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%, Roman
  Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or unspecified
  4.3% (2001 Census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 12 and over can read and write
  total population: 95%
  male: 95%
  female: 95% (1984 est.)

Capital:
  name: The Valley
  geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 04 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
  represented by Governor Andrew N. GEORGE (since 10 July 2006)
  head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March
  2000)
  cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the
  elected members of the House of Assembly
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed chief minister by the governor

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct
  popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%,
  AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA
  2, AUM 1

Political parties and leaders:
  Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The Anguilla
  United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of
  the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National
  Alliance or ANA; Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy ROGERS];
  Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD]

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate),
UPU

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag;
  the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking
  circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below

Economy - overview:
  Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily
  on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and
  remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism
  industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector,
  has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put
  substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector,
  which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the
  economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on
  revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on
  favorable weather conditions.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 3%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, commerce 36%, services 29% (2000 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $22.8 million
  expenditures: $22.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles

Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
  (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: modern internal telephone system
  international: country code - 1-264; microwave radio relay to island
  of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 120 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

Background:
  Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not
  confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial
  operators and British and Russian national expeditions began
  exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of
  the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that
  Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
  Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th
  century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific
  research on the continent. A number of countries have set up
  year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made
  territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In
  order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the
  continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies
  nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in
  1959, it entered into force in 1961.

Area:
  total: 14 million sq km
  land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km
  ice-covered) (est.)
  note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North
  America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the
  subcontinent of Europe

Maritime claims:
  Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
  rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their
  continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these zones are
  not accepted by other countries; 21 of 28 Antarctic consultative
  nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia
  and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize
  the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes -
  international entry

Climate:
  severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance
  from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica
  because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most
  moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the
  coast and average slightly below freezing

Terrain:
  about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with
  average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges
  up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of
  southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area,
  and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves
  along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves
  constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m
  highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m
  note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the
  Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet
  discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater

Natural resources:
  iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other
  minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small
  uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish,
  and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005)

Natural hazards:
  katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high
  interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau;
  cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the
  coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West
  Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may
  calve from ice shelf

Environment - current issues:
  in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole
  was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers;
  researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing
  through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish
  lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm
  one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of
  ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming

Geography - note:
  the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent;
  during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South
  Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly
  uninhabitable

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and
  summer-only staffed research stations
  note: 26 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate
  through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only
  (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its
  nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region
  covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of
  persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management
  and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately
  4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000
  personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard
  research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak
  summer (December-February) population - 3,822 total; Argentina 417,
  Australia 213, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 224, China 70, Ecuador
  22, Finland 20, France 123, Germany 78, India 65, Italy 112, Japan
  150, South Korea 60, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia
  429, South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US
  1,170, Uruguay 60 (2005-2006); winter (June-August) station
  population - 1,028 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12,
  Chile 88, China 29, France 37, Germany 9, India 25, Italy 2, Japan
  40, South Korea 15, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South
  Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 288, Uruguay 9 (2005); research
  stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60
  degrees south latitude) by members of the Council of Managers of
  National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP): year-round stations - 37
  total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, France
  1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1,
  Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay
  1, Italy and France jointly 1 (2005); seasonal-only (summer)
  stations - 15 total; Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, Chile 1, Ecuador 1,
  Finland 1, Germany 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Peru 1, Russia 1,
  Spain 2, Sweden 1, UK 1 (2005-2006); in addition, during the austral
  summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent
  camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in
  support of research

Government type: Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 28th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2005, there were 45 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 17 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Legal system:
  Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative
  member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by
  these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and
  operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law,
  including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such
  as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply
  to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16
  U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties
  for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of
  statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of
  nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected
  areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation
  into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the
  Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in
  fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and
  Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law
  95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in
  1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in
  advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State,
  Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as
  required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact
  Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science
  Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or
  visit their website at www.nsf.gov; more generally, access to the
  Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90
  degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal
  instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party
  to the Antarctic Treaty

Economy - overview:
  Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for
  Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in
  2003-04 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 136,262 metric tons
  (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention on the
  Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which
  extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area). Unregulated
  fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish, is a serious problem.
  The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine
  species. A total of 23,175 tourists visited in the 2004-05 Antarctic
  summer, up from the 19,486 visitors the previous year. Nearly all of
  them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and
  several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips
  last approximately two weeks.

Telephone system:
  general assessment: local systems at some research stations
  domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number
  of locations
  international: country code - 672; via satellite (including mobile
  Inmarsat and Iridium systems) from all research stations, ships,
  aircraft, and most field parties

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1, note - information for US bases only
(2002)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces Antarctic
  Network-McMurdo)
  note: information for US bases only (2002)

Televisions:
several hundred at McMurdo Station (US)
note: information for US bases only (2001)

Airports: 20 note: there are no developed public access airports or landing facilities; 28 stations or remote field locations, operated by 11 National Antarctic Programs from nations party to the Antarctic Treaty, have restricted aircraft landing facilities comprising a total of 11 runways and 22 skiways for fixed-wing aircraft; some stations have both runways and skiways; commercial enterprises operate two aircraft landing facilities at one station; helicopter pads are available at all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs; the 11 runways are suitable for wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft: three are gravel, four blue-ice, two sea-ice and two compacted snow; of these, five are 3 km in length, two are between 2 km and 3 km in length, three are between 1 km and 2 km in length and one is less than 1 km in length; the 22 snow surface skiways are limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, three are equal to or greater than 3 km in length, one is between 2 km and 3 km in length, nine are between 1 km and 2 km in length, five are less than 1 km in length, and four are of unknown or variable length; snow surface skiways are generally prepared and maintained during specific periods only and during summer; all aircraft landing facilities subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; aircraft landing facilities do not meet ICAO standards; advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization required for using their facilities; landed aircraft are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; guidelines for the operation of aircraft near concentrations of birds in Antarctica were adopted in 2004; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by states party to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude South, have to be complied with (see information under "Legal System"); an Antarctic Flight Information Manual (AFIM) providing up-to-date details of Antarctic air facilities and procedures is maintained and published by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 4 length unknown or variable: 4 (2006)

Heliports:
  37
  note: all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by
  National Antarctic Programs stations have restricted helicopter
  landing facilities (helipads) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
  there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most
  coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are
  transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and
  helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal
  stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), and Palmer (64 43 S,
  64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office
  under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection
  in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage
  is sparse and intermittent; relevant legal instruments and
  authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the
  Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, to
  all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south, have to be
  complied with (see "Legal System"); The Hydrographic Committee on
  Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic commission of International
  Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic
  surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it
  coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate
  charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of
  navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member
  State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which
  contributes resources and/or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area;
  members of HCA are Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, France,
  Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway, Russia, South Africa,
  Spain, and the UK (2005)

Military - note:
  the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature,
  such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the
  carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of
  weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for
  scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes

Disputes - international:
  Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in
  government type entry); Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ,
  Norway, and UK claim land and maritime sectors (some overlapping)
  for a large portion of the continent; the US and many other states
  do not recognize these territorial claims and have made no claims
  themselves (the US and Russia reserve the right to do so); no claims
  have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees
  west; several states with territorial claims in Antarctica have
  expressed their intention to submit data to the UN Commission on the
  Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend their continental shelf
  claims to adjoining undersea ridges

Background:
  The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and
  Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when
  Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by
  the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a
  colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on
  Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent
  state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.

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

Area:
  total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
  land: 442.6 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher
volcanic areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

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

Geography - note:
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors
and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.6% (male 9,716/female 9,375)
  15-64 years: 68.5% (male 23,801/female 23,524)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,020/female 1,672) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 30 years
  male: 29.5 years
  female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 22.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.16 years
  male: 69.78 years
  female: 74.66 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Christian (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some
Roman Catholic)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
  schooling
  total population: 85.8%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Capital:
  name: Saint John's
  geographic coordinates: 17 06 N, 61 51 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George,
Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June
  1993)
  head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24
  March 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
  the advice of the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
  by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following
  legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
  leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
  by the governor general

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body
  appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives
  (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next
  to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  ALP 4, UPP 13

Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of
  the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
  Court of Summary Jurisdiction); member Caribbean Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
  Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's
  Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; National Democratic Congress
  [Tillman THOMAS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER]
  (a coalition of three opposition parties - Antigua Caribbean
  Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM,
  United National Democratic Party or UNDP)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
  ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Flag description:
  red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of
  the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black
  (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black
  band

Economy - overview:
  Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than
  half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have
  slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight
  fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is
  focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water
  supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages
  in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type
  assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts,
  and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the
  medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the
  industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for
  slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 22% services: 74.3% (2002)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $123.7 million
  expenditures: $145.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes,
sugarcane; livestock

Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol,
household appliances)

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

Exports - commodities:
petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport
equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%

Exports - partners:
Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners:
US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5%
(2005)

Debt - external:
$427.3 million; note - data are for public external debt, not total
external debt (2000)

Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
  (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: good automatic telephone system
  international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba
  (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

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

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,011 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,452,503 GRT/9,783,309 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 596, chemical tanker 7, container
  321, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1,
  refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 21
  foreign-owned: 984 (Australia 1, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia
  2, Denmark 14, Estonia 12, France 1, Germany 858, Iceland 8, Isle of
  Man 2, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 3, Netherlands 14, Norway 11,
  NZ 1, Poland 3, Russia 6, Singapore 1, Slovenia 6, Switzerland 4,
  Turkey 8, UK 7, US 7, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscript military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,952
females age 18-49: 18,360 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 14,859
females age 18-49: 14,947 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 507
females age 18-49: 494 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the
US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

Background:
  The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after
  the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently
  delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and
  Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal
  waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes
  circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Location:
body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north
of the Arctic Circle

Area:
  total: 14.056 million sq km
  note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea,
  East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara
  Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies

Climate:
  polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively
  narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by
  continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear
  skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy
  weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

Terrain:
  central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that,
  on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be
  three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort
  Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New
  Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and
  Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer,
  but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the
  encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental
  shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central
  basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera,
  Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)

Natural hazards:
  ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island;
  icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme
  northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked
  from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from
  October to May

Environment - current issues:
  endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile
  ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or
  damage; thinning polar icepack

Geography - note:
  major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to
  the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between
  North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes
  of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated
  by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20
  to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10
  months

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural
resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

Transportation - note:
  sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest
  Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are
  important seasonal waterways

Background:
  In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their
  independence from Spain. Eventually, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay
  went their own way, but the area that remained became Argentina. The
  country's population and culture were subsequently heavily shaped by
  immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and
  Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860
  to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's
  history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict
  between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military
  factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist authoritarian rule
  and interference in subsequent governments was followed by a
  military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983,
  and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable
  of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent
  public protests and the resignation of several interim presidents.
  Successful negotiations with the IMF allowed Argentina to sidestep
  some fiscal discipline measures normally imposed in such
  circumstances. Since 2003, the government's efforts to stem the
  crisis have led to rapid economic recovery.

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Chile and Uruguay

Land boundaries:
  total: 9,665 km
  border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
  Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau
of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San
  Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa
  Cruz)
  highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern
  corner of the province of Mendoza)

Natural resources:
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore,
manganese, petroleum, uranium

Natural hazards:
  San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to
  earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the
  pampas and northeast; heavy flooding

Environment - current issues: environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
  second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic
  location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the
  South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake
  Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical
  climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is
  the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon
  is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.2% (male 5,153,164/female 4,921,625)
  15-64 years: 64.1% (male 12,804,376/female 12,798,731)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 1,740,118/female 2,503,819) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.12 years
  male: 72.38 years
  female: 80.05 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and
Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%

Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant
2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.1%
  male: 97.1%
  female: 97.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Argentine Republic
  conventional short form: Argentina
  local long form: Republica Argentina
  local short form: Argentina

Capital:
  name: Buenos Aires
  geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 27 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous
  city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital
  Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios,
  Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio
  Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del
  Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur,
  Tucuman
  note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice
  President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is
  both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);
  Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 27 April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007)
  election results: results of the presidential election of 27 April
  2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez
  MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other
  8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was
  awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on
  the eve of the election

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
  Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently
  one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term)
  and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by
  direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a
  four-year term)
  elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in
  2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005
  (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV
  45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV
  14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
  bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ
  3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ
  9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are
appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front
  for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a
  broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including RECREAR);
  Justicialist Front or FJ [Eduardo DUHALDE]; Justicialist Party or PJ
  (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or
  UCR [Roberto IGLESIAS]; Republican Initiative Alliance or PRO
  (including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ
  MURPHY] and Commitment for Change or CPC [Mauricio MACRI]);
  Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia
  BULLRICH]; several provincial parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); business organizations; Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); Roman Catholic Church; students

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO,
  G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG,
  OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
  chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE
  embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
  mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO
  address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
  telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533
  FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light
  blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a
  human face known as the Sun of May

Economy - overview:
  Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate
  population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a
  diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the
  country has suffered problems of inflation, external debt, capital
  flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8%, as
  both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the
  government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed
  exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in
  2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive
  withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and
  investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a "zero deficit,"
  to stabilize the banking system, and to restore economic growth
  proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The
  peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso
  was floated in February. The exchange rate plunged and real GDP fell
  by 10.9% in 2002, but by mid-year the economy had stabilized, albeit
  at a lower level. GDP expanded by about 9% per year from 2003 to
  2005. Growth is being led by a revival in domestic demand, solid
  exports, and favorable external conditions. The government boosted
  spending ahead of the October 2005 midterm congressional elections,
  but strong revenue performance allowed Argentina to maintain a
  budget surplus. Inflation has been rising steadily and reached 12.3
  percent in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.5% industry: 35.8% services: 54.7% (2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $42.63 billion
  expenditures: $39.98 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts,
tea, wheat; livestock

Industries:
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles,
chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.2% hydro: 40.8% nuclear: 6.7% other: 0.2% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
manufactures, plastics

Exchange rates:
Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004),
2.9006 (2003), 3.0633 (2002), 0.9995 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to
  competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications
  Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of
  modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines
  are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are
  entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is
  improving; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and
  making telephone service universally available will take time
  domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
  satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
  more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
  use is rapidly expanding
  international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 112;
  Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways
  near Buenos Aires (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than
1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 154
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
  914 to 1,523 m: 50
  under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 1,227
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 49
  914 to 1,523 m: 587
  under 914 m: 587 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 29,804 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 10,373 km; refined
products 8,540 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 31,902 km
  broad gauge: 20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 229,144 km
  paved: 68,809 km (including 734 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 160,335 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 435,969 GRT/707,767 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
  on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 11 (Chile 6, UK 4, Uruguay 1)
  registered in other countries: 24 (Bolivia 1, Chile 1, Liberia 7,
  Panama 9, Paraguay 3, Uruguay 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Punta
Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin, San Nicolas

Military branches:
  Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes naval
  aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
  Argentina, FAA) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 8,981,886
females age 18-49: 8,883,756 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,316,038
females age 18-49: 7,442,589 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 344,575
females age 18-49: 334,649 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the
  country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently
  experienced a strong recovery, and the military is now implementing
  "Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more
  responsive (2005)

Disputes - international:
  Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered
  Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South
  Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the
  Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to seek settlement
  by force; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and
  Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at
  convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money
  laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and
  fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between
  Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim
  River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; action by the
  joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in
  2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the
  Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Argentina is primarily a destination country for
  women and children trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation with
  most victims trafficked internally, from rural to urban areas, for
  exploitation in prostitution; foreign women and children trafficked
  for commercial sexual exploitation come primarily from Paraguay, but
  also from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and
  Chile; Bolivians are trafficked for forced labor; Argentine women
  and girls are also trafficked to neighboring countries for sexual
  exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Argentina failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts to combat trafficking particularly in the key
  area of prosecutions; government efforts to improve interagency
  anti-trafficking coordination did not achieve significant progress
  in moving cases against traffickers through the judicial system; the
  government made progress in other areas, by submitting
  anti-trafficking legislation to Congress in August 2005 and
  sensitizing provincial and municipal government officials to the
  trafficking problem

Illicit drugs:
  used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe; some
  money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area;
  domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing

Background:
  Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt
  Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over
  the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
  including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During
  World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey
  instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh
  practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths.
  The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in
  1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was
  conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain
  preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over
  Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to
  Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan
  began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after
  both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
  By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not
  only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan
  proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their
  inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.
  Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common
  border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and
  surrounding areas.

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,254 km
  border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
  exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

Terrain:
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing
rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Environment - current issues:
  soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis
  of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for
  firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the
  draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a
  source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of
  Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a
  seismically active zone

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake
Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.5% (male 322,189/female 286,944)
  15-64 years: 68.4% (male 949,975/female 1,085,484)
  65 years and over: 11.1% (male 133,411/female 198,369) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 30.4 years
  male: 27.8 years
  female: 33.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.17 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.84 years
  male: 68.25 years
  female: 76.02 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001
census)

Religions:
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist
with elements of nature worship) 1.3%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99.4%
  female: 98% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
  conventional short form: Armenia
  local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
  local short form: Hayastan
  former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

Capital:
  name: Yerevan
  geographic coordinates: 40 11 N, 44 30 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat,
  Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush,
  Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

Constitution:
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted
through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
  head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARGARYAN (since 12 May
  2000)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February and 5
  March 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister appointed by
  the president and confirmed with the majority support of the
  National Assembly; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must
  resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program
  election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of
  vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 90
  members elected by party list, 41 by direct vote)
  elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%,
  Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National
  Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by faction -
  Republican Party 39, Rule of Law 20, Justice Bloc 14, ARF (Dashnak)
  11, National Unity 7, United Labor 6, People's Deputy Group 16,
  independent (not in faction or group) 18; note - as of 10 March
  2006; voting blocs in the legislature are more properly termed
  factions and can be composed of members of several parties; seats by
  faction change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce
  themselves independent

Political parties and leaders:
  Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALYAN]; Armenia Party [Myasnik
  MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN,
  chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun
  MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation
  ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Levon MKRTCHYAN]; Democratic Party [Aram
  SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party,
  National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, the People's
  Party, and the Republic Party) [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; National
  Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or
  NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Revival Party [Albert BAZEYAN];
  National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN, chairman]; People's Party
  of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN,
  chairman]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARGARYAN]; Rule of Law
  Party [Samvel BALASANYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant
  KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN
  chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Anthony F.
  GODFREY
  embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 375082
  mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State,
  7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
  telephone: [374](10) 464-700
  FAX: [374](10) 464-742

Economy - overview:
  Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed
  a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and
  other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw
  materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December
  1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the
  large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural
  sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated
  technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace,
  but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration.
  Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold,
  bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the
  ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup
  of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union
  contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By
  1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious
  IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in
  positive growth rates in 1995-2005. Armenia joined the WTO in
  January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize
  its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized
  enterprises. Armenia's unemployment rate, however, remains high,
  despite strong economic growth. The chronic energy shortages Armenia
  suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy
  supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is
  now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient
  generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under
  international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system
  was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been
  offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians
  working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with
  Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The government
  made some improvements in tax and customs administration in 2005,
  but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement.
  Investment in the construction and industrial sectors is expected to
  continue in 2006 and will help to ensure annual average real GDP
  growth of about 13.9%.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.9% industry: 34.3% services: 41.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 45% industry: 25% services: 30% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 41.3% (2004)

Budget:
  revenues: $786.1 million
  expenditures: $930.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
  diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing
  machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk
  fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry
  manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 42.3% hydro: 27% nuclear: 30.7% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - exports: 650 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2003)

Electricity - imports:
463 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2003)

Exports - partners:
Germany 15.6%, Netherlands 13.7%, Belgium 12.8%, Russia 12.2%,
Israel 11.5%, US 11.2%, Georgia 4.8% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Imports - partners:
Russia 13.5%, Belgium 8%, Germany 7.9%, Ukraine 7%, Turkmenistan
6.3%, US 6.2%, Israel 5.8%, Iran 5%, Romania 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
drams per US dollar - 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003),
573.35 (2002), 555.08 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and
  undergoing modernization and expansion
  domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment
  are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
  international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the
  Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional
  international service is available by microwave radio relay and
  landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of
  Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and
  by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3
  (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 845 km
  broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
  note: some lines are out of service (2005)

Roadways: total: 7,633 km paved: 7,633 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2003)

Military branches:
Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force
(NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 to 27 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 722,836
females age 18-49: 795,084 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 551,938
females age 18-49: 656,493 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 31,774
females age 18-49: 31,182 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh
  and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan
  - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
  continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic
  Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about
  230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan
  into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to
  connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over
  Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region
  of Georgia seek greater autonomy; tens of thousands of Armenians
  emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 235,101 (Azerbaijan)
IDPs: 50,000 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser
  extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls
  trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the UAE and Turkey;
  traffickers, many of them women, route victims directly into Dubai
  or through Moscow; profits derived from the trafficking of Armenian
  victims reportedly increased dramatically from 2005
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Armenia has failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts, particularly in the areas of enforcement,
  trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection; the
  government increased implementation of its anti-trafficking law, but
  failed to impose significant penalties for convicted traffickers and
  failed to vigorously investigate and prosecute ongoing and
  widespread allegations of public officials' complicity in
  trafficking; victim protection efforts remain in early, formative
  stages and a lack of sensitivity for victims remains a problem,
  particularly in the judiciary

Illicit drugs:
  illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic
  consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium
  and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser
  extent the rest of Europe

Background:
  Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the
  Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main
  industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity
  brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last
  decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
  Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a
  separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
  Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in
  1990.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m

Geography - note:
  a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its
  tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the
  Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27
  degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849)
  15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140)
  65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.5 years
  male: 36.4 years
  female: 40.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.28 years
  male: 75.95 years
  female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English
dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

Dependency status:
  member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in
  internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the
  Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and
  foreign affairs

Capital:
  name: Oranjestad
  geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law
influence

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April
  1980), represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30
  October 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for
  a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime
  minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last
  held 2005 (next to be held by 2009)
  election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent
  of legislative vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by
  direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA
  7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8,
  MPA 1, RED 1

Judicial branch:
Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the
monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
  Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban
  Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic
  Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA
  [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's
  Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy
  or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform
  or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]

International organization participation:
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO
(associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to
Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba

Flag description:
  blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower
  portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper
  hoist-side corner

Economy - overview:
  Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with
  offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The
  rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted
  in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million
  tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US.
  Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the
  1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery
  in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings,
  has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly
  following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island
  experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004
  averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean.
  The newly re-elected government has made cutting the budget and
  trade deficits a high priority.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.4% NA% industry: 33.3% NA% services: 66.3% NA%

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining

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

Budget:
  revenues: $507.9 million
  expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000)

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

Exports - commodities:
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery
and electrical equipment, transport equipment

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US 11.3%,
Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and
reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

Exchange rates:
Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004),
1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system
  domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless
  service providers are now licensed
  international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten
  (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay
  links

Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy and
Marines, Coast Guard

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 520 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Illicit drugs:
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some
accompanying money-laundering activity

Background:
  These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931;
  formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a
  rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a
  National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is
  now a marine reserve.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between
northwestern Australia and Timor island

Area:
  total: 5 sq km
  land: 5 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and
  Cartier Island

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)

Geography - note:
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and
  fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island (July 2006 est.)

People - note:
the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has
become an ongoing problem

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department
of Transport and Regional Services

Legal system:
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the
Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the
Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

Disputes - international:
  Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef;
  Australia has closed the surrounding waters to Indonesian
  traditional fishing and created a national park in the region while
  continuing to prospect for hydrocarbons in the vicinity

Background:
  The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans
  (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern
  Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund
  (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar
  (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are
  important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
  International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
  delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
  of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Location:
body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the
Western Hemisphere

Area:
  total: 76.762 million sq km
  note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,
  Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador
  Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the
  Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Climate:
  tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near
  Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can
  occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to
  November

Terrain:
  surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark
  Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June;
  clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in
  the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the
  southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic
  Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
  oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand
  and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
  precious stones

Natural hazards:
  icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the
  northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been
  spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships
  subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from
  October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to
  September; hurricanes (May to December)

Environment - current issues:
  endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions,
  turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of
  fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal
  sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern
  Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake
  Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and
  municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and
  Mediterranean Sea

Geography - note:
  major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar,
  access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the
  Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound
  (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic
  Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

Economy - overview:
  The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily
  trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western
  Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of
  natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The
  Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean
  Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).

Ports and terminals:
  Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona
  (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon
  (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland),
  Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands,
  Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille
  (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy),
  New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway),
  Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam
  (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)

Transportation - note:
  Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways;
  significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal
  Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico
  coast of US

Background:
  Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia
  about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in
  the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770,
  when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain.
  Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they
  federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new
  country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop
  agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major
  contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent
  decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally
  competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's
  fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in
  large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term
  concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone
  layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially
  the Great Barrier Reef.

Location:
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean

Area:
  total: 7,686,850 sq km
  land: 7,617,930 sq km
  water: 68,920 sq km
  note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical
in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m

Natural resources:
  bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium,
  nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas,
  petroleum

Land use:
  arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of
  cultivated grassland)
  permanent crops: 0.04%
  other: 93.81% (2005)

Environment - current issues:
  soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development,
  urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due
  to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for
  agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique
  animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast
  coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by
  increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited
  natural fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
  world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population
  concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the
  invigorating tropical sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor"
  affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most
  consistent winds in the world

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,031,313/female 1,936,802)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,881,863/female 6,764,709)
  65 years and over: 13.1% (male 1,170,589/female 1,478,806) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.5 years
  male: 77.64 years
  female: 83.52 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist
  1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001
  Census)

Languages:
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified
5.8% (2001 Census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia

Capital:
  name: Canberra
  geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 08 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last
  Sunday in March (ended first Sunday in April 2006)
  note: Australia is divided into three time zones

Administrative divisions:
  6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New
  South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia,
  Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Dependent areas:
  Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling)
  Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands,
  Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island

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

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael
  JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11
  March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005)
  cabinet: prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament,
  candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to
  serve as government ministers
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime
  minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as
  prime minister by the governor general
  note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12
  from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland
  territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years
  by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members
  are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150
  seats; members elected by popular preferential voting to serve terms
  of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives)
  elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no
  later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9
  October 2004 (next to be called no later than November 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor
  Party 28, Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1;
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor
  Party 60, independents 3

Judicial branch:
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed
by the governor general)

Political parties and leaders:
  Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN];
  Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party [Jodeen
  CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [John
  Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [Mark VAILE]

International organization participation:
  ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group,
  BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris
  Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMIS,
  UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON
  chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
  FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New
  York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.
  embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital
  Territory 2600
  mailing address: APO AP 96549
  telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600
  FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970
  consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Flag description:
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a
  large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as
  the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of
  the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for
  each of the six original states and one representing all of
  Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a
  representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one
  small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars

Economy - overview:
  Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a
  per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European
  economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business
  and consumer confidence, and rising exports of raw materials and
  agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis
  on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key
  factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak
  foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up
  from $8 billion in 2002, to $18 billion in 2003, $13 billion in
  2004, and nearly $17 billion in 2005. Housing prices probably peaked
  in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be
  raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies
  have kept Australia's budget in surplus from 2002 to 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 26.2% services: 70% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3.6% industry: 21.2% services: 75.2% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)

Budget:
  revenues: $249.8 billion
  expenditures: $240.2 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry

Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.8% hydro: 8.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0.9% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and
transport equipment

Exports - partners:
Japan 20.3%, China 11.5%, South Korea 7.9%, US 6.7%, NZ 6.5%, India
5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines,
  telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum
  products

Imports - partners:
US 13.9%, China 13.7%, Japan 11%, Singapore 5.6%, Germany 5.6%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
  domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in
  areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular
  telephones
  international: country code - 61; submarine cables to New Zealand,
  Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 19 (10
  Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian
  and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 311 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 133 914 to 1,523 m: 143 under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 144 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 111 under 914 m: 15 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 546 km; gas 31,323 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km;
oil 4,808 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 47,738 km
  broad gauge: 4,015 km 1.600-m gauge
  standard gauge: 28,662 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 14,831 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2005)

Waterways:
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling
river systems) (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,361,000 GRT/1,532,874 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 17, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, container 1,
  liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 6,
  roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 17 (Canada 1, France 3, Germany 3, Japan 1,
  Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 2,
  Bermuda 3, Fiji 1, Hong Kong 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2,
  Netherlands 1, NZ 2, Panama 3, Portugal 1, Singapore 7, Tonga 1, UK
  3, US 2, Vanuatu 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne,
Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney

Military branches:
Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian
Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary service; women allowed to serve in
Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,943,676
females age 18-49: 4,821,264

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,092,717
females age 16-49: 3,983,447 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 142,158
females age 16-49: 135,675 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  East Timor and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed
  portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon
  revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered
  by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers creation of
  a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia (see also Ashmore and
  Cartier Islands dispute); regional states express concern over
  Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime
  identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to
  Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted its claims
  to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to
  extend its continental margin from both its mainland and Antarctic
  claims

Illicit drugs:
  Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate
  products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium
  poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

Background:
  Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire,
  Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World
  War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent
  occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status
  remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended
  the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
  unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
  declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
  Soviet military withdrawal. Following the Soviet Union's collapse in
  1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, some
  Austrians have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous,
  democratic country, Austria entered the Economic and Monetary Union
  in 1999.

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,562 km
  border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366
  km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330
  km, Switzerland 164 km

Climate:
  temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and
  some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with
  occasional showers

Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern
and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m

Natural resources:
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony,
magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Environment - current issues: some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe
  with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river
  is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
  because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.4% (male 645,337/female 614,602)
  15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,782,712/female 2,749,620)
  65 years and over: 17.1% (male 567,752/female 832,857) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.9 years
  male: 39.8 years
  female: 42 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.07 years
  male: 76.17 years
  female: 82.11 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes,
  Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified
  2.4% (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%,
unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)

Languages:
German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia),
Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: NA
  female: NA

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Austria
  conventional short form: Austria
  local long form: Republik Oesterreich
  local short form: Oesterreich

Capital:
  name: Vienna
  geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,
  Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg,
  Steiermark (Styria), Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

Independence:
17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804
(Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday:
  National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the State
  Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation and
  the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

Legal system:
  civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
  legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate
  administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004)
  head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4
  February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October
  2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
  of the chancellor
  elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year
  term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held
  25 April 2004 (next to be held April 2010); chancellor traditionally
  chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National
  Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of
  the chancellor
  election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote -
  Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6%
  note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal
  Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of the
  states on the basis of population, but with each state having at
  least 3 representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term) and
  the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by
  direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: National Council - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
  held in the fall of 2010)
  election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
  35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens 11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%; seats by
  party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66, Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative
  Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or
  Verfassungsgerichtshof

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Joerg HAIDER]; Austrian
  People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of
  Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party
  of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN
  DER BELLEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but
  primarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber;
  OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman
  Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic
  Action; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or
  OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and other
  non-government organizations in the areas of environment and human
  rights

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer),
  CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM
  (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE,
  Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO,
  UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU
  (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
  chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
  telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
  FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Susan R. McCAW
  embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0
  FAX: [43] (1) 3100682

Economy - overview:
  Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard
  of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially
  Germany's. The Austrian economy also benefits greatly from strong
  commercial relations, especially in the banking and insurance
  sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe. The economy
  features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a
  small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Membership in the
  EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's
  access to the single European market and proximity to the new EU
  economies. The current government has successfully pursued a
  comprehensive economic reform program, aimed at streamlining
  government, creating a more competitive business environment,
  further strengthening Austria's attractiveness as an investment
  location, pursuing a balanced budget, and implementing effective
  pension reforms. Weak domestic consumption and slow growth in Europe
  have held the economy to growth rates of 0.4% in 2002, 1.4% in 2003,
  2.4% in 2004, and 1.8% in 2005. To meet increased competition from
  both EU and Central European countries, particularly the new EU
  members, Austria will need to continue restructuring, emphasizing
  knowledge-based sectors of the economy, and encouraging greater
  labor flexibility and greater labor participation by its aging
  population.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 30.4% services: 67.8% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3% industry: 27% services: 70% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 22.5% (2004)

Budget:
  revenues: $148.6 billion
  expenditures: $154.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle,
pigs, poultry; lumber

Industries:
  construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals,
  chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard,
  communications equipment, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29.3% hydro: 67.2% nuclear: 0% other: 3.5% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and
  paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles,
  foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Germany 31.2%, Italy 8.7%, US 5.8%, Switzerland 5.2%, France 4.2%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods,
oil and oil products; foodstuffs

Currency (code):
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: highly developed and efficient
  domestic: there are 45 main lines for every 100 persons; the fiber
  optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet
  services are available
  international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in
  addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals)
  (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 15 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 6,011 km
  standard gauge: 5,568 km 1.435-m gauge (3,427 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 21 km 1.000-m gauge; 422 km 0.760-m gauge (109 km
  electrified) (2005)

Roadways: total: 133,718 km paved: 133,718 km (including 1,677 km of expressways) (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,072 GRT/44,437 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, container 2
  foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)
  registered in other countries: 14 (Liberia 13, Malta 1) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; from 2007, at the earliest, compulsory military service obligation will be reduced from eight months to six (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,914,800
females age 18-49: 1,870,134 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,550,441
females age 18-49: 1,515,365 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 48,967
females age 18-49: 46,633 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Austrian anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the
  Czech-Austrian border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear
  power plant in the Czech Republic

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American
cocaine destined for Western Europe

Background:
  Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population
  - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its
  independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite
  a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with
  Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely
  Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and
  must support some 528,000 internally displaced persons as a result
  of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the promise of
  widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources
  remains largely unfulfilled.

Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and
Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Area:
  total: 86,600 sq km
  land: 86,100 sq km
  water: 500 sq km
  note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the
  Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by
  Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,013 km
  border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia
  (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran
  (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
  exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800
km est.)

Terrain:
  large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below
  sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag
  Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi
  (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Environment - current issues:
  local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron
  Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be
  the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe
  air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil
  spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic
  defoliants used in the production of cotton

Geography - note:
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are
landlocked

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.8% (male 1,046,501/female 1,011,492)
  15-64 years: 66.3% (male 2,573,134/female 2,706,275)
  65 years and over: 7.8% (male 246,556/female 377,661) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.7 years
  male: 26.3 years
  female: 29.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 79 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 81.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 76.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 63.85 years
  male: 59.78 years
  female: 68.13 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other
  3.9% (1999 census)
  note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
  region

Religions:
  Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other
  1.8% (1995 est.)
  note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan;
  percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Languages:
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995
est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.5%
  female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
  conventional short form: Azerbaijan
  local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
  local short form: Azarbaycan
  former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Baku (Baki, Baky)
  geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 51 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar
  - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika)
  rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu,
  Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda
  Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu,
  Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu,
  Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu,
  Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu,
  Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu,
  Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax
  Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu,
  Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi
  Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu,
  Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar
  Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli
  Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab
  Rayonu
  cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran
  Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit
  Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari
  autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi

National holiday:
Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November
  2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas ABBASOV (since 10 November
  2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and
  confirmed by the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2003
  (next to be held October 2008); prime minister and first deputy
  prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the
  National Assembly
  election results: Ilham ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote -
  Ilham ALIYEV 76.8%, Isa GAMBAR 14%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November
  2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, YES 2, Motherland 2, other
  parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4

Political parties and leaders:
  Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF [Ali KARIMLI, leader of "Reform"
  faction; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU, leader of "Classic" faction]; Civic
  Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Civic Union Party
  [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA [Ramiz
  AHMADOV]; Compatriot Party [Mais SAFARLI]; Democratic Party for
  Azerbaijan or DPA [Rasul QULIYEV, chairman]; Justice Party [Ilyas
  ISMAILOV]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA];
  Motherland Party; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Yeni Azerbaijan
  Party; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Etibar
  MAMMADLI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP
  [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV]
  note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Sadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh
  Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani
  Forces (UPAF)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV
  chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911
  Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE embassy: 83 Azadliyg Prospecti, Baku AZ1007 mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050 telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337 FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a
crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band

Economy - overview:
  Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. Azerbaijan's oil production
  declined through 1997, but has registered an increase every year
  since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with
  foreign firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion to
  long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to
  spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first
  of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company,
  began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies is
  scheduled to begin pumping 1 million barrels a day from a large
  offshore field in early 2006, through a $4 billion pipeline it built
  from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Economists
  estimate that by 2010 revenues from this project will double the
  country's current GDP. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems
  of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a
  command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources
  brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun
  making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and
  structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede
  Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign
  investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with
  Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and the pervasive
  corruption. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics
  is declining in importance while trade is building with Turkey and
  the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil
  prices, the location of new pipelines in the region, and
  Azerbaijan's ability to manage its oil wealth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.1% industry: 45.7% services: 40.2% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 27.8% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.18 billion
  expenditures: $2.986 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco;
cattle, pigs, sheep, goats

Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment;
steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 89.7% hydro: 10.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Italy 30.3%, France 9.4%, Russia 6.6%, Turkey 6.3%, Turkmenistan
6.3%, Georgia 4.8%, Israel 4.5%, Croatia 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Russia 17%, UK 9.1%, Singapore 9.1%, Turkey 7.4%, Germany 6.1%,
Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004),
  4,910.73 (2003), 4,860.82 (2002), 4,656.58 (2001)
  note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000
  old manats equal to 1 new manat

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and
  modernization; teledensity of 14 main lines per 100 persons is low
  (2002)
  domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other
  industrial centers - about 700 villages still without public
  telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern
  switch in its exclave of Naxcivan
  international: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable
  and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2
  (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 27 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 9
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,957 km
broad gauge: 2,957 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 27,016 km
  paved: 12,698 km (including 128 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 14,318 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 84 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,395 GRT/436,666 DWT
  by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker
  43, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 3
  registered in other countries: 4 (Georgia 2, Malta 2) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,961,973
females age 18-49: 2,033,186 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,314,955
females age 18-49: 1,676,408 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 82,358
females age 18-49: 78,067 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh
  and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan;
  over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the
  occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were
  driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks
  transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave;
  Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues
  to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratify
  Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while
  Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and
  challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters;
  bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed
  and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and
  Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at
  certain crossing areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 8,367 (Russia)
IDPs: 528,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
  CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point
  for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent
  the rest of Europe

Background:
  Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus
  first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British
  settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony
  in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The
  Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and
  investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a
  major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments
  to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants
  into the US.

Location:
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind
damage

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

Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
of which 30 are inhabited

Population:
  303,770
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.5% (male 41,799/female 41,733)
  15-64 years: 66.1% (male 98,847/female 102,074)
  65 years and over: 6.4% (male 7,891/female 11,426) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.1 years
  female: 28.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 24.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 30.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.6 years
  male: 62.24 years
  female: 69.03 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal
  8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%,
  none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 95.6%
  male: 94.7%
  female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas

Capital:
  name: Nassau
  geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island,
  Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay,
  Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh
  Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands,
  Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February
  2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002)
  and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime
  minister's recommendation
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the
  prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body
  appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime
  minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the
  House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote
  to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the
  Parliament and call elections at any time
  elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%,
  independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4

Judicial branch:
Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court;
magistrates courts

Political parties and leaders:
Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive
Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOM,
  IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: vacant chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD
  embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
  mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197,
  Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC
  20521-3370
  telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
  FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and
aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily
  dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with
  tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for
  approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of
  the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and
  a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had
  led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the US
  economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in
  these sectors in 2001-03. The current government has presided over a
  period of economic recovery and an upturn in large-scale private
  sector investments in tourism. Financial services constitute the
  second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for
  about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government
  enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international
  businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture
  together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little
  growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors.
  Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the
  fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US,
  the source of more than 80% of the visitors.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: 27%

Budget:
  revenues: $1.03 billion
  expenditures: $1.03 billion; including capital expenditures of $130
  million (FY04/05)

Industries:
tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite,
pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe

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

Exports - commodities:
mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit
and vegetables

Exports - partners:
US 31%, Spain 29.7%, Poland 9.3%, Germany 5.6%, Guatemala 4.1%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral
fuels; food and live animals

Imports - partners:
US 22.5%, South Korea 20.2%, Spain 7.8%, Brazil 7.1%, Italy 6.5%,
Germany 5.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1
(2002), 1 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern facilities
  domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed
  international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric scatter and
  submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 2 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 29 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,177 ships (1000 GRT or over) 37,743,270 GRT/50,918,747 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 253, cargo 250, chemical
  tanker 64, container 79, liquefied gas 35, livestock carrier 2,
  passenger 115, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 175,
  refrigerated cargo 114, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 5,
  vehicle carrier 30
  foreign-owned: 1,093 (Angola 5, Australia 2, Belgium 13, Canada 18,
  China 3, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 59, Estonia 1, Finland 8, France
  37, Germany 22, Greece 232, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 1, India 1,
  Indonesia 4, Ireland 2, Israel 1, Italy 5, Japan 51, Jordan 2, Kenya
  1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 17, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24,
  Nigeria 2, Norway 259, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Reunion 1, Russia
  6, Saudi Arabia 12, Singapore 12, Slovenia 1, Spain 12, Sweden 6,
  Switzerland 2, Thailand 1, Turkey 8, UAE 16, UK 69, Uruguay 2, US
  121, Venezuela 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Barbados 1, Liberia 1, Panama 2)
  (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,804 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  disagrees with the US on the alignment of the maritime boundary;
  continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees fleeing economic
  privation and political instability

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and
Europe; offshore financial center

Background:
  In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians.
  In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of
  treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a
  British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in
  1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf
  countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign
  affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
  Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has
  transformed itself into an international banking center. Sheikh
  HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, who came to power in 1999, has pushed
  economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations
  with the Shia community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved
  a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of
  Sheikh HAMAD's political liberalization program. In February 2002,
  Sheikh HAMAD pronounced Bahrain a constitutional monarchy and
  changed his status from amir to king. In October 2002, Bahrainis
  elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted
  bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Environment - current issues:
  desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable
  land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation
  (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting
  from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil
  refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources,
  groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs

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

Geography - note:
  close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
  location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's
  petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.4% (male 96,567/female 94,650)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 280,272/female 202,451)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 12,753/female 11,892) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 29.4 years
  male: 32.4 years
  female: 25.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.38 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.26 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.45 years
  male: 71.97 years
  female: 77 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001
census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 89.1%
  male: 91.9%
  female: 85% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
  conventional short form: Bahrain
  local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
  local short form: Al Bahrayn
  former: Dilmun

Capital:
  name: Manama
  geographic coordinates: 26 13 N, 50 35 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor

National holiday:
  National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date
  of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of
  independence from British protection

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999);
  Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch,
  born 21 October 1969)
  head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa
  (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman
  al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister
  appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members
  appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly
  elected to serve four-year terms)
  elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next
  election to be held in September 2006)
  election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - Sunni Islamists 12, Shia grouping 7, other
  groupings and independents 21
  note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National
  Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created
  bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14
  February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25
  December 2002

Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law

Political pressure groups and leaders: Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in protests and marches, demanding that more power be vested in the elected Council of Representatives and that the government do more to decrease unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Muhammad al-BALUSHI chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1727-0547

Flag description:
  red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a
  white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five
  points represent the five pillars of Islam

Economy - overview:
  Petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of
  Bahrain's export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of
  GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport
  facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with
  business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum
  products made from refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on
  several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among
  the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources
  are major long-term economic problems. In 2005 Bahrain and the US
  ratified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US
  and a Gulf state.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 0.5%
  industry: 38.7%
  services: 60.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  380,000
  note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
  (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 1%
  industry: 79%
  services: 20% (1997 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $4.662 billion
  expenditures: $3.447 billion; including capital expenditures of $700
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish

Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron
pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing, tourism

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

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 36.4%, Japan 6.6%, Germany 6.4%, US 5.4%, UK 5%, UAE
4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from the UAE
and Kuwait (2002)

Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376
(2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system
  domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
  with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
  international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and
  UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to
  Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 (1997)

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

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 235,449 GRT/339,728 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 3 (Kuwait 3) (2006)

Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense),
Navy, Air Force, National Guard

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 202,126
females age 18-49: 151,734 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 161,372
females age 18-49: 125,488 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 6,013
females age 18-49: 5,852 (2005 est.)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Bahrain is a destination country for men and
  women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly to work as
  laborers or domestic servants, but may be subjected to conditions of
  involuntary servitude when faced with exorbitant recruitment and
  transportation fees, withholding of their passports, restrictions on
  their movement, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse;
  Eastern European women are also believed to be trafficked to Bahrain
  for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bahrain's efforts to address
  trafficking in persons are based largely on pledges of future
  efforts; the government did not enact a comprehensive
  anti-trafficking law extending labor protection to domestic workers

Background:
  Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh
  in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the
  region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan
  and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India
  (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East
  Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of
  a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km
  left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan
  seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed
  Bangladesh. About a third of this extremely poor country floods
  annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic
  development.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March
to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m

Natural hazards:
droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during
the summer monsoon season

Environment - current issues:
  many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate
  flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water;
  water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use
  of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally
  occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling
  water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil
  degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation

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

Geography - note:
  most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing
  from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel
  of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty
  into the Bay of Bengal

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894)
  15-64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female 2,361,435) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 22.2 years
  male: 22.2 years
  female: 22.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 60.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.46 years
  male: 62.47 years
  female: 62.45 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
  and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 43.1%
  male: 53.9%
  female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
  conventional short form: Bangladesh
  local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh
  local short form: Banladesh
  former: East Bengal, East Pakistan

Capital:
  name: Dhaka
  geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 25 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet

Independence:
  16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the
  date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known
  as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state
  of Bangladesh

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date
  of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day
  and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh

Constitution:
4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following
coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many times

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002);
  note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the
  13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government
  Amendment"), the president's role becomes significant at times when
  Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed - at
  presidential direction - to supervise the elections
  head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October
  2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the
  president
  elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16
  September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only
  presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next
  election to be held by 2007); following legislative elections, the
  leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed
  prime minister by the president
  election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission
  elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote
  - NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected
  by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the
  constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above
  the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve
  five-year terms
  elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than
  January 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance
  partners 41%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP
  (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the
  election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned
  with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by
the president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or
  BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP
  [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI];
  Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya
  Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party
  (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or
  LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]

International organization participation:
  ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY
  chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia A. BUTENIS
  embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
  mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
  telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500
  FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744

Flag description:
  green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist
  side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the
  sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the
  lush vegetation of Bangladesh

Economy - overview:
  Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve
  economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor,
  overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although half of
  GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of
  Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as
  the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth
  include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned
  enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor
  force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting
  energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and
  slow implementation of economic reforms. Reform is stalled in many
  instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of
  government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the
  bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups.
  The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the
  parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the
  party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One
  encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several
  years.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 19.9%
  industry: 19.8%
  services: 60.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  66.6 million
  note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman,
  Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion
  in 1998-99 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 63% industry: 11% services: 26% (FY95/96)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.993 billion
  expenditures: $8.598 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses,
oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Industries:
cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint,
cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 93.7% hydro: 6.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood
(2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles,
foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000)

Imports - partners:
India 14.1%, China 13.5%, Kuwait 8.5%, Singapore 6.2%, Japan 4.1%,
Hong Kong 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
taka per US dollar - 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003),
57.888 (2002), 55.807 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country
  domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
  include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
  fiber-optic cable in cities
  international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 6;
  international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
  neighboring countries (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,768 km
  broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Waterways:
  8,372 km
  note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200
  km in dry season (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 341,733 GRT/485,840 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 29, container 6, passenger/cargo 1,
  petroleum tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 1 (China 1)
  registered in other countries: 10 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Comoros 1,
  Malta 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy,
Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 35,170,019 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of
  river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries,
  allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade,
  migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous
  border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall off
  high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint
  Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are
  missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha
  Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation;
  Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 20,402 (Burma)
IDPs: 61,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries

Background:
  The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in
  1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island
  until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily
  dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the
  20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political
  reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the
  UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the
  sugar industry in economic importance.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.1% (male 28,160/female 28,039)
  15-64 years: 71.1% (male 97,755/female 101,223)
  65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,508/female 15,227) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.6 years
  male: 33.4 years
  female: 35.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.79 years
  male: 70.79 years
  female: 74.82 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Religions:
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other
12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.7% (2002 est.)

Capital:
  name: Bridgetown
  geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint
  James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint
  Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may
  be given parish status

Legal system:
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS
  (since 1 June 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7
  September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May
  2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the
  prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body
  appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30
  seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be
  held by May 2008)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service
Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)

Political parties and leaders:
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party
or DLP [David THOMPSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union
  [David COMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY];
  Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
  LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
  chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
  consulate(s): Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN
  embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street,
  Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown
  mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055
  telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950
  FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue
  with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the
  trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the
  colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Economy - overview:
  Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane
  cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years
  has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance
  and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The
  government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to
  encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining
  state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly
  due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005, as
  economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6% industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $847 million (including grants)
  expenditures: $886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

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

Exports - commodities:
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals,
electrical components

Exports - partners:
  US 18.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 12.1%, Saint Lucia 8.4%,
  Jamaica 7.9%, Grenada 4.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.6%
  (2005)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials,
chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Exchange rates:
Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2
(2002), 2 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
  international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1
  (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and
  Saint Lucia

Merchant marine:
  total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1,
  passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1,
  Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  1) (2006)

Military branches:
Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Coast Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at
earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 71,524
females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 54,510
females age 18-49: 54,889 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop
  Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land
  element is to defend the island against external aggression; the
  Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small
  regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it
  increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to
  prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005)

Disputes - international:
  in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory
  international arbitration that will result in a binding award
  challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and
  Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters and the
  southern limit of Barbadian traditional fishing; joins other
  Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island
  sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on
  the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its
  EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for
Europe and the US; offshore financial center

Background:
  After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus
  attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political
  and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet
  republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union
  on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic
  integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the
  accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his
  election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexander
  LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian
  means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press,
  peaceful assembly, and religion continue.

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,900 km
  border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km,
  Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Climate:
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between
continental and maritime

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m
highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Natural resources:
forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas,
granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Environment - current issues: soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of
Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.7% (male 825,823/female 791,741)
  15-64 years: 69.7% (male 3,490,442/female 3,682,950)
  65 years and over: 14.6% (male 498,976/female 1,003,079) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 37.2 years
  male: 34.5 years
  female: 39.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 13 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.08 years
  male: 63.47 years
  female: 74.98 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other
1.1% (1999 census)

Religions:
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
  conventional short form: Belarus
  local long form: Respublika Byelarus'
  local short form: Byelarus'
  former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Minsk
  geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality*
  (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk,
  Vitsyebsk
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date
  Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date
  of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:
  15 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996
  giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective
  27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing
  presidential term limits

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKIY (since 19
  December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since
  December 2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the
  1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999,
  however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a
  November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9 September 2001;
  an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits allowing
  president to run in a third election held on 19 March 2006; prime
  minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent
  of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%,
  Aleksandr KOZULIN 2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of
  the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56
  members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the
  president, all for four-year terms) and the Chamber of
  Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected
  by universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004; international observers
  widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on
  massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won
  every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for
  technical reasons
  election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
  Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president
  and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

Political parties and leaders:
  pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY];
  Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement
  (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolai ULAKHOVICH, chairman];
  Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Party of
  Labor and Justice [Viktor SOKOLOV]; Social-Sports Party [Vladimir
  ALEXANDROVICH]
  opposition parties: 10 Plus Coalition [Alyaksandr MILINKEVICH],
  includes: Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Syarhey KALYAKIN];
  Belarusian Party of Labor (unregistered) [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV,
  Leonid LEMESHONAK]; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Vintsyuk
  VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada [Stanislav
  SHUSHKEVICH]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO]; Party of Freedom and
  Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or
  UCP [Anatol LYABEDKA]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina
  MATUSEVICH, chairperson]
  other opposition includes: Belarusian Social-Democratic Party
  Nardonaya Hromada or BSDP NH [Alyaksandr KOZULIN, chairman];
  Christian Conservative BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; Ecological Party of
  Greens [Mikhail KARTASH]; Party of Popular Accord [Sergei YERMAKK];
  Republican Party [Vladimir BELAZOR]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian
  Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Alyaksandr YAROSHUK];
  Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO]; Belarusian
  Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97 [Andrey
  SANNIKOV]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the
  Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee of
  Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership
  NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol
  SHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic
  Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dzmitryy
  DASHKEVICH, Syarhey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group [Vladimir KOBETS]

International organization participation:
  BSEC (observer), CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
  chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604
  FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Karen B. STEWART
  embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002
  mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723
  telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348
  FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853

Flag description:
  red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the
  width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side
  bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red

Economy - overview:
  Belarus's economy in 2005 posted 8% growth. The government has
  succeeded in lowering inflation over the past several years. Trade
  with Russia - by far its largest single trade partner - decreased in
  2005, largely as a result of a change in the way the Value Added Tax
  (VAT) on trade was collected. Trade with European countries
  increased. Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995,
  when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of
  "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO
  reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange
  rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management
  of private enterprises. During 2005, the government re-nationalized
  a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been
  subject to pressure by central and local governments, e.g.,
  arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections,
  retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of
  "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of
  redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the
  ladder; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest in the world.
  Because of these restrictive economic policies, Belarus has had
  trouble attracting foreign investment, which remains low. Growth has
  been strong in recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough,
  centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing, rate of
  inflation. Belarus continues to receive heavily discounted oil and
  natural gas from Russia. Much of Belarus' growth can be attributed
  to the re-export of Russian oil at market prices.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.3% industry: 31.6% services: 59.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14% industry: 34.7% services: 51.3% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of
underemployed workers (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 20% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.903 billion
  expenditures: $6.343 billion; including capital expenditures of $180
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

Industries:
  metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers,
  motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles,
  radios, refrigerators

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals,
textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Russia 38.5%, Ukraine 7.8%, Poland 7.1%, Latvia 4.2%, UK 4.1%,
China 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs,
metals

Imports - partners:
Russia 57.9%, Germany 9.7%, Ukraine 6.4%, Poland 5.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004),
2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002), 1,390 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading
  telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom, is the
  sole provider of fixed line local and long distance service;
  modernization of the network to digital switching progressing slowly
  domestic: fixed line penetration is improving although rural areas
  continue to be underserved; four GSM wireless networks are
  experiencing rapid growth; strict government controls on
  telecommunications technologies
  international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the
  Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line,
  and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic
  segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and
  Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this
  infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat,
  Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 41
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 45
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 5,512 km
  broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2005)

Waterways:
2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by
shallowness) (2003)

Military branches:
Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 18 months (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,520,644
females age 18-49: 2,564,696 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,657,984
females age 18-49: 2,102,793 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 85,202
females age 18-49: 82,037 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over
  unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing
  border security; the whole boundary with Latvia and more than half
  the boundary with Lithuania remains undemarcated; discussions toward
  economic and political union with Russia proceed slowly

Illicit drugs:
  limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the
  domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via
  Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly
  regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering legislation
  does not meet international standards; few investigations or
  prosecutions of money-laundering activities

Background:
  Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was
  occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country
  prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically
  advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions
  between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the
  French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to
  constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition
  and autonomy.

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the
Netherlands

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,385 km
  border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
  Netherlands 450 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit
  continental shelf: median line with neighbors

Terrain:
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged
mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m

Land use: arable land: 27.42% permanent crops: 0.69% other: 71.89% note: includes Luxembourg (2005)

Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal
land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

Environment - current issues:
  the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human
  activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry,
  extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water
  pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries;
  uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now
  resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges

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

Geography - note:
  crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals
  within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and
  NATO

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099)
  15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565)
  65 years and over: 17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.9 years
  male: 39.6 years
  female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.77 years
  male: 75.59 years
  female: 82.09 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less
than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
  conventional short form: Belgium
  local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
  local short form: Belgique/Belgie

Government type:
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital:
  name: Brussels
  geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch:
  provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions;
  Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles),
  Flanders*, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur,
  Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia*, West-Vlaanderen
  note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
  devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
  government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
  complex division of responsibilities

Independence:
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from
the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne)

Constitution:
7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create
a federal state

Legal system:
  civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory;
  judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent
  Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
  head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July
  1999)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional;
  following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
  the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime
  minister by the monarch and then approved by parliament
  note: government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP.A-Spirit

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat
  in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular
  vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and
  a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch,
  Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly
  elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
  to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003
  (next to be held no later than May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit
  15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH
  5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5,
  VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected
  senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD
  15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR
  11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit
  23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2
  note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
  devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
  government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
  complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
  governments each with its own legislative assembly

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de
  Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the
  government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice
  Council)

Political parties and leaders:
  Flemish parties: Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo
  VANDEURZEN]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS]; GROEN!
  (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; New Flemish Alliance
  or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A
  [Johan Vande LANOTTE]; Spirit [Geert LAMBERT] (new party now
  associated with SP.A); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Frank
  VANHECKE]
  Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX,
  Isabelle DURANT, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist and Democratic Center of
  CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Reform
  Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI
  RUPO]; other minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of
  Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing
  bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and
  medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural
  interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax
  Christi and groups representing immigrants

International organization participation:
  ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC,
  EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
  OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNRWA,
  UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
  ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Franciskus VAN DAELE chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York consulate(s): Atlanta

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710 telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red;
the design was based on the flag of France

Economy - overview:
  This modern, private-enterprise economy has capitalized on its
  central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and
  diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated
  mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north. With few natural
  resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw
  materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its
  economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly
  three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt
  is nearly 100% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has
  succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is
  relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in
  January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of
  the global economic slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004-05.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 24% services: 74.9% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.3% industry: 24.5% services: 74.2% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 23% (1996)

Budget:
  revenues: $180.4 billion
  expenditures: $180.5 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $1.56 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal,
pork, milk

Industries:
  engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly,
  transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and
  beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 38.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 59.3% other: 1.8% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal
products, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Germany 19.4%, France 17.3%, Netherlands 11.7%, UK 8.2%, US 6.4%,
Italy 5.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals,
foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

Imports - partners:
Netherlands 17.8%, Germany 17.2%, France 11.4%, UK 6.8%, Ireland
6.5%, US 5.4% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: highly developed, technologically advanced, and
  completely automated domestic and international telephone and
  telegraph facilities
  domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable
  network; limited microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 32; submarine cables - 5; satellite
  earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,521 km
standard gauge: 3,521 km 1.435-m gauge (2,927 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 149,757 km
  paved: 117,110 km (including 1,747 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 32,647 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 66 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,952,159 GRT/6,521,645 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 4, chemical tanker 2, container 10,
  liquefied gas 15, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 4, Greece 4, UK 2)
  registered in other countries: 113 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas
  13, Bermuda 4, Cyprus 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 6,
  Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Greece 12, Hong Kong 3, Luxembourg 9, Malta
  10, Mozambique 2, Netherlands 2, Netherlands Antilles 4, Panama 11,
  Portugal 8, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore
  12, Sweden 2) (2006)

Military branches:
Belgian Armed Forces: Land, Naval, and Air Operations Commands
(2005)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise
approx. 7% of the Belgian armed forces (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,436,736
females age 16-49: 2,369,463 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,998,003
females age 16-49: 1,940,918 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 64,263
females age 16-49: 61,402 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  growing producer of synthetic drugs; transit point for US-bound
  ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine
  processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and
  marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of
  legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering
  related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco

Background:
  Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their
  decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and
  Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it
  formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial
  disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of
  Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation
  until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current
  concerns include high unemployment, growing involvement in the South
  American drug trade, and increasing urban crime.

Location:
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and
Mexico

Land boundaries: total: 516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from
  the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's
  territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act,
  1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for
  negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with
  Guatemala
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry
season (February to May)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m

Natural hazards:
frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal
flooding (especially in south)

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents,
agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal

Geography - note:
only country in Central America without a coastline on the North
Pacific Ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678)
  15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.6 years
  male: 19.5 years
  female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 24.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 68.3 years
  male: 66.43 years
  female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican
  5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%,
  Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.1%
  male: 94.1%
  female: 94.1% (2003 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras

Capital:
  name: Belmopan
  geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17
  November 1993)
  head of government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28
  August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September
  1998)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime
  minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members
  appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime
  minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1
  each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical
  Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union
  Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; members are
  appointed for five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29
  seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next
  to be held March 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  PUP 21, UDP 8

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister)

Political parties and leaders:
People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party
or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele
CATZIM]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
  chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER
  embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City
  mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City
  telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163
  FAX: [501] 223-0802

Flag description:
  blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges;
  centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of
  arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany
  tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the
  Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

Economy - overview:
  In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy the tourism
  industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by
  marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The
  government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in
  September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 5% in
  1999-2005. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit
  and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction
  of poverty with the help of international donors.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 14.2%
  industry: 15.2%
  services: 61.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  90,000
  note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel
  (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 27%
  industry: 18%
  services: 55% (2001 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $262 million
  expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 59.9% hydro: 40.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Imports - partners:
US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China
4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2
(2002), 2 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: above-average system
  domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 8
  (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 38
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 285 ships (1000 GRT or over) 985,464 GRT/1,322,629 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 203, chemical tanker 7, container 4,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 12, roll
  on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 225 (China 103, Croatia 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 3,
  Germany 3, Greece 2, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 2, Indonesia 2, Italy 4,
  Japan 2, North Korea 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 6, Lithuania 1,
  Malaysia 1, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Poland 2, Russia 36, Singapore 6,
  Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 11, UAE 5, Ukraine 7, US 5) (2006)

Military branches:
Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and
Volunteer Guard

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 61,201
females age 18-49: 60,048 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 44,238
females age 18-49: 43,633 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 3,213
females age 18-49: 3,100 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited
  rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS seeks to revive the 2002
  failed Belize-Guatemala Differendum that created a small adjustment
  to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint
  ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial US-UK
  financial package

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Belize is a source, transit, and destination
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
  labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are trafficked mainly
  from Central America, and exploited in prostitution; children are
  trafficked to Belize for labor exploitation; Belize's largely
  unmonitored borders with Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico facilitate
  the movement of illegal migrants who are vulnerable to traffickers;
  girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation,
  sometimes with the consent and complicity of their close relatives;
  there are unconfirmed reports that Indian and Chinese migrants are
  trafficked for involuntary servitude in homes and shops
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Belize has failed to show evidence of
  significant law enforcement or victim protection efforts

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of
  cannabis for the international drug trade; money-laundering activity
  related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector

Background:
  Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African
  kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French
  Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the
  Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in
  1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment
  of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to
  representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free
  elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as
  president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa
  from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by
  elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were
  alleged.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and
Togo

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,989 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km,
  Togo 644 km

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to
March

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife
populations; deforestation; desertification

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

Geography - note:
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural
harbors, river mouths, or islands

Population:
  7,862,944
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138)
  15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.6 years
  male: 17.2 years
  female: 18 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 53.04 years
  male: 51.9 years
  female: 54.22 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja,
Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Languages:
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in
south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 33.6%
  male: 46.4%
  female: 22.6% (2002 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Benin
  conventional short form: Benin
  local long form: Republique du Benin
  local short form: Benin
  former: Dahomey

Capital:
  name: Porto-Novo (official capital)
  geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Cotonou (seat of government)

Administrative divisions:
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines,
Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou

Legal system:
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006
  (next to be held March 2011)
  election results: YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote -
  YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats;
  members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD,
  AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small
  parties) 31

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy
  and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or
  PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD;
  Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS;
  Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of
  People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or
  NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du
  Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile)
  [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
  note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a
vertical green band on the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on
  subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade.
  Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years,
  but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase.
  Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to
  raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign
  investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the
  development of new food processing systems and agricultural
  products, and encourage new information and communication
  technology. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's
  application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for
  which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy
  continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture
  in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral
  creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin
  benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while
  pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be
  hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing
  list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in
  increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 31.6% industry: 13.8% services: 54.6% (2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $766.8 million
  expenditures: $1.017 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%,
Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)

Imports - partners:
France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%,
Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and
  cellular connections
  international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7
  (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
  provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 21-49: 1,295,230
females age 21-49: 1,301,936 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 21-49: 749,774
females age 21-49: 751,329 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 76,661
females: 75,068 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of
  riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of
  Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains
  undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a
  consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land
  boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border
  persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the
  boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary
  stones

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian
  trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western
  Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly
  regulated financial infrastructure

Background:
  Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists
  headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American
  winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be
  important to the island's economy, although international business
  has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a
  highly successful offshore financial center. Although a referendum
  on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the
  present government has reopened debate on the issue.

Location:
North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east
of South Carolina (US)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Town Hill 76 m

Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)

Geography - note:
  consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall,
  but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US
  Government from 1941 to 1995

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,146/female 6,098)
  15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,562/female 22,954)
  65 years and over: 12.2% (male 3,479/female 4,534) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.2 years
  male: 39.3 years
  female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.96 years
  male: 75.85 years
  female: 80.1 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified
0.4% (2000 census)

Religions:
  Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%,
  other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%,
  none 14% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 99% (2005 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands

Capital:
  name: Hamilton
  geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 46 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*,
  Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's,
  Southampton, Warwick

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002)
  head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006);
  Deputy Premier Paula COX
  cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body
  appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the
  House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve up to five-year terms)
  elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held
  not later than July 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%;
  seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Political parties and leaders:
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party
or UBP [Wayne FURBERT]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union
  or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed
  BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCO

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General Gregory W. SLAYTON consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233

Flag description:
  red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion
  holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea
  Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy - overview:
  Bermuda enjoys the highest per capita income in the world, more
  than 50% higher than that of the US. Its economy is primarily based
  on providing financial services for international business and
  luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies
  relocated to the island following 11 September 2001 and again after
  Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the expansion of an already
  robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry -
  which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to
  struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital
  equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is
  small, although construction continues to be important; the average
  cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is
  limited with only 20% of the land being arable.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.)

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

Agriculture - products:
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey

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

Imports - commodities:
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction
materials, chemicals, food and live animals

Imports - partners:
Kazakhstan 51%, France 19%, South Korea 10.2%, US 7.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the
US dollar)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good
  domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic
  trunk lines
  international: country code - 1-441; submarine cables - 3 (fiber
  optic); satellite earth stations - 3 (2005)

Roadways: total: 447 km paved: 447 km note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,873,728 GRT/8,688,692 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 1, container 24, liquefied gas 23,
  passenger 19, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated
  cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 116 (Australia 3, Belgium 4, France 1, Germany 21,
  Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Monaco 2,
  Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, Switzerland 2, UK 9, US 27)
  registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 4,
  Panama 1) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 408 (2005 est.)

Background:
  In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under
  which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding
  some border land to British India. Under British influence, a
  monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed
  whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal
  affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs.
  This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years
  later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan
  annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country
  received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and
  foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in
  Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven
  United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the
  government's draft constitution - which would introduce major
  democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for
  its approval. A referendum date has yet to be named.

Climate:
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers
in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m

Natural hazards:
  violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's
  name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent
  landslides during the rainy season

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls
several key Himalayan mountain passes

Population: 2,279,723 note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947)
  15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078)
  65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.4 years
  male: 20.2 years
  female: 20.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 98.41 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 96.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 100.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 54.78 years
  male: 55.02 years
  female: 54.53 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of
several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Languages:
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects,
Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 47%
  male: 60%
  female: 34% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
  conventional short form: Bhutan
  local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
  local short form: Druk Yul

Capital:
  name: Thimphu
  geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha,
  Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel,
  Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu,
  Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
  note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse

National holiday:
National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17
December (1907)

Constitution:
  no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001, the king
  commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005
  publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum

Legal system:
based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late
2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
  head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay
  NGEDUP (since 5 September 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the
  monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,
  five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council
  (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms
  in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the
  monarch with two-thirds vote

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected
  from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35
  are designated by the monarch to represent government and other
  secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
  elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in
  2008)
  election results: NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed
by the monarch)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant
  antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for
  Democracy (exiled)

International organization participation:
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW,
  SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)

Flag description:
  divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper
  triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along
  the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from
  the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is
  based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood
  for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of
  subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate
  the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure
  difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's
  through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's
  financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically
  backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most
  development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian
  migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for
  tourists are key resources. Model education, social, and environment
  programs are underway with support from multilateral development
  organizations. Each economic program takes into account the
  government's desire to protect the country's environment and
  cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious
  expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale,
  environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and
  uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor,
  and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25.8% industry: 37.9% services: 36.3% (2002 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $346.6 million
  expenditures: including capital expenditures of $NA
  note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of
  Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs

Industries:
cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages,
calcium carbide

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts,
cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Exports - partners:
Japan 33.2%, Germany 13.6%, France 13.5%, South Korea 7.8%, US
7.7%, Thailand 5.8%, Italy 5.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics,
rice

Economic aid - recipient:
$78 million substantial aid from India and other nations

Exchange rates:
ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583
(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor
  domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor
  especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003
  international: country code - 975; international telephone and
  telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
  satellite earth station - 1 (2005)

Military branches:
Royal Bhutan Army: Royal Bodyguard, Royal Bhutan Police (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 483,860
females age 18-49: 453,683 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 314,975
females age 18-49: 296,833 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 23,939
females age 18-49: 21,979 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees in
  Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High
  Commissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India to
  expel Indian separatists

Background:
  Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away
  from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has
  consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups.
  Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have
  faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and
  illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected
  Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the
  widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule
  in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's
  traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority.
  However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have
  exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian
  populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of
  the eastern lowlands.

Land boundaries:
  total: 6,743 km
  border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km,
  Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Terrain:
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills,
lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Natural resources:
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver,
iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the
  international demand for tropical timber are contributing to
  deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation
  methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification;
  loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used
  for drinking and irrigation

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 35% (male 1,603,982/female 1,542,319)
  15-64 years: 60.4% (male 2,660,806/female 2,771,807)
  65 years and over: 4.6% (male 182,412/female 227,720) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.8 years
  male: 21.2 years
  female: 22.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 51.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 55.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 48.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.84 years
  male: 63.21 years
  female: 68.61 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%,
Aymara 25%, white 15%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.2%
  male: 93.1%
  female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
  conventional short form: Bolivia
  local long form: Republica de Bolivia
  local short form: Bolivia

Capital:
  name: La Paz (adminstrative capital)
  geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Sucre (constitutional capital)

Administrative divisions:
  9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni,
  Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz,
  Tarija

Legal system:
based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of
age, universal and compulsory (single)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January
  2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006);
  note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22
  January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January
  2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18
  December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected president; percent
  of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGA
  Ramirez 28.6%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANI
  Morishit 6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2%; Guildo ANGULA Cabrera 0.7%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
  Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
  elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
  five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
  seats; 69 are directly elected from their districts and 61 are
  elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
  18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of
  Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73,
  PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms
  by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department);
  provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Political parties and leaders:
  Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic Solidarity
  Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz
  BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy
  ZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ
  Zamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma];
  Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National
  Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New
  Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous
  Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico Nacional
  or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist Party or PS
  [Jeres JUSTINIANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole
  Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman
  LOAYZA]

International organization participation:
  CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldana
  chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
  consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San
  Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with
  the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of
  Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the
  yellow band

Economy - overview:
  Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American
  countries, reformed its economy after suffering a disastrous
  economic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred real GDP
  growth, which averaged 4% in the 1990s, and poverty rates fell.
  Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999 because of
  a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political turmoil,
  civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which hurt
  investor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against the
  pro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE
  LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans to
  export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large
  northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a
  controversial natural gas law that imposes on the oil and gas firms
  significantly higher taxes as well as new contracts that give the
  state control of their operations. Bolivian officials are in the
  process of implementing the law; meanwhile, foreign investors have
  stopped investing and have taken the first legal steps to secure
  their investments. Real GDP growth in 2003-05 - helped by increased
  demand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was positive, but
  still below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia's fiscal
  position has improved in recent years, but the country remains
  dependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreign
  governments to meet budget shortfalls. In 2005, the G8 announced a
  $2 billion debt-forgiveness plan over the next few decades that
  should help reduce some fiscal pressures on the government in the
  near term.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.8% industry: 35.2% services: 52% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 32% (1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.848 billion
  expenditures: $3.189 billion; including capital expenditures of $741
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes;
timber

Industries:
mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.4% hydro: 54% nuclear: 0% other: 1.5% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore,
tin

Exports - partners:
Brazil 41.2%, US 14.1%, Colombia 8.8%, Argentina 7.6%, Peru 5.5%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts,
prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Imports - partners:
Brazil 21.9%, Argentina 16.7%, US 13.8%, Chile 6.9%, Peru 6.5%,
Japan 6.1%, China 5.8% (2005)

Exchange rates:
bolivianos per US dollar - 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004), 7.6592
(2003), 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;
  most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile
  cellular telephone use expanding rapidly
  domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
  digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
  cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
  international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,068 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 60 914 to 1,523 m: 207 under 914 m: 797 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined
products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 60,762 km
  paved: 4,314 km (including 11 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 56,448 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 127,297 GRT/198,525 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo
  3, petroleum tanker 10
  foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 1, China 1, Egypt 2, Iran 1, Singapore
  3, Taiwan 1, Yemen 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
  Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the
  Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in
  maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Military branches:
  Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Bolivian
  Navy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force
  (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,923,234
females age 18-49: 2,007,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,311,414
females age 18-49: 1,502,177 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 101,101
females age 18-49: 98,671 (2005 est.)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Bolivia is a source and transit country for men,
  women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual
  exploitation to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as to Spain;
  children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forced
  mining, and agricultural labor; illegal migrants from Asia
  transiting Bolivia are vulnerable as trafficking victims
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bolivia has failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas of
  prosecutions and victim protection

Illicit drugs:
  world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru)
  with an estimated 26,500 hectares under cultivation in August 2005,
  an 8% increase from 2004; intermediate coca products and cocaine
  exported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to
  European drug markets; cultivation steadily increasing despite
  eradication and alternative crop programs; money-laundering activity
  related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil
  and Paraguay

Background:
  Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991
  was followed by a declaration of independence from the former
  Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic
  Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and
  Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning
  the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form
  a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the
  number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement
  creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed
  a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic
  civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December
  1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's
  international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and
  democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic,
  and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government
  comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat
  Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led
  Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were
  charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the
  High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the
  implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96,
  a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops
  served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of
  the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
  Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed
  hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced
  SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and
  stability throughout the country.

Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km

Climate:
  hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short,
  cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along
  coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt,
manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of
  urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of
  infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous
  Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is
  divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the
  territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about
  49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous
  to Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally
  has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an
  ethnic Serb majority in the east

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female 336,978)
  15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665)
  65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.4 years
  male: 37.2 years
  female: 39.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78 years
  male: 74.39 years
  female: 81.88 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Ethnic groups:
  Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)
  note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid
  confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.6%
  male: 98.4%
  female: 91.1% (2000 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
  local long form: none
  local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
  former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist
  Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Capital:
  name: Sarajevo
  geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally
  supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the
  Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna
  i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note -
  Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative
  unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district
  remains under international supervision

Independence:
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was
completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)

Constitution:
  the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new
  constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its
  own constitution

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC
  (chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency member since 1 October
  2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating
  (every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC (since 1 October 2006 - Croat)
  and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak)
  head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan
  TERZIC (since 20 December 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;
  approved by the National House of Representatives
  elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one
  Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years);
  the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she
  was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the
  chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1
  October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council
  of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the
  National House of Representatives
  election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of
  the Serb vote; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the Croat vote; Haris
  SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the Bosniak vote
  note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko
  LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC
  (since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); President
  of the Republika Srpska: Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006)

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the
  national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats -
  elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the
  Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika
  Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms);
  and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5
  Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's
  House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National
  Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law
  specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order
  administrative division entity legislatures
  elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1
  October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last
  constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)
  election results: national House of Representatives - percent of
  vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9,
  SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, other 7; House of Peoples -
  percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition -
  NA
  note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that
  consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1
  October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17,
  HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30
  Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika
  Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006
  (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4,
  SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional
  reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples
  (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly
  including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four
  members of the smaller communities

Judicial branch:
  BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members are
  selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives,
  two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three
  non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human
  Rights); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions
  - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over
  cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over
  cases initiated in the entities); note - a War Crimes Chamber opened
  in March 2005
  note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a
  number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the
  Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska
  has five municipal courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK];
  Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or
  GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and
  Herzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP
  [Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC];
  Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH
  [Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 100 or HDZ100; Croatian
  Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ
  [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC];
  Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative
  or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH
  [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman
  TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb
  Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan CAVIC]; Serb Radical Party of the
  Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical
  Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social
  Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social
  Democratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party of
  Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

International organization participation:
  BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW,
  OSCE, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC
  chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo mailing address: use street address telephone: [387] (33) 445-700 FAX: [387] (33) 659-722 branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar

Flag description:
  a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow
  isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the
  remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed
  white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse
  of the triangle

Economy - overview:
  Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorest
  republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is
  almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and
  the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry
  remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic
  structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military
  industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddled
  with a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential.
  The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by
  80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace
  in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from
  a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in
  output was made up in 2003-05. National-level statistics are limited
  and do not capture the large share of black market activity. The
  konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency
  introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the
  currency and the banking sector has increased. Implementation of
  privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only
  reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform
  accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were
  shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control
  most of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit and
  high unemployment rate remain the two most serious economic
  problems. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction
  assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but
  will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $23.09 billion
  note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much
  as 50% of official GDP (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2% industry: 30.8% services: 55% (2002)

Unemployment rate:
45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to
25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $4.373 billion
  expenditures: $4.401 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
  steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
  assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and
  aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 53.5% hydro: 46.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.6%, Germany 12.8%, Austria
6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.7%, Slovenia 13.1%, Italy 11%, Austria
6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  marka per US dollar - 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003),
  2.0782 (2002), 2.1857 (2001)
  note: the marka is pegged to the euro

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telephone and telegraph network needs
  modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as
  contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 20
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Railways:
total: 608 km (777 km electrified)
standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 21,846 km
  paved: 11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads)
  unpaved: 10,421 km (2005)

Ports and terminals:
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all
inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje

Military branches:
  VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands
  within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are
  subordinate commands within the Army)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service obligation is four months (July 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,119,508
females age 18-49: 1,079,435 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 910,539
females age 18-49: 881,446 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 32,942
females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited
  most of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in
  dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed
  sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder
  ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 19,213 (Croatia)
  IDPs: 309,200 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in
  1992-95 war) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to
  Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering
  activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak
  law enforcement, and instances of corruption

Background:
  Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted
  its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
  uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
  significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
  economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
  dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
  to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
  preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
  HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
  comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,013 km
  border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe
  813 km

Terrain:
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in
southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore,
silver

Natural hazards:
  periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west,
  carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
  visibility

Environment - current issues:
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources

Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

Population:
  1,639,833
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.3% (male 319,531/female 309,074)
  15-64 years: 57.9% (male 460,692/female 488,577)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,374/female 38,585) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.4 years
  male: 18.8 years
  female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
  and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 33.74 years
  male: 33.9 years
  female: 33.56 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

Ethnic groups:
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including
Kgalagadi and white 7%

Religions:
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none
20.6% (2001 census)

Languages:
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1%
(official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79.8%
  male: 76.9%
  female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
  conventional short form: Botswana
  local long form: Republic of Botswana
  local short form: Botswana
  former: Bechuanaland

Capital:
  name: Gaborone
  geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*,
  Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast,
  Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern

Legal system:
  based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review
  limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and
  Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998)
  and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004
  (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president
  election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of
  National Assembly vote - 52%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely
  advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the
  chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving
  5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members
  selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63
  seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are
  appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and
  Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
  (next to be held October 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%,
  BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each
district)

Political parties and leaders:
  Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO];
  Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana
  Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front
  or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS
  Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF
  note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
  BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the
  United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence
  Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union
  [D. K. KWELE]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
  chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782

Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

Economy - overview:
  Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth
  rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and
  sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the
  poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per
  capita GDP of $10,000 in 2005. Two major investment services rank
  Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has
  fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than
  one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism,
  financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are
  other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with
  high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is
  23.8%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS
  infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten
  Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in
  diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining) services: 50.7% (2003 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $3.766 billion
  expenditures: $3.767 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts

Industries:
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
processing; textiles

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

Exports - partners:
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African
Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment,
  textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products,
  metal and metal products

Imports - partners:
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4%
(2004)

Exchange rates:
pulas per US dollar - 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003),
6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of
  mobile cellular service and participation in regional development
  domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
  links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile
  cellular service is growing fast
  international: country code - 267; two international exchanges;
  digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
  and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 75
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 55
  under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official
qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 350,649
females age 18-49: 361,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 136,322
females age 18-49: 136,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 21,103
females age 18-49: 21,379 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small
  residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu
  marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents
  protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric
  dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built electric fences to
  stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape
  political persecution; Namibia has long supported and in 2004
  Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to
  build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing
  their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary

Background:
  This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by
  glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by
  a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was
  made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK
  waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island
  the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent
  territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977,
  Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island.

Location:
island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good
Hope (South Africa)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Olav Peak 935 m

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Dependency status:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the
Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

Background:
  Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became
  an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the
  largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame
  more than half a century of military intervention in the governance
  of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded
  power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and
  agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast
  natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South
  America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly
  unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.

Area:
  total: 8,511,965 sq km
  land: 8,456,510 sq km
  water: 55,455 sq km
  note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas,
  Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao
  Paulo

Land boundaries:
  total: 16,884.4 km
  border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia
  1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365
  km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela
  2,199 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum,
tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Natural hazards:
recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in
south

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a
  multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there
  is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in
  Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land
  degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining
  activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

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

Geography - note:
largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with
every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

Population:
  188,078,227
  note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a
  population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than
  projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied
  underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this
  country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality
  due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
  mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and
  changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
  otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.8% (male 24,687,656/female 23,742,998)
  15-64 years: 68.1% (male 63,548,331/female 64,617,539)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 4,712,675/female 6,769,028) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.2 years
  male: 27.5 years
  female: 29 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.97 years
  male: 68.02 years
  female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%,
  other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7%
  (2000 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist
  1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4%
  (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.4%
  male: 86.1%
  female: 86.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
  conventional short form: Brazil
  local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
  local short form: Brasil

Capital:
  name: Brasilia
  geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends
  third Sunday in February
  note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the
  Fernando de Noronha islands

Administrative divisions:
  26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district*
  (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara,
  Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso,
  Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco,
  Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul,
  Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Legal system:
based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory
  over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not
  vote

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
  January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
  January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1
  October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October
  2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)
  election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president
  - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the
  Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each
  state and federal district elected according to the principle of
  majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a
  four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year
  period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513
  seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third
  of the Senate (next to be held October 2010 for two-thirds of the
  Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
  held October 2010)
  election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PFL 1, PDT 1,
  PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following
  election - PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 11, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL
  3, PCdoB 2, PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies -
  percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL
  65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13,
  PV 13, PSC 9, other 17

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by
  the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of
  Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life);
  note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal
  employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70

Political parties and leaders:
  Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel
  TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Flavio de CASTRO MARTINEZ];
  Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy Fidelix DA CRUZ];
  Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS];
  Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI];
  Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy Eduardo Henrique
  Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato
  RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI];
  Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Green Party
  or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or
  PHS [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA
  Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy
  Dr. Eneas Ferreira CARNEIRO]; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR
  [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS
  [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal
  Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge
  ABDALA NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions and federations; large
  farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical
  Christian churches and the Catholic Church

International organization participation:
  AfDB, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur,
  MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto P. ABDENUR chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700 FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000 FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136 consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo consulate(s): Recife

Flag description:
  green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue
  celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state
  and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night
  sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the
  motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

Economy - overview:
  Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining,
  manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that
  of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence
  in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy
  grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a
  series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil
  absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the
  resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in
  place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA
  DA SILVA. In 2004, Brazil enjoyed more robust growth that yielded
  increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the
  economic program are a floating exchange rate, an
  inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced
  by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in
  2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account
  adjustment; in 2003 to 2005, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and
  recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992.
  Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed
  to the surge in exports, and Brazil in 2005 surpassed the previous
  year's record export level. While economic management has been good,
  there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most
  significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt
  increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances
  - before falling as a percentage of GDP in 2005, while Brazil's
  foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in relation
  to Brazil's small (but growing) export base. Another challenge is
  maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate
  employment and make the government debt burden more manageable.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.4% industry: 40% services: 51.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: 14% services: 66% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 31.27% (2002)

Budget:
  revenues: $140.6 billion
  expenditures: $172.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

Industries:
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel,
aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.3% hydro: 82.7% nuclear: 4.4% other: 4.6% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos

Exports - partners:
US 19.6%, China 7.5%, Argentina 6.9%, Germany 5.3%, Mexico 4.3%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products,
oil

Imports - partners:
US 19.7%, Germany 8.7%, Argentina 8.2%, China 6.2%, Nigeria 6.1%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
reals per US dollar - 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003),
2.9208 (2002), 2.3577 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good working system
  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
  satellite system with 64 earth stations
  international: country code - 55; 3 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat
  (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to
  Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM
stations) (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 714 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 24 1,524 to 2,437 m: 164 914 to 1,523 m: 464 under 914 m: 54 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3,562 1,524 to 2,437 m: 81 914 to 1,523 m: 1,634 under 914 m: 1,847 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 244 km; gas 11,669 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km;
oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 29,252 km
  broad gauge: 4,877 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 23,785 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km
  electrified) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 137 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,038,923 GRT/3,057,820 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 21, cargo 21, chemical tanker 8, container 8,
  liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll
  on/roll off 8
  foreign-owned: 15 (Chile 1, Germany 7, Norway 2, Spain 4, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall
  Islands 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao, Santos,
Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria

Military branches:
  Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes
  Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian
  Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - nine to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 45,586,036
females age 19-49: 45,728,704 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 33,119,098
females age 19-49: 38,079,722 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,785,930
females age 19-49: 1,731,648 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders
  is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics
  trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations;
  uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the
  Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting
  tripoint with Argentina; in 2004 Brazil submitted its claims to the
  United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to extend
  its maritime continental margin

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Brazil is a source and destination country for
  women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation within Brazil and
  to destinations in South America, the Caribbean, Western Europe,
  Japan, the US, and the Middle East, and for men trafficked within
  the country for forced agricultural labor; child sex tourism is a
  problem within the country, particularly in the resort areas and
  coastal cities of Brazil's northeast; foreign victims from Bolivia,
  Peru, China, and Korea are trafficked to Brazil for labor
  exploitation in factories
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Brazil has failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts to fight trafficking, specifically for its
  failure to apply effective criminal penalties against traffickers
  who exploit forced labor

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in
  the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a
  large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important
  transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine
  headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for
  narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in
  drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for
  Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics
  proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial
  system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area

Background:
  Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the
  British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to
  the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently,
  BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the
  Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands,
  Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of
  the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers,
  earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to
  Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In
  2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration
  order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the
  special military status of Diego Garcia.

Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the
way from Africa to Indonesia

Area:
  total: 54,400 sq km
  land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km
  water: 54,340 sq km
  note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

Geography - note:
  archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost
  island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island
  is site of joint US-UK military facility

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in
  the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois,
  were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and
  1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a
  British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in
  November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military
  personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego
  Garcia (July 2006 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
  conventional short form: none
  abbreviation: BIOT

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner,
resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004);
  Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both
  reside in the UK
  cabinet: NA
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
  administrator appointed by the monarch

Flag description:
  white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is
  in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm
  tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy - overview:
  All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of
  Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located.
  Construction projects and various services needed to support the
  military installations are done by military and contract employees
  from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no
  industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois
  return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
  The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage
  stamps.

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military

Currency (code):
both the British Pound (GBP) and the US Dollar (USD) are accepted

Telephone system:
  general assessment: separate facilities for military and public
  needs are available
  domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including
  connection to the Internet
  international: international telephone service is carried by
  satellite (2000)

Roadways:
  total: NA
  paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on
  Diego Garcia

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego
Garcia expires in 2016

Disputes - international:
  Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including
  Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos
  Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius,
  were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK
  resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the
  islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military
  lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in
  the chain;

Background:
  First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin
  Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the
  English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the
  Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967.
  The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US
  Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.

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

Area:
  total: 153 sq km
  land: 153 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited
  islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda,
  Jost van Dyke

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331)
  15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340)
  65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 31.4 years
  male: 31.6 years
  female: 31.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.68 years
  male: 75.56 years
  female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)

Nationality: noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander

Religions:
  Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%,
  Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other
  15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)
  male: NA%
  female: NA%

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
  abbreviation: BVI

Capital:
  name: Road Town
  geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)
  head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17
  June 2003)
  cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of
  the Legislative Council
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed chief minister by the governor

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by
  direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts,
  4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  NDP 8, VIP 5

Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of
  Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a
  resident of the islands and presides over the High Court);
  Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders:
  Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National
  Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory
  MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS
(associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the
  flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a
  vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin
  word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)

Economy - overview:
  The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the
  Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated
  45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly
  from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002
  because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the
  government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing
  to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate
  substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore
  registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance
  law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with
  regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses,
  made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to
  international business. Livestock raising is the most important
  agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet
  domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links
  with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the
  US dollar as its currency since 1959.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $204.7 million
  expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of
  $33.8 million (1997)

Industries:
tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block,
offshore financial center

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: worldwide telephone service
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 201 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
  US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable
  to money laundering

Background:
  The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and
  17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of
  northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently
  entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal
  succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In
  1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was
  achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six
  centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas
  fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the
  developing world.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Environment - current issues:
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and
  Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost
  an enclave within Malaysia

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 28.1% (male 54,411/female 52,134)
  15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,129/female 123,017)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,584/female 6,169) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.4 years
  male: 28 years
  female: 26.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 12.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.46 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.01 years
  male: 72.57 years
  female: 77.59 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous
beliefs and other 10%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.9%
  male: 96.3%
  female: 91.4% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
  conventional short form: Brunei
  local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
  local short form: Brunei

Capital:
  name: Bandar Seri Begawan
  geographic coordinates: 4 52 S, 114 55 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and
Muara, Temburong, Tutong

National holiday:
  National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the
  date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of
  independence from British protection

Constitution:
  29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of
  Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
  January 1984)

Legal system:
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law
supersedes civil law in a number of areas

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
  (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
  (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
  the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a
  Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on
  religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the
  monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of
  Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the
  succession to the throne if the need arises
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:
  Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20
  years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional
  amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members;
  Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new
  council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005
  elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch
  for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London
  is final court of appeal for civil cases; Shariah courts deal with
  Islamic laws (2006)

Political parties and leaders:
  Brunei Solidarity National Party (PPKB) [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji
  Zainal Abidin]; National Development Party (NDP) [YASSIN Affendi];
  People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad]
  note: parties are small and have limited activity (2005)

International organization participation:
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB,
  IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH
  chancery: 3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838
  FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON
  embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri
  Begawan, BS8811
  mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar
  Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam
  telephone: [673] 222-0384
  FAX: [673] 222-5293

Flag description:
  yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width)
  and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in
  red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a
  swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned
  crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands

Economy - overview:
  This small, well-to-do economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and
  domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures,
  and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account
  for nearly half of GDP and more than 90% of government revenues. Per
  capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and
  substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from
  domestic production. The government provides for all medical
  services and free education through the university level and
  subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that
  steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine
  internal social cohesion, although it became a more prominent player
  by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic
  Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor
  force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist
  sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond
  oil and gas.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 3.6%
  industry: 56.1%
  services: 40.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  146,300
  note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary
  residents make up about 40% of labor force (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 2.9%
  industry: 61.1%
  services: 36% (2003 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $3.765 billion
  expenditures: $4.815 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Japan 36.8%, Indonesia 19.3%, South Korea 12.7%, US 9.5%, Australia
9.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Singapore 32.7%, Malaysia 23.3%, Japan 6.9%, UK 5.3%, Thailand
4.5%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004),
1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent;
  international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
  domestic: every service available
  international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine
  cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0
  note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits
  two FM signals with English and Nepali service (2006)

Television broadcast stations: 4; note - including two UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
  by type: liquefied gas 8
  foreign-owned: 8 (UK 8) (2006)

Military branches:
Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei
Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 103,885
females age 18-49: 93,024 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 85,045
females age 18-49: 77,436 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 3,478
females age 18-49: 3,342 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their
  disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have
  stalemated prompting consideration of international legal
  adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is
  in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone
  encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but
  makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002
  "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has
  eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally
  binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants

Illicit drugs:
drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are
serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty

Background:
  The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local
  Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
  Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with
  the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the
  end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman
  Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of
  Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having
  fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within
  the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in
  1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its
  first multiparty election since World War II and began the
  contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a
  market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption,
  and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and is slated to join the
  EU in 2007.

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and
Turkey

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,808 km
  border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km,
  Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km

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

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw
  sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from
  air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy
  metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

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

Geography - note:
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes
from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 13.9% (male 527,881/female 502,334)
  15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,496,054/female 2,579,680)
  65 years and over: 17.3% (male 527,027/female 752,391) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.8 years
  male: 38.7 years
  female: 42.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 23.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 15.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.3 years
  male: 68.68 years
  female: 76.13 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including
Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)

Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other
4% (2001 census)

Languages:
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified
1.8% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
  conventional short form: Bulgaria
  local long form: Republika Balgariya
  local short form: Balgariya

Capital:
  name: Sofia
  geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas,
  Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana,
  Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen,
  Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora,
  Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Independence:
  3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman
  Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman
  Empire)

Legal system:
civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002);
  Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August
  2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and
  Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  elected by the National Assembly
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011);
  chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by
  the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime
  ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the
  National Assembly
  election results: Georgi PURVANOV reelected president; percent of
  vote - Georgi PURVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV
  elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held June 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%,
  MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%; seats by party
  - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13,
  independents 4

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation;
  Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year
  terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the
  two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members;
  responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and
  investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the
  Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by
  the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)

Political parties and leaders:
  ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack
  National Union); Attack National Union [Volen Siderov]; Bulgarian
  Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER];
  Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU);
  Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for
  Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei
  STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV];
  Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir
  KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed
  DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon
  SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic
  Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD
  [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition
  of center-right parties dominated by UDF)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB;
  Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and
  national interest groups with various agendas

International organization participation: ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Ross BEYRLE embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; note -
  the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe,
  has been removed

Economy - overview:
  Bulgaria, a former communist country soon to enter the European
  Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth
  since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then
  socialist government. As a result, the government became committed
  to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. Minerals,
  including coal, copper, and zinc, play an important role in
  industry. In 1997, macroeconomic stability was reinforced by the
  imposition of a fixed exchange rate of the lev against the German
  D-mark - the currency is now fixed against the euro - and the
  negotiation of an IMF standby agreement. Low inflation and steady
  progress on structural reforms improved the business environment;
  Bulgaria has averaged 4% growth since 2000 and has begun to attract
  significant amounts of foreign direct investment. Corruption in the
  public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of
  organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.3% industry: 30.4% services: 60.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11% industry: 32.7% services: 56.3% (3rd qtr. 2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 23.7% (2001)

Budget:
  revenues: $11.18 billion
  expenditures: $10.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar
beets; livestock

Industries:
  electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and
  equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum,
  nuclear fuel

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels

Exports - partners:
Italy 12%, Turkey 10.5%, Germany 9.8%, Greece 9.5%, France 4.6%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics;
fuels, minerals, and raw materials

Imports - partners:
Russia 15.6%, Germany 13.6%, Italy 9%, Turkey 6.1%, Greece 5%,
France 4.7% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$475 million per year in EU pre-accession aid (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
leva per US dollar - 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003),
2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: extensive but antiquated
  domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
  telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern
  digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of
  the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio
  relay
  international: country code - 359; direct dialing to 58 countries;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 132 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 96 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 85 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 72 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 4,294 km
  standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 102,016 km
  paved: 93,855 km (including 328 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 8,161 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 75 ships (1000 GRT or over) 872,653 GRT/1,294,877 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 17, chemical tanker 4, container 6,
  passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Russia 1)
  registered in other countries: 41 (Cambodia 1, Comoros 1, Malta 13,
  Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Slovakia 7, unknown
  1) (2006)

Military branches:
Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air
Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription into the Army to end as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces will become fully professional by end of 2006 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,661,211
females age 18-49: 1,660,982 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,302,037
females age 18-49: 1,365,126 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 51,023
females age 18-49: 48,651 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and,
  to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market;
  limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of
  drug-related proceeds through financial institutions

Background:
  Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from
  France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s
  were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Burkina
  Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result
  in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent
  unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability
  of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find
  employment in neighboring countries.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,193 km
  border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km,
  Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Terrain:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and
southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Natural resources:
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates,
pumice, salt

Environment - current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation

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

Geography - note:
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black,
Red, and White Voltas

Population:
  13,902,972
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.8% (male 3,267,202/female 3,235,190)
  15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,513,559/female 3,538,623)
  65 years and over: 2.5% (male 140,083/female 208,315) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.3 years
  female: 16.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 91.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 99.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 83.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 48.85 years
  male: 47.33 years
  female: 50.42 years (2006 est.)

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

Religions:
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman
Catholic) 10%

Languages:
French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic
family spoken by 90% of the population

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 26.6%
  male: 36.9%
  female: 16.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Burkina Faso
  local long form: none
  local short form: Burkina Faso
  former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Capital:
  name: Ouagadougou
  geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou,
  Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo,
  Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga,
  Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala,
  Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga,
  Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro,
  Zondoma, Zoundweogo

Constitution:
2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted;
amended April 2000

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
  head of government: Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest YONLI (since 6
  November 2000)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005
  (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was
  amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years,
  enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president
  with the consent of the legislature
  election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of
  popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA
  4.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to
  be held May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, other 17

Political parties and leaders:
  African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or
  RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation for Federation and Democracy
  or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress
  or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and
  Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African
  Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and
  Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Socialist Party or PS; Union of
  Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe
  Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February; National
  Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of
  Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action groups throughout the
  country in both organizations and communities

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU,
  WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
  chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON
  embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4
  mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US
  Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC
  20521-2440
  telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23
  FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90, 50-31-23-68

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow
  five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors
  of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso
  has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of
  the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is
  vulnerable to harsh climatic conditions. Cotton is the key crop and
  the government has joined with other cotton producing countries in
  the region to lobby for improved access to Western markets. GDP
  growth has largely been driven by increases in world cotton prices.
  Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled
  corporations. Following the CFA franc currency devaluation in
  January 1994, the government updated its development program in
  conjunction with international agencies; exports and economic growth
  have increased. The government devolved macroeconomic policy and
  inflation targeting to the West African regional central bank
  (BCEAO), but maintains control over fiscal and microeconomic
  policies, including implementing reforms to encourage private
  investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire
  continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the
  need for international assistance.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 32.2%
  industry: 19.6%
  services: 48.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  5 million
  note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to
  neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 46.8% (1994)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.033 billion
  expenditures: $1.382 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice;
livestock

Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes,
textiles, gold

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 69.9% hydro: 30.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
China 38.3%, Singapore 12.6%, Thailand 5.7%, Ghana 5.2%, Taiwan
4.4% (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: all services only fair
  domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
  communication stations
  international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 32
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 622 km
  narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
  note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire
  (2005)

Military branches:
Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso),
National Gendarmerie (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age
for voluntary military service (2001)

Disputes - international:
  two villages are in dispute along the border with Benin; Benin
  accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; Burkina Faso border
  regions remain a staging area for Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire rebels
  and an asylum for refugees caught in local fighting; the Ivoirian
  Government accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering Ivoirian rebels

Background:
  Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and
  incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a
  province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
  self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
  attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
  1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and
  later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections
  in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National
  League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling
  junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize
  recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to
  1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently
  transferred to house arrest, where she remains virtually
  incommunicado. In November 2005, the junta extended her detention
  for at least another six months. Her supporters, as well as all
  those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely
  harassed or jailed.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
between Bangladesh and Thailand

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,876 km
  border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km,
  Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
  tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest
  monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild
  temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon,
  December to April)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m

Natural resources:
  petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead,
  coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas,
  hydropower

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides
common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water;
inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Population:
  47,382,633
  note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
  excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
  expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.4% (male 6,335,236/female 6,181,216)
  15-64 years: 68.5% (male 16,011,723/female 16,449,626)
  65 years and over: 5.1% (male 1,035,853/female 1,368,979) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27 years
  male: 26.4 years
  female: 27.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 61.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 72.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 50.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 60.97 years
  male: 58.07 years
  female: 64.03 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%,
Mon 2%, other 5%

Religions:
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim
4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.3%
  male: 89.2%
  female: 81.4% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Union of Burma
  conventional short form: Burma
  local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
  US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of
  Myanmar)
  local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
  former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
  note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the
  name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision
  was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US
  Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the
  Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

Capital:
  name: Rangoon (Yangon)
  geographic coordinates: 16 47 N, 96 10 E
  time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Naypyidaw is being established as a government center

Administrative divisions:
  7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi
  ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)
  divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi,
  Yangon
  states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon
  State, Rakhine State, Shan State

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Constitution:
  3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; national
  convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but
  collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include
  participation of democratic opposition

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
  (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
  head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by the SPDC; military junta, so named
  15 November 1997, assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name
  State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
  elections: none

Legislative branch:
  unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by
  junta to convene
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government),
  other 60

Judicial branch:
  remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is
  no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
  independent of the executive

Political parties and leaders: National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [THA KYAW] (at last report); Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]

International organization participation:
  APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shari
  VILLAROSA
  embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
  mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
  telephone: [95] (1) 379-880, 379-881
  FAX: [95] (1) 256-018

Flag description:
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing,
  14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk
  of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions
  and seven states

Economy - overview:
  Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government
  controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The
  junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after
  decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those
  efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were
  rescinded. Burma does not have monetary or fiscal stability, so the
  economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including
  inflation, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the
  Burmese kyat, and a distorted interest rate regime. Most overseas
  development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the
  democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the
  results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the
  government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her
  convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions against Burma -
  including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on
  provision of financial services by US persons. A poor investment
  climate further slowed the inflow of foreign exchange. The most
  productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries,
  especially oil and gas, mining, and timber. Other areas, such as
  manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate
  infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating
  health and education systems, and corruption. A major banking crisis
  in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the
  economy. As of December 2005, the largest private banks operate
  under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to
  formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published
  statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the
  size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often
  estimated to be as large as the official economy. Burma's trade with
  Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the Burmese government
  has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment
  and business climates and an improved political situation are needed
  to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 56.4% industry: 8.2% services: 35.3% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $473.3 million
  expenditures: $716.6 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (FY04/05 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish
and fish products

Industries:
  agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood
  products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials;
  pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement; natural gas

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.5% hydro: 43.4% nuclear: 0% other: 12.1% (2002)

Exports:
  $3.111 billion f.o.b.
  note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the
  value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled
  to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2004)

Imports:
  $3.454 billion f.o.b.
  note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of
  consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from
  Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2004)

Imports - commodities:
fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport
equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products

Imports - partners:
China 28.8%, Thailand 21.8%, Singapore 18.3%, Malaysia 7.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  kyats per US dollar - 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003),
  6.5734 (2002), 6.6841 (2001)
  note: these are official exchange rates; unofficial exchange rates
  ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar,
  and by year-end 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US
  dollar

Telephone system:
  general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements for local and
  intercity service for business and government; international service
  is fair
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 95; satellite earth station - 2,
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  1
  note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for
  the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 21 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 64 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 32 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 34 ships (1000 GRT or over) 402,699 GRT/620,642 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 9 (Germany 5, Japan 4) (2006)

Military branches:
Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 12,268,850
females age 18-49: 12,469,771 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,946,701
females age 18-49: 8,543,705 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 469,841
females: 455,689 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups
  with substantial numbers of kin beyond its borders; despite
  continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
  with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
  rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; ethnic Karens
  flee into Thailand to escape fighting between Karen rebels and
  Burmese troops; in 2005 Thailand sheltered about 121,000 Burmese
  refugees; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese
  hydroelectric dam on the Salween River near the border;
  environmentalists in Burma and Thailand continue to voice concern
  over China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the
  Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province; India seeks cooperation
  from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists from hiding in remote
  Burmese uplands

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 550,000-1,000,000 (government offensives against ethnic
  insurgent groups near borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni,
  Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Burma is a source country for men, women, and
  children trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for sexual
  exploitation, domestic service, and forced commercial labor; a
  significant number of victims are economic migrants who wind up in
  forced or bonded labor and forced prostitution; to a lesser extent,
  Burma is a country of transit and destination for women trafficked
  from China for sexual exploitation; internal trafficking of persons
  occurs primarily for labor in industrial zones and agricultural
  estates; internal trafficking of women and girls for sexual
  exploitation occurs from villages to urban centers and other areas;
  the military junta's economic mismanagement, human rights abuses,
  and policy of using forced labor are driving factors behind Burma's
  large trafficking problem
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium (estimated
  production in 2004 - 292 metric tons, down 40% from 2003 due to
  eradication efforts and drought; cultivation in 2004 - 30,900
  hectares, a 34% decline from 2003); lack of government will to take
  on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment
  against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug
  effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional
  consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force
  countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate
  money-laundering controls (2005)

Background:
  Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated
  in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread
  ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Over 200,000
  Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen
  years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced
  or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally
  brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated
  government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a
  transition process that led to an integrated defense force,
  established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu
  government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre
  NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the
  country's last rebel group in the summer of 2006 but still faces
  many challenges.

Land boundaries:
  total: 974 km
  border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda
  290 km, Tanzania 451 km

Climate:
  equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772
  m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies
  with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally
  moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual
  rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and
  September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and
  December to January)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Heha 2,670 m

Natural resources:
  nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum,
  vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin,
  tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Land use:
  arable land: 35.57%
  permanent crops: 13.12%
  other: 51.31% (2005)

Environment - current issues:
  soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of
  agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land
  remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat
  loss threatens wildlife populations

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the
  Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote
  headstream of the White Nile

Population:
  8,090,068
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.3% (male 1,884,825/female 1,863,200)
  15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,051,451/female 2,082,017)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 83,432/female 125,143) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.6 years
  male: 16.4 years
  female: 16.9 years (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 63.13 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 70.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 55.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 50.81 years
  male: 50.07 years
  female: 51.58 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans
3,000, South Asians 2,000

Religions:
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous
beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Languages:
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake
Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 51.6%
  male: 58.5%
  female: 45.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
  conventional short form: Burundi
  local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi
  local short form: Burundi
  former: Urundi

Capital:
  name: Bujumbura
  geographic coordinates: 3 23 S, 29 22 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale, Bururi,
  Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba,
  Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi

Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005);
  First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August
  2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8
  September 2006)
  head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August
  2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29
  August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8
  September 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
  elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted
  in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected
  by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents
  nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament
  election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the
  parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in
  February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by
  a two-thirds majority of the legislature

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National Assembly
  or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats - 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi
  with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a
  National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic
  representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 by indirect vote to
  serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic
  groups and former chiefs of state)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be
  held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in
  2010)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%,
  MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59,
  FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate -
  percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30,
  FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts of
  Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals of First
  Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small local tribunals)

Political parties and leaders:
  the three national, mainstream, governing parties are: Burundi
  Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA, president];
  National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Front for the Defense
  of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Hussein RADJABU, president]; Unity for
  National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA, president]
  note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are:
  National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD; National
  Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or
  MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National
  Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO
  chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
  FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER
  embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
  mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
  telephone: [257] 223454
  FAX: [257] 222926

Flag description:
  divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom)
  and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk
  superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars
  outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above,
  two stars below)

Economy - overview:
  Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
  underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
  agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on
  subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea
  exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The
  ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather
  conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi
  minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the
  coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the
  population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade
  resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000
  refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally.
  Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 10
  adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short
  supply. Political stability and the end of the civil war have
  improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but
  underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a
  weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk
  undermining planned economic reforms.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 46.3% industry: 20.3% services: 33.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 93.6% industry: 2.3% services: 4.1% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 32.9% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $215.4 million
  expenditures: $278 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc
(tapioca); beef, milk, hides

Industries:
light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of
imported components; public works construction; food processing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.6% hydro: 99.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - imports:
10 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (2003)

Exports - partners:
Germany 24.4%, Belgium 11.1%, Netherlands 8%, Switzerland 5.8%, US
4.6%, Pakistan 4% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Kenya 12.9%, Tanzania 10.6%, Belgium 10.4%, Italy 8.1%, France
5.4%, Uganda 5.3%, China 5%, India 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004),
1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002), 830.35 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: primitive system
  domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
  and low-capacity microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Military branches:
  National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army
  (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie
  (being disbanded) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,676,855
females age 16-49: 1,656,366 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 955,616
females age 16-49: 932,767 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 91,331
females age 16-49: 90,685 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Tutsi, Hutu, other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political
  rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting
  in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi,
  Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda in an effort to
  gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government
  heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues
  despite the presence of about 6,000 peacekeepers from the UN
  Operation in Burundi (ONUB) since 2004; although some 150,000
  Burundian refugees have been repatriated, as of February 2005,
  Burundian refugees still reside in camps in western Tanzania as well
  as the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 48,424 (Democratic Republic of the
  Congo)
  IDPs: 145,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most
  IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2005)

Background:
  Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of
  the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and
  reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by
  the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire
  ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country
  under French protection in 1863. Cambodia became part of French
  Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II,
  Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April
  1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces
  captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5
  million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or
  starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December
  1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside,
  began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13
  years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic
  elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the
  Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some
  semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional
  fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second
  round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another
  coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining
  elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the
  remaining leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for
  crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively
  peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending
  political parties before a coalition government was formed.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between
Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Land boundaries: total: 2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

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

Climate:
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season
(December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

Natural resources:
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese,
phosphates, hydropower potential

Natural hazards:
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Environment - current issues:
  illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining
  for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have
  resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular,
  destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil
  erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access
  to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing
  and overfishing

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

Geography - note:
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and
Tonle Sap

Population:
  13,881,427
  note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
  excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
  expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 35.6% (male 2,497,595/female 2,447,754)
  15-64 years: 61% (male 4,094,946/female 4,370,159)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 180,432/female 290,541) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.6 years
  male: 19.9 years
  female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 77.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 59.29 years
  male: 57.35 years
  female: 61.32 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis are high risks in some locations note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens who have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 73.6%
  male: 84.7%
  female: 64.1% (2004 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
  conventional short form: Cambodia
  local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic
  pronunciation)
  local short form: Kampuchea
  former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea,
  People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

Capital:
  name: Phnom Penh
  geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  20 provinces (khaitt, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities*
  (krong, singular and plural)
  provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong
  Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong,
  Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear,
  Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
  municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnum Penh, Preah Seihanu

Legal system:
  primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the
  United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period,
  royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of
  customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing
  influence of common law in recent years; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)
  and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK
  AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16
  July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in
  practice named by the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council;
  following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or
  majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the
  National Assembly and appointed by the king

Legislative branch:
  bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61
  seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National
  Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils;
  members serve five-year terms)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be
  held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be
  held in January 2011)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP
  47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73,
  FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%,
  FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2
  (January 2006)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution
  and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts)
  exercises judicial authority

Political parties and leaders:
  Cambodian Pracheachon Party (Cambodian People's Party) or CPP [CHEA
  SIM]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful,
  and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Sam Rangsi
  Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador EK SEREYWATH
  chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
  FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. MUSSOMELI embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 728-000 FAX: [855] (23) 728-600

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue
  with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined
  in black in the center of the red band; only national flag to
  incorporate an actual building in its design

Economy - overview:
  In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, the government
  made progress on economic reforms. The US and Cambodia signed a
  Bilateral Textile Agreement, which gave Cambodia a guaranteed quota
  of US textile imports and established a bonus for improving working
  conditions and enforcing Cambodian labor laws and international
  labor standards in the industry. From 2001 to 2004, the economy grew
  at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an expansion in the
  garment sector and tourism. With the January 2005 expiration of a
  WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodia-based textile
  producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced
  producing countries such as China and India. Although initial 2005
  GDP growth estimates were less than 3%, better-than-expected garment
  sector performance led the IMF to forecast 6% growth in 2005. Faced
  with the possibility that its vibrant garment industry, with more
  than 200,000 jobs, could be in serious danger, the Cambodian
  government has committed itself to a policy of continued support for
  high labor standards in an attempt to maintain favor with buyers.
  The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, with foreign
  visitors surpassing 1 million for the year by September 2005. In
  2005, exploitable oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath
  Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue stream for
  the government once commercial extraction begins in the coming
  years. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting
  challenge. The Cambodian government continues to work with bilateral
  and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to
  address the country's many pressing needs. In December 2004,
  official donors pledged $504 million in aid for 2005 on the
  condition that the Cambodian government implement steps to reduce
  corruption. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next
  decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the
  private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's
  demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is 20 years
  or younger. The population lacks education and productive skills,
  particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from
  an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fully 75% of the
  population remains engaged in subsistence farming.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35% industry: 30% services: 35% (2004)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 75% industry: NA% services: NA% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 33.8% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $559.4 million
  expenditures: $772 million; including capital expenditures of $291
  million (2005 est.)

Industries:
tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products,
rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 65% hydro: 35% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials,
machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products

Imports - partners:
  Hong Kong 16.1%, China 13.6%, France 12.1%, Thailand 11.2%, Taiwan
  10.2%, South Korea 7.5%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4.9%, Japan 4.1%
  (2005)

Economic aid - recipient: $504 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2005 by international donors

Exchange rates:
riels per US dollar - 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004), 3,973.33
(2003), 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in
  Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile phone coverage is
  rapidly expanding in rural areas
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline
  and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and
  major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
  (Indian Ocean region)

Television broadcast stations: 11 (including two TV relay stations with French and Vietnamese broadcasts); 12 regional low power TV stations (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 6
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 14
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 544 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,777,907 GRT/2,529,708 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 443, chemical tanker 11, container
  10, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 9,
  refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1,
  vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 407 (Bulgaria 1, Canada 6, China 128, Cyprus 12,
  Egypt 8, Gabon 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 1, Japan 4,
  South Korea 23, Latvia 2, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1,
  Philippines 1, Russia 105, Singapore 4, Spain 1, Syria 20, Taiwan 2,
  Turkey 26, UAE 1, Ukraine 17, US 8, Yemen 3, unknown 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer
Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation: conscription law made effective in October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; service obligation is 18 months (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,002,718
females age 18-49: 3,108,254 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,955,141
females age 18-49: 2,048,611 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 175,497
females age 18-49: 172,788 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check
  the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of
  boundary with missing boundary markers and Thai encroachments into
  Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by
  unresolved dispute over offshore islands; Cambodia accuses Thailand
  of obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to
  Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; in 2004, Cambodian-Laotian and
  Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commissions re-erected missing markers
  completing most of their demarcations

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
  sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women
  and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for commercial
  sexual exploitation and forced labor; men are trafficked primarily
  to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural
  sectors, particularly the fishing industry, while women and girls
  are trafficked for factory and domestic work; children are
  trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for the purpose of forced
  begging; Cambodia is a transit and destination point for women from
  Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation; trafficking for sexual
  exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's borders, from rural areas
  to the cities
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with
  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
  it is committed to making significant efforts to sustain progress
  over the coming year

Illicit drugs:
  narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the
  government, military, and police; possible small-scale heroin and
  methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to
  its cash-based economy and porous borders

Background:
  The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in
  1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed
  stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture,
  roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite a slow
  movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in
  the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by President Paul BIYA.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial
Guinea and Nigeria

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,591 km
  border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km,
  Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298
  km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Climate:
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot
in north

Terrain:
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in
center, mountains in west, plains in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

Natural hazards:
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from
Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

Environment - current issues:
waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing;
desertification; poaching; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the
  country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of
  current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest
  mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

Population:
  17,340,702
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.2% (male 3,614,430/female 3,531,047)
  15-64 years: 55.5% (male 4,835,453/female 4,796,276)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 260,342/female 303,154) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.7 years
  female: 19 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 67.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 51.16 years
  male: 50.98 years
  female: 51.34 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
  Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani
  10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%,
  non-African less than 1%

Languages:
24 major African language groups, English (official), French
(official)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79%
  male: 84.7%
  female: 73.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
  conventional short form: Cameroon
  local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon
  local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon
  former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of
  Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

Capital:
  name: Yaounde
  geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord,
Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Constitution:
20 May 1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally adopted;
revised January 1996

Legal system:
based on French civil law system, with common law influence;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted
  by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004
  (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote -
  Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga
  Haman ADJI 3.7%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats;
  members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
  terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term
  of the legislature
  elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21
  note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the
  legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court
  of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges,
  elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Democratic
  Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the
  Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the
  Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO];
  Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National
  Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA];
  Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian
  Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]; Human Rights
Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
  NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Niels MARQUARDT embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00; Consular: [237] 220 16 03 FAX: [237] 220 16 20; Consular FAX: [237] 220 17 52 branch office(s): Douala

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow
  with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the
  popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions,
  Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in
  sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems
  facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil
  service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise.
  Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World
  Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase
  efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the
  nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an
  IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however,
  the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget
  transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.
  International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the
  economy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 44.8% industry: 17% services: 38.2% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.263 billion
  expenditures: $2.705 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root
starches; livestock; timber

Industries:
petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food
processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.7% hydro: 97.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum,
coffee, cotton

Exports - partners:
Spain 17.2%, Italy 13.7%, France 9.4%, South Korea 8.1%, UK 8%,
Netherlands 7.8%, Belgium 4.8%, US 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners:
France 25%, Nigeria 12.5%, Belgium 6.6%, China 5.8%, US 5.3%,
Thailand 4.7%, Germany 4.4% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of
$1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: available only to business and government
  domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
  international: country code - 237; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
  provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 38,613 GRT/68,820 DWT
  by type: petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air
Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(1999)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,525,307
females age 18-49: 3,461,406 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,946,767
females age 18-49: 1,834,600 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 191,619
females age 18-49: 187,082 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime
  boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission, which
  continues to meet regularly to resolve differences bilaterally and
  have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the
  boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; implementation of the
  ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime
  boundary in the Gulf of Guinea is impeded by imprecisely defined
  coordinates and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and
  Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; Nigeria
  initially rejected cession of the Bakassi Peninsula, then agreed,
  but much of the indigenous population opposes cession; only Nigeria
  and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to
  ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger
  and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 39,290 (Chad) 16,686 (Nigeria) 9,634
(Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)

Background:
  A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became
  a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the
  British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has
  developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across
  an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is
  meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and
  education services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada also faces
  questions about integrity in government following revelations
  regarding a corruption scandal in the federal government that has
  helped revive the fortunes of separatists in predominantly
  francophone Quebec.

Location:
  Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the
  east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the
  north, north of the conterminous US

Land boundaries: total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m

Natural resources:
  iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash,
  diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural
  gas, hydropower

Natural hazards:
  continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to
  development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a
  result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and
  North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and
  snow east of the mountains

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and
  damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and
  vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity;
  ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial,
  mining, and forestry activities

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

Geography - note:
  second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location
  between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of
  the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.6% (male 2,992,811/female 2,848,388)
  15-64 years: 69% (male 11,482,452/female 11,368,286)
  65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,883,008/female 2,523,987) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.22 years
  male: 76.86 years
  female: 83.74 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%,
  Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed
  background 26%

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church
  9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian
  4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001
  census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Government type:
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and
a federation

Capital:
  name: Ottawa
  geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 40 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November
  note: Canada is divided into six time zones

Administrative divisions:
  10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia,
  Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest
  Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island,
  Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*

Independence:
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December
1931 (independence recognized)

Constitution:
  made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions,
  and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the
  Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of
  four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which
  transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to
  Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well
  as procedures for constitutional amendments

Legal system:
  based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law
  system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February
  2006)
  cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from
  among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a
  five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House
  of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the
  governor general

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat
  (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the
  prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal
  limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des
  Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve for up to five-year terms)
  elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January 2006 (next to be
  held in 2011)
  election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -
  Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party
  17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens 4.5%, other 1%; seats by party -
  Conservative Party 124, Liberal Party 103, New Democratic Party 29,
  Bloc Quebecois 51, other 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister
  through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal
  Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court
  of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and
  Court of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:
  Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada (a
  merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative
  Party) [Stephen HARPER]; Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party
  [Stephane DION]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, AfDB, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
  partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
  ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC,
  NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE,
  Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMSIL,
  UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael WILSON
  chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
  telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
  FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas,
  Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix,
  San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson
  consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New
  Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David H. WILKINS embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg

Flag description:
  two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with
  white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered
  in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white

Economy - overview:
  As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion dollar
  class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic
  system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since
  World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining,
  and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural
  economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada
  Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade
  Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic
  increase in trade and economic integration with the US. Given its
  great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital
  plant, Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Top-notch fiscal
  management has produced consecutive balanced budgets since 1997,
  although public debate continues over how to manage the rising cost
  of the publicly funded healthcare system. Exports account for
  roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus
  with its principal trading partner, the US, which absorbs more than
  85% of Canadian exports. Canada is the US' largest foreign supplier
  of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.2% industry: 29.4% services: 68.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services 75%, other 3% (2004)

Population below poverty line: 15.9%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 23.8% (1994)

Budget:
  revenues: $159.6 billion
  expenditures: $152.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy
products; forest products; fish

Industries:
  transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed
  minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products,
  petroleum and natural gas

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 28% hydro: 57.9% nuclear: 12.9% other: 1.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft,
  telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood
  pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil,
chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods

Exchange rates:
Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004),
1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology
  domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
  international: country code - 1-xxx; 5 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1
  Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 509 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 151 914 to 1,523 m: 248 under 914 m: 77 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 828 1,524 to 2,437 m: 66 914 to 1,523 m: 355 under 914 m: 407 (2006)

Pipelines:
crude and reined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km
(2005)

Roadways:
  total: 1,042,300 km
  paved: 415,600 km (including 17,000 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 626,700 km (2005)

Waterways:
  631 km
  note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
  Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 173 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,129,243 GRT/2,716,340 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 62, cargo 10, chemical tanker 9, container 2,
  passenger 6, passenger/cargo 63, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll
  off 8
  foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, US 2)
  registered in other countries: 111 (Australia 1, Bahamas 18,
  Barbados 8, Cambodia 6, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong
  28, Liberia 2, Malta 18, Marshall Islands 6, Panama 4, Russia 1,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, US 4, Vanuatu 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Fraser River Port, Halifax, Montreal, Port Cartier, Quebec, Saint
John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver

Military branches:
Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air
Command, Canada Command (homeland security) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise
approximately 11% of Canada's armed forces (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,216,510
females age 16-49: 8,034,939 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,740,490
females age 16-49: 6,580,868 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 223,821
females age 16-49: 212,900 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance,
  Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed
  Machias Seal Island and North Rock; working toward greater
  cooperation with US in monitoring people and commodities crossing
  the border; uncontested sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans
  Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and
  export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant
  large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point
  for ecstasy entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money
  laundering because of its mature financial services sector

Background:
  The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the
  Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a
  trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and
  resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following
  independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with
  Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained
  until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues
  to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments.
  Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused
  significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result,
  Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one.
  Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

Location:
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west
of Senegal

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)

Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring
dust; volcanically and seismically active

Environment - current issues: soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major
  north-south sea routes; important communications station; important
  sea and air refueling site

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37.9% (male 80,594/female 79,126)
  15-64 years: 55.3% (male 113,450/female 119,423)
  65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,542/female 17,844) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.8 years
  male: 19 years
  female: 20.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 46.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 51.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 41.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.73 years
  male: 67.41 years
  female: 74.15 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant
(mostly Church of the Nazarene)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 76.6%
  male: 85.8%
  female: 69.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
  conventional short form: Cape Verde
  local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
  local short form: Cabo Verde

Capital:
  name: Praia
  geographic coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W
  time difference: UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista,
  Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande,
  Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao
  Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal

Constitution:
  new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a
  major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the
  powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the position of
  national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Pedro Verona PIRES (since 22 March 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1
  February 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 February 2006
  (next to be held February 2011); prime minister nominated by the
  National Assembly and appointed by the president
  election results: Pedro PIRES reelected president; percent of vote -
  Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 51.2%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 48.8%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January
  2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%,
  UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV 41, MPD 29, ADM 2

Political parties and leaders:
  African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria
  Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr.
  Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic
  Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman]; Democratic
  Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO, president]; Democratic and
  Independent Cape Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO]; Movement
  for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES, president]; Party for
  Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president];
  Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES, president];
  Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
  chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820
  FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207
  consulate(s) general: Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roger D. PIERCE
  embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo n6, Praia
  mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
  telephone: [238] 2-60-89-00
  FAX: [238] 2-61-13-55

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white
  (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue;
  a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist
  end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands

Economy - overview:
  This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base,
  including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term
  drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport,
  tourism, and public services accounting for 66% of GDP. Although
  nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of
  agriculture in GDP in 2004 was only 12%, of which fishing accounted
  for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential,
  mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually
  runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances
  from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%.
  Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and
  attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Future
  prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the
  encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the
  government's development program.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.1% industry: 21.9% services: 66% (2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $328.1 million
  expenditures: $393.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts;
fish

Industries:
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt
mining, ship repair

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

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners:
Portugal 41.5%, Italy 8%, Netherlands 7.3%, Spain 5.5%, France
4.8%, Belgium 4.7%, Brazil 4.3% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 88.67 (2005), 88.808
(2004), 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: effective system, extensive modernization from
  1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
  domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber
  optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet
  access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998
  international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF
  radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station
  - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 22 (and 12 low power repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,300 GRT/7,726 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4
  foreign-owned: 2 (Spain 1, UK 1) (2006)

Military branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP): Army, Coast Guard
(includes maritime air wing)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 84,641
females age 18-49: 87,310 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 65,614
females age 18-49: 73,662 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin
  America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a
  well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
  money-laundering center

Background:
  The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British
  during the 18th and 19th centuries, and were administered by Jamaica
  after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the
  Federation of the West Indies, but when the Federation dissolved in
  1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.

Location:
  Caribbean, three island (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman)
  group in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of
  Jamaica

Climate:
tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool,
relatively dry winters (November to April)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m

Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments

Population: 45,436 note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.7% (male 4,708/female 4,700)
  15-64 years: 70.9% (male 15,707/female 16,504)
  65 years and over: 8.4% (male 1,793/female 2,024) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 37.2 years
  male: 36.8 years
  female: 37.5 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  17.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.07 years
  male: 77.45 years
  female: 82.74 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic
groups 20%

Religions:
United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist,
Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 98% (1970 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cayman Islands

Capital:
  name: George Town (on Grand Cayman)
  geographic coordinates: 19 20 N, 81 23 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake
Bay, West End, Western

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
  Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005)
  head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS
  (since 18 May 2005)
  cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor,
  four members elected by the Legislative Assembly)
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or coalition is appointed by the
  governor Leader of Government Business

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, 3 appointed members from
  the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1

Political parties and leaders:
  no national teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were
  formed for the 2000 elections; United Democratic Party or UDP
  [leader McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [leader
  Kurt TIBBETTS]

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO
(associate), UPU

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Caymanian coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag;
  the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a shield with
  three stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll at the
  bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS

Economy - overview:
  With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore
  financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the
  Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600 banks and trust
  companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock exchange was
  opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70%
  of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is
  aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North
  America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with
  600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer
  goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest
  outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the
  world.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 12.6% services: 86% (1995)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $423.8 million
  expenditures: $392.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1997)

Industries:
tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction
materials, furniture

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

Exchange rates:
Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3
November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: reasonably good system
  domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003 reflected in
  falling prices and improving services
  international: country code - 1-345; 2 submarine fiber optic cables
  (Maya-1, Cayman-Jamaica); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Atlantic Ocean)

Merchant marine:
  total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,746,290 GRT/4,366,790 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 14, chemical tanker 42, liquefied
  gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 23, roll
  on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 130 (Denmark 5, Germany 13, Greece 21, Italy 12,
  Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Philippines 1,
  Singapore 10, Sweden 9, UK 10, US 41) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 257 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the
US and Europe

Background:
  The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African
  Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades
  of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was
  established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix
  PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March
  2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois
  BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the
  government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the
  main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal,
  legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of
  2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The
  government still does not fully control the countryside, where
  pockets of lawlessness persist.

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,203 km
  border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic
  Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan
  1,165 km

Terrain:
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in
northeast and southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are
common

Environment - current issues:
  tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's
  reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges;
  desertification; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Population:
  4,303,356
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.9% (male 907,629/female 897,153)
  15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,146,346/female 1,173,268)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 71,312/female 107,648) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.4 years
  male: 18 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 85.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 78.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 43.54 years
  male: 43.46 years
  female: 43.62 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%,
Yakoma 4%, other 2%

Religions:
  indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim
  15%
  note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the
  Christian majority

Languages:
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language),
tribal languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 51%
  male: 63.3%
  female: 39.9% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Central African Republic
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
  local short form: none
  former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
  abbreviation: CAR

Capital:
  name: Bangui
  geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic
  prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture
  economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**,
  Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei,
  Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham,
  Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga

Constitution:
ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27
December 2004

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)
  head of government: Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005);
  note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13
  March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister
  appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority
  election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of
  second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE
  (MLPC) 35.4%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held
  NA 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD
  9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%,
  independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD
  6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges
  appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National
  Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts;
  Inferior Courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS];
  Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic
  Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for
  Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD
  [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or
  MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central
  African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed
  president); National Convergence or KNK; Patriotic Front for
  Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or
  UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul
  NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
  chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff

Flag description:
  four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow
  with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed
  star on the hoist side of the blue band

Economy - overview:
  Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the
  backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with
  more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The
  agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for
  about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%.
  Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's
  landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely
  unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic
  policies. Factional fighting between the government and its
  opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth
  at only 0.5% in 2004 and 2.5% in 2005. Distribution of income is
  extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international
  community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 55%
  industry: 20%
  services: 25% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn,
bananas; timber

Industries:
gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear,
assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 19.8% hydro: 80.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
  Belgium 34.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 8.5%, Italy 7.9%, China 6.9%,
  Indonesia 6.2%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.6%, US 4.4%,
  Turkey 4.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical
equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners:
France 16.7%, Netherlands 10.4%, Cameroon 9.8%, US 7.4% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France
(2002 est.)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system
  domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
  low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
  international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 47 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Military branches:
  Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air
  Service; General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG),
  Republican Guard, National Police (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation is two years (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 853,760
females age 18-49: 835,426 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 416,091
females age 18-49: 383,056 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002 civil conflict in the CAR
  still reside in southern Chad; periodic skirmishes over water and
  grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border
  with southern Sudan persist

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 19,470 (Sudan) 1,864 (Chad) 6,484
  (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  IDPs: 200,000 (unrest following coup in 2003) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Central African Republic is a source and
  destination country for children trafficked for domestic servitude,
  sexual exploitation, and forced labor in shops and commercial labor
  activities; while the majority of child victims are trafficked
  within the country, some are also trafficked to and from Cameroon
  and Nigeria
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Central African Republic failed
  to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in
  persons during 2005, specifically its inadequate law enforcement
  response to trafficking crimes

Background:
  Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three
  decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a
  semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government
  eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed
  presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke
  out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several
  peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new
  rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks
  into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority.
  In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully
  removing constitutional term limits.

Area:
  total: 1.284 million sq km
  land: 1,259,200 sq km
  water: 24,800 sq km

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,968 km
  border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197
  km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km

Terrain:
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold,
limestone, sand and gravel, salt

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts;
locust plagues

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in
rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the
Sahel

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 47.9% (male 2,396,393/female 2,369,261)
  15-64 years: 49.3% (male 2,355,940/female 2,550,535)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 107,665/female 164,407) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16 years
  male: 15.3 years
  female: 16.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 91.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 100.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 82.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 47.52 years
  male: 45.88 years
  female: 49.21 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  200 distinct groups; in the north and center: Arabs, Gorane
  (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi,
  Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are
  Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang,
  Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1,000
  French citizens live in Chad

Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than
120 different languages and dialects

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
  total population: 47.5%
  male: 56%
  female: 39.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Chad
  conventional short form: Chad
  local long form: Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad
  local short form: Tchad/Tshad

Capital:
  name: N'Djamena
  geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 15 03 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture); Batha,
  Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac,
  Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari,
  Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile
  note: instead of 14 prefectures, there may be a new administrative
  structure of 28 departments (departments, singular - department) and
  1 city*; Assongha, Baguirmi, Bahr El Gazal, Bahr Koh, Batha
  Oriental, Batha Occidental, Biltine, Borkou, Dababa, Ennedi, Guera,
  Hadjer Lamis, Kabia, Kanem, Lac, Lac Iro, Logone Occidental, Logone
  Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam,
  N'Djamena*, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile
  Occidental, Tibesti

Constitution:
passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum removed
constitutional term limits

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno (since 4
  December 1990)
  head of government: Prime Minister Pascal YOADIMNADJI (since 3
  February 2005)
  cabinet: Council of State, members appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  term; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the
  two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second
  round of voting; last held 3 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2011);
  prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president;
  percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire
  COUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%,
  Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum
  altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and
  permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection

Legislative branch:
  bicameral according to constitution, consists of a National
  Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms) and a Senate (not yet created and size unspecified,
  members to serve six-year terms, one-third of membership renewable
  every two years)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be
  held by April 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, other 11

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR];
  National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Delwa Kassire
  COUMAKOYE]; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh
  KEBZABO]; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ibni Oumar
  Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh
  AHMAT, chairman]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol
  Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [Jean
  ALINGUE]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal
  Abdelkader KAMOUGUE]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamat Adam BECHIR
  chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-4009
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-1937

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marc M. WALL embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena telephone: [235] 516-211 FAX: [235] 515-654

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red;
  similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra
  and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in
  the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France

Economy - overview:
  Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted
  by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that
  began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence
  farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's economy has
  long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs,
  and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and
  foreign capital for most public and private sector investment
  projects. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing
  $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion
  barrels - in southern Chad. The nation's total oil reserves has been
  estimated to be 2 billion barrels. Oil production came on stream in
  late 2003. Chad began to export oil in 2004. Cotton, cattle, and gum
  arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 33.5% industry: 25.9% services: 40.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) industry and services: 20%

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

Budget:
  revenues: $765.2 million
  expenditures: $653.3 million; including capital expenditures of $146
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca);
cattle, sheep, goats, camels

Industries:
oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium
carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

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

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods,
foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
France 21.1%, Cameroon 15.5%, US 12.1%, Belgium 6.8%, Portugal
4.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $238.3 million received; note - $125 million committed by Taiwan
  (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank;
  ODA $246.9 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: primitive system
  domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
  international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Military branches:
Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale Tchadienne, ANT), Air Force,
Gendarmerie (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for conscripts, with three-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to one year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 1,527,580
females age 20-49: 1,629,510 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 794,988
females age 20-49: 849,500 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 94,536
females age 20-49: 93,521 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  since the expulsions of residents from Darfur in 2003 by Janjawid
  armed militia and Sudanese military, about 200,000 refugees remain
  in eastern Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese
  civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from
  cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern
  Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad
  Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which
  also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 224,924 (Sudan), 29,683 (Central
African Republic) (2005)

Background:
  Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern
  Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central
  and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated by
  Spain until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its
  independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not
  achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile
  defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A
  three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown
  in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET,
  who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990.
  Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s,
  have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the
  country's commitment to democratic and representative government.
  Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership
  roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between
Argentina and Peru

Area:
  total: 756,950 sq km
  land: 748,800 sq km
  water: 8,150 sq km
  note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Land boundaries: total: 6,339 km border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200/350 nm

Climate:
temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool
and damp in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m

Natural resources:
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum,
hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air
  pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution
  from raw sewage

Geography - note:
  strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and
  Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);
  Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 24.7% (male 2,035,278/female 1,944,754)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 5,403,525/female 5,420,497)
  65 years and over: 8.2% (male 555,075/female 775,090) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 30.4 years
  male: 29.5 years
  female: 31.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.77 years
  male: 73.49 years
  female: 80.21 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.2%
  male: 96.4%
  female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Chile
  conventional short form: Chile
  local long form: Republica de Chile
  local short form: Chile

Capital:
  name: Santiago
  geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends
  second Sunday in March

Administrative divisions:
  13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos
  Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio,
  Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos,
  Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana
  (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
  note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Constitution:
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 1989, 1991,
1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005

Legal system:
  based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes
  influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction; note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of
  its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March
  2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11
  March 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a single four-year
  term; election last held 11 December 2005, with runoff election held
  15 January 2006 (next to be held December 2009)
  election results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent
  of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria 53.5%; Sebastian PINERA Echenique
  46.5%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
  Senate or Senado (38 seats elected by popular vote; members serve
  eight-year terms - one-half elected every four years) and the
  Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held
  December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005
  (next to be held December 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD 3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8),
  independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 54 (UDI
  34, RN 20), independent 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the
  president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates
  provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is
  elected every three years by the 20-member court); Constitutional
  Tribunal

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National Renewal
  or RN [Sergio DIEZ Urzia] and Independent Democratic Union or UDI
  [Jovino NOVOA Vasquez]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy
  ("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC
  [Adolfo ZALDIVAR Larrain], Socialist Party or PS [Ricardo NUNEZ],
  Party for Democracy or PPD [Victor BARRUETO], Radical Social
  Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist
  Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]

Political pressure groups and leaders: revitalized university student federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations

International organization participation:
  APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
  Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
  RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ
  chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 530-4104, 530-4106, 530-4107
  FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
  York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago mailing address: APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600 FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue
  square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of
  the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the
  center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes
  the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the
  blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the
  US flag

Economy - overview:
  Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level
  of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a
  role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic
  government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in
  1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military
  government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell
  to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies
  implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because
  of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global
  financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in
  1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and
  electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic
  growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects
  of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong
  financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the
  strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of
  1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth
  rebounded to 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1%
  in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation
  of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began a slow recovery in
  2003, growing 3.2%, and accelerated to 6.1% in 2004-05, while Chile
  maintained a low rate of inflation. GDP growth benefited from high
  copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry,
  fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment.
  Unemployment, however, remains stubbornly high. Chile deepened its
  longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of
  a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January
  2004. Chile signed a free trade agreement with China in November
  2005, and it already has several trade deals signed with other
  nations and blocs, including the European Union, Mercosur, South
  Korea, and Mexico. Record-high copper prices helped to strengthen
  the peso to a 5½-year high, as of December 2005, and will boost GDP
  in 2006.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6% industry: 49.3% services: 44.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13.6% industry: 23.4% services: 63% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 47% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $29.2 billion
  expenditures: $24.75 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $3.33 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic,
asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber

Industries:
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and
steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47% hydro: 51.5% nuclear: 0% other: 1.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine

Exports - partners:
US 15.8%, Japan 11.5%, China 11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, South Korea
5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Italy 4.2%, Mexico 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and
  telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles,
  natural gas

Imports - partners:
Argentina 14.8%, US 14.6%, Brazil 11.7%, China 7.8%, South Korea
4.8%, Yemen 4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Chilean pesos per US dollar - 560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004), 691.43
(2003), 688.94 (2002), 634.94 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave
  radio relay facilities
  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
  system with three earth stations
  international: country code - 56; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 73
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
  914 to 1,523 m: 22
  under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 290
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 58
  under 914 m: 216 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 2,567 km; gas/lpg 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,003
km; refined products 757 km; unknown (oil/water) 97 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 6,585 km
  broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 79,605 km
  paved: 16,080 km (including 407 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 63,525 km (2001)

Merchant marine:
  total: 46 ships (1000 GRT or over) 649,091 GRT/898,110 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 10, container 1,
  liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 7,
  roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 3
  foreign-owned: 1 (Argentina 1)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Argentina 6, Brazil 1, Marshall
  Islands 1, Panama 9) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San
Vicente, Valparaiso

Military branches:
  Army of the Nation, National Navy (Armada de Chile, includes naval
  air, marine corps, and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine
  Directorate (Directemar)), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile,
  FACh), Chilean Carabineros (National Police) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: all male citizens 18-45 are obligated to perform military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,815,761
females age 18-49: 3,780,864 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,123,281
females age 18-49: 3,128,277 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 140,084
females age 18-49: 134,518 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama
  corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but
  not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian gas and
  other commodities; Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime
  boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern
  axis; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory)
  partially overlaps Argentine and British claims; action by the joint
  boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, for
  mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the Andean Southern
  Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending

Illicit drugs:
  important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe;
  economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile more
  attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits,
  especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new
  anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors
  passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising

Background:
  For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the
  rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and
  early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major
  famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War
  II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic
  socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed
  strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of
  millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and
  other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by
  2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living
  standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal
  choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea,
and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Land boundaries:
  total: 22,117 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km,
  India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km,
  Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km,
  Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40
  km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
  regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas,
and hills in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:
  coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten,
  antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum,
  lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

Natural hazards:
  frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern
  coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land
  subsidence

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from
  reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly
  in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation;
  estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil
  erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in
  endangered species

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US);
Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.8% (male 145,461,833/female 128,445,739)
  15-64 years: 71.4% (male 482,439,115/female 455,960,489)
  65 years and over: 7.7% (male 48,562,635/female 53,103,902) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.58 years
  male: 70.89 years
  female: 74.46 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu,
Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

Religions:
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Languages:
  Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing
  dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
  (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
  (see Ethnic groups entry)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90.9%
  male: 95.1%
  female: 86.5% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: People's Republic of China
  conventional short form: China
  local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
  local short form: Zhongguo
  abbreviation: PRC

Capital:
  name: Beijing
  geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 116 24 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone

Administrative divisions:
  23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions
  (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular
  and plural)
  provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei,
  Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin,
  Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan,
  Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)
  autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang
  (Tibet)
  municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
  note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries
  for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

Independence:
  221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912
  (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's
  Republic established)

National holiday:
Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1
October (1949)

Legal system:
  based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental
  civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret
  statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice
  President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
  head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003);
  Executive Vice Premier HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premiers
  WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI
  Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
  (NPC)
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March
  2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National
  People's Congress
  election results: HU Jintao elected president by the 10th National
  People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted
  against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong
  elected vice president by the 10th National People's Congress with a
  total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190
  abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao
  Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and
  provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held
  late 2007-February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Judicial branch:
  Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's
  Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and
  local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military, maritime,
  and railway transport courts)

Political parties and leaders:
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small
parties controlled by CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the
  government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the
  China Democracy Party as subversive groups

International organization participation:
  AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BCIE, BIS,
  CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24 (observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC
  (observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador ZHOU Wenzhong chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr. embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831 FAX: [86] (10) 6532-3178 consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang

Flag description:
  red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow
  five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of
  the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy - overview: China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion. The process continues with key moves in 2005 including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2005 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 150 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has struggled to: (a) sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. Reports of shortages of electric power in the summer of 2005 in southern China receded by September-October and did not have a substantial impact on China's economy. More power generating capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2006 as large scale investments are completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River will be essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area. The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2005 approved the draft 11th Five-Year Plan and the National People's Congress is expected to give final approval in March 2006. The plan calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.5% industry: 47.3% services: 40.3% note: industry includes construction (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 49% industry: 22% services: 29% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  9% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2004;
  substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas; an
  official Chinese journal estimated overall unemployment (including
  rural areas) for 2003 at 20% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 30.4% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $392.1 billion
  expenditures: $424.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples,
cotton, oilseed; pork; fish

Industries:
  mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals,
  coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum;
  cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including
  footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation
  equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships,
  and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch
  vehicles, satellites

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 80.2% hydro: 18.5% nuclear: 1.2% other: 0.1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment,
iron and steel

Exports - partners:
US 21.4%, Hong Kong 16.3%, Japan 11%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany
4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical
and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel

Imports - partners:
Japan 15.2%, South Korea 11.6%, Taiwan 11.2%, US 7.4%, Germany 4.6%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
yuan per US dollar - 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003),
8.277 (2002), 8.2771 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic and international services are
  increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
  domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
  many towns
  domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
  telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system
  with 55 earth stations is in place
  international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
  regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South
  Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

Television broadcast stations: 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 403
  over 3,047 m: 56
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 127
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 138
  914 to 1,523 m: 22
  under 914 m: 60 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 83
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 25
  under 914 m: 39 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 74,408 km
  standard gauge: 74,408 km 1.435-m gauge (19,303 km electrified)
  (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 1,809,829 km
  paved: 1,447,682 km (with at least 29,745 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 362,147 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,723 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,405,633 GRT/32,411,260 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 387, cargo 695, chemical
  tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 152, liquefied gas 31,
  passenger 8, passenger/cargo 83, petroleum tanker 261, refrigerated
  cargo 30, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier
  14
  foreign-owned: 13 (Hong Kong 7, Japan 3, South Korea 2, Norway 1)
  registered in other countries: 1,191 (Bahamas 3, Bangladesh 1,
  Belize 103, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 128, Cyprus 11, Georgia 2, Honduras
  3, Hong Kong 274, India 2, North Korea 1, Liberia 35, Malaysia 1,
  Malta 14, Mongolia 4, Norway 3, Panama 420, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 103, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 23, Thailand 1, Tuvalu 23,
  unknown 33) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai

Military branches:
  People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes
  marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes airborne forces),
  and II Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed
  Police (PAP); Reserve and Militia Forces (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
  18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month
  service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all
  officers are volunteers); 18-22 years of age for women who meet
  requirements for specific military jobs (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 342,956,265
females age 18-49: 324,701,244 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 281,240,272
females age 18-49: 269,025,517 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 13,186,433
females age 18-49: 12,298,149 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2005, China and India began drafting principles to resolve all
  aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes
  together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate
  discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation,
  and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures
  have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's
  largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under
  the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and
  Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does
  not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in
  1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India
  as well as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the
  Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan,
  Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct
  of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the
  Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by
  some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of
  facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil
  companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint
  accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China
  occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and
  Taiwan; China and Taiwan have become more vocal in rejecting both
  Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu
  Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East
  China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain
  islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute
  with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is
  considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens
  of thousands of North Koreans; China and Russia prepare to demarcate
  the boundary agreed to in October 2004 between the long-disputed
  islands at the Amur and Ussuri; demarcation of the China-Vietnam
  boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary
  delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004,
  implementation has been delayed; environmentalists in Burma and
  Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of
  hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan
  Province

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) estimated
30,000-50,000 (North Korea) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: China is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women, men, and children trafficked for purposes of
  sexual exploitation and forced labor; the majority of trafficking in
  China is internal, but there is also international trafficking of
  Chinese citizens; women are lured through false promises of
  legitimate employment into commercial sexual exploitation in Taiwan,
  Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan; Chinese men and women are smuggled to
  countries throughout the world at enormous personal expense and then
  forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor to
  repay debts to traffickers; women and children are trafficked into
  China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for
  forced labor, marriage, and sexual slavery; most North Koreans enter
  northeastern China voluntarily, but others reportedly are trafficked
  into China from North Korea; domestic trafficking remains the most
  significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of
  10,000-20,000 victims trafficked each year; the actual number of
  victims could be much greater; some experts believe that the serious
  and prolonged imbalance in the male-female birth ratio may now be
  contributing to Chinese and foreign girls and women being trafficked
  as potential brides
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - China failed to show evidence of
  increasing efforts to address transnational trafficking; while the
  government provides reasonable protection to internal victims of
  trafficking, protection for Chinese and foreign victims of
  transnational trafficking remain inadequate

Illicit drugs:
  major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden
  Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for
  chemical precursors and methamphetamine

Background:
  Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed
  and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in
  the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958.
  Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 12 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by
trade winds; wet season (December to April)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a
  national park) (2005)

Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime
hazard

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001)

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island

Dependency status:
non-self governing territory of Australia; administered by the
Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services

Capital:
  name: The Settlement
  geographic coordinates: 18 44 N, 64 19 W
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Constitution:
Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the
Territories Law Reform Act of 1992

Legal system:
under the authority of the governor general of Australia and
Australian law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by the Australian governor general
  head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
  by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
  Australia

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected
  by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
  election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9

Flag description:
  territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly;
  the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun
  Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the
  Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed;
  a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag
  of Australia is used for official purposes

Economy - overview:
  Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity,
  but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In
  1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a
  $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The
  Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a
  commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin
  operations in the near future.

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
  domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system
  in February 2005
  international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - one
  INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
0; note - TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland
Australia (2006)

Background:
  This isolated island was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who
  made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in
  1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually
  awarded the island to France, which took possession in 1935.

Location:
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km
southwest of Mexico

Climate:
tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, wet season
(May to October)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Clipperton Island
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ile Clipperton
  former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by France from French Polynesia
by a high commissioner of the Republic

Economy - overview:
  Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the
  territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity
  is tuna fishing.

Background:
  There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING
  discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until
  the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred
  to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two
  inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on
  West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest
of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka

Area:
  total: 14 sq km
  land: 14 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island

Climate:
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds
for about nine months of the year

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Environment - current issues: fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs

Geography - note: islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Dependency status:
  non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from
  Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional
  Services

Capital:
  name: West Island
  geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E
  time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Constitution:
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended
by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by the Australian governor general
  head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30
  January 2006)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
  by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
  Australia

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
  elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
  election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)

Economy - overview:
  Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop.
  Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but
  additional food and most other necessities must be imported from
  Australia. There is a small tourist industry.

Labor force - by occupation: note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication
  system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile
  communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1
  INTELSAT satellite earth station

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a
five-person police force

Background:
  Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the
  collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and
  Venezuela). A 40-year conflict between government forces and
  anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups -
  both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s.
  The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to
  overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since
  about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and
  large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence.
  Paramilitary groups challenge the insurgents for control of
  territory and the drug trade. Most paramilitary members have
  demobilized since 2002 in an ongoing peace process, although their
  commitment to ceasing illicit activity is unclear. The Colombian
  Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control
  throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its
  municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the
  violence spilling over their borders.

Location:
  Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama
  and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
  Ecuador and Panama

Area:
  total: 1,138,910 sq km
  land: 1,038,700 sq km
  water: 100,210 sq km
  note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank

Land boundaries:
  total: 6,004 km
  border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km,
  Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km

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

Terrain:
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains,
eastern lowland plains

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m
  note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper,
emeralds, hydropower

Natural hazards:
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes;
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions

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

Geography - note:
only South American country with coastlines on both the North
Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563)
  15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.3 years
  male: 25.4 years
  female: 27.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 20.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 24.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.99 years
  male: 68.15 years
  female: 75.96 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed
black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.5%
  male: 92.4%
  female: 92.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
  conventional short form: Colombia
  local long form: Republica de Colombia
  local short form: Colombia

Capital:
  name: Bogota
  geographic coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1
  capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca,
  Atlantico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare,
  Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare,
  Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander,
  Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, San Andres y Providencia, Santander,
  Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada

Legal system:
  based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US
  procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and is gradually being
  implemented; judicial review of executive and legislative acts

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002);
  Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August
  2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002)
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties
  - the PL and PSC - and independents
  elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for
  a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28
  May 2006 (next to be held in May 2010)
  election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez reelected president;
  percent of vote - Alvaro URIBE Velez 62%, Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz 22%,
  Horacio SERPA Uribe 12%, other 4%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado
  (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
  terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes
  (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in
  March 2010); House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2006
  (next to be held in March 2010)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PSUN 20, PC 18, PL 17, CR 15, PDI 11, other parties 21;
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PL 36, PSUN 30, PC 29, CR 20, PDA 42, other parties 42

Judicial branch:
  four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of
  Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law;
  judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the Superior
  Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest
  court of administrative law; judges are selected from the nominees
  of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms);
  Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of the
  constitution; rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the
  constitution, and international treaties); Superior Judicial Council
  (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves
  jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are
  elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
  Clandestine Communist Party of Colombia or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO];
  Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi];
  Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Samuel MORENO Rojas]; Liberal
  Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA]; Social National Unity Party or PSUN
  [Juan Manuel SANTOS]
  note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties,
  most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary
  Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and National Liberation Army or
  ELN; largest illegal paramilitary group, a roughly organized
  umbrella group of disparate paramilitary forces, is United
  Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur
  (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carolina BARCO Isakson chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338 FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831 mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA 34038 telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811 FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and
  red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the
  Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center

Economy - overview:
  Colombia's economy has been on a recovery trend during the past two
  years despite a serious armed conflict. The economy continues to
  improve thanks to austere government budgets, focused efforts to
  reduce public debt levels, an export-oriented growth strategy, and
  an improved security situation in the country. Ongoing economic
  problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the pension
  system to reducing high unemployment. New exploration is needed to
  offset declining oil production. On the positive side, several
  international financial institutions have praised the economic
  reforms introduced by URIBE, which succeeded in reducing the
  public-sector deficit below 1.5% of GDP. The government's economic
  policy and democratic security strategy have engendered a growing
  sense of confidence in the economy, particularly within the business
  sector. Coffee prices have recovered from previous lows as the
  Colombian coffee industry pursues greater market shares in developed
  countries such as the United States.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.5% industry: 34.2% services: 53.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 22.7% industry: 18.7% services: 58.5% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 7.9% highest 10%: 34.3% (2004)

Budget:
  revenues: $46.82 billion
  expenditures: $48.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa
beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp

Industries:
textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages,
chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 26% hydro: 72.7% nuclear: 0% other: 1.3% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods,
chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity

Imports - partners:
US 28.5%, Mexico 8.3%, China 7.6%, Brazil 6.5%, Venezuela 5.7%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,320.75 (2005), 2,628.61 (2004),
2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system in many respects
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic
  satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking
  50 cities
  international: country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6
  Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching
  centers; 8 submarine cables

Airports - with paved runways: total: 101 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 38 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 883 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 275 under 914 m: 572 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 3,304 km
  standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 42,413 GRT/58,737 DWT
  by type: cargo 13, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3
  registered in other countries: 7 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 5)
  (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque, Puerto
Bolivar, Santa Marta, Turbo

Military branches:
  Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes
  naval aviation, marines, and coast guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
  Colombiana) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 10,212,456
females age 18-49: 10,561,562 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,986,228
females age 18-49: 8,794,465 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 389,735
females age 18-49: 383,146 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against
  Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary
  involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the
  Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank;
  dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Los Monjes Islands
  near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics,
  guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all of its
  neighbors' borders and have created a serious refugee crisis with
  over 300,000 persons having fled the country, mostly into
  neighboring states

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 2,900,000 - 3,400,000 (conflict between government and FARC;
drug wars) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's
  leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2004 was 114,100
  hectares, virtually unchanged from 2003, but down one-third from its
  peak of 169,800 ha); producing a potential of 430 mt of pure
  cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplying
  most of the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other
  international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US
  market; opium poppy cultivation fell 50% between 2003 and 2004 to
  2,100 hectares yielding a potential 3.8 metric tons of pure heroin,
  mostly for the US market; in 2004, aerial eradication treated over
  130,000 hectares of coca but aggressive replanting on the part of
  growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion
  of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in
  Colombia through the black market peso exchange

Background:
  Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining
  independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan
  and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military
  chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the
  secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000
  Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution
  and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each
  island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union
  president took office in May 2002.

Location:
  Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the
  Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern
  Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m

Land use:
  arable land: 35.87%
  permanent crops: 23.32%
  other: 40.81% (2005)

Natural hazards:
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le
Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano

Environment - current issues:
soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on
slopes without proper terracing; deforestation

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 148,009/female 147,038)
  15-64 years: 54.3% (male 185,107/female 190,139)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 9,672/female 10,983) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.6 years
  male: 18.4 years
  female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 72.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 81.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 64.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.33 years
  male: 60 years
  female: 64.72 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili
and Arabic)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 56.5%
  male: 63.6%
  female: 49.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
  conventional short form: Comoros
  local long form: Union des Comores
  local short form: Comores

Capital:
  name: Moroni
  geographic coordinates: 11 41 S, 43 16 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan
(Nzwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006);
  head of government: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May
  2006);
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency
  rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three
  main islands in the Union; election last held 14 May 2006 (next to
  be held by May 2010); prime minister appointed by the president;
  note - the post of Prime Minister has been vacant since May 2002
  election results: Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of
  vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed
  DJAANFAMI 13.7%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are
  selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by
  universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years);
  elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies
  from local island assemblies

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the
  president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected
  by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of
  the republic)

Political parties and leaders:
  Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp
  of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition of parties organized by the
  island Presidents in opposition to the Union President); Front
  National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in
  opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC
  [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress
  or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development
  or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol,
  IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN
  Mahmoud M. ABOUD
  chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New
  York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to
Madagascar is accredited to Comoros

Flag description:
  four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue
  with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within
  the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the
  hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line
  between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the
  four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago -
  Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of
  France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color
  green are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy - overview:
  One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three
  islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and
  rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low
  educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence
  level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy
  dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture,
  including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP,
  employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports.
  The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the
  main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government -
  which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to
  upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and
  industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports,
  promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate.
  Increased foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP
  growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help
  supplement GDP.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.)

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

Agriculture - products:
vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas,
cassava (tapioca)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.6% hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
France 27.7%, Singapore 16.8%, Japan 15.1%, Germany 13.7%, US 5.8%,
Netherlands 5.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products,
cement, transport equipment

Imports - partners:
France 20.5%, South Africa 11.7%, UAE 9.1%, Kenya 8%, Pakistan 5%,
Mauritius 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, India 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004),
  435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001)
  note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677
  Comoran francs per euro

Telephone system:
  general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF
  radiotelephone communication stations
  domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications
  to Madagascar and Reunion

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 121 ships (1000 GRT or over) 564,882 GRT/801,238 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 85, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
  livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
  tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5, specialized
  tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 72 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Greece 10, India 1,
  Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Pakistan 2,
  Philippines 1, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi
  Arabia 3, Syria 4, Turkey 11, UAE 6, Ukraine 14, US 2) (2006)

Military branches:
Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force (includes Gendarmerie
and Army), Comoran Federal Police (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 138,940
females age 18-49: 139,491 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 98,792
females age 18-49: 106,415 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo
  gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by
  political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power
  and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He
  subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as
  that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32
  years through several subsequent sham elections, as well as through
  the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by
  a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and
  Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a
  rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the
  Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his
  regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and
  Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe
  intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed
  in July 1999 by the DRC, Congolese armed rebel groups, Angola,
  Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe but sporadic fighting
  continued. Laurent KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his
  son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the
  new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of
  Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months later, the
  Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end
  the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A
  transitional government was set up in July 2003; Joseph KABILA
  remains as president and is joined by four vice presidents
  representing the former government, former rebel groups, and the
  political opposition. The transitional government held a successful
  constitutional referendum in December 2005, and plans to hold a
  series of elections in 2006 to determine the presidency and National
  Assembly seats.

Land boundaries:
  total: 10,730 km
  border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary
  of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central
  African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda
  217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors

Climate:
  tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier
  in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north
  of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to
  February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry
  season (April to October)

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110
  m

Natural resources:
  cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem
  diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal,
  hydropower, timber

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the
east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes

Environment - current issues:
  poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
  deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation,
  soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a
  mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing
  environmental damage

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

Geography - note:
  straddles equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the
  lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense
  tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands

Population:
  62,660,551
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 47.4% (male 14,906,488/female 14,798,210)
  15-64 years: 50.1% (male 15,597,353/female 15,793,350)
  65 years and over: 2.5% (male 632,143/female 933,007) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.2 years
  male: 16 years
  female: 16.4 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and
  Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DRC in
  August 1998, which left 2.33 million Congolese internally displaced
  and caused 412,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding
  countries (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 88.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 96.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 80.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 51.46 years
  male: 50.01 years
  female: 52.94 years (2006 est.)

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

Nationality:
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups:
  over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the
  four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the
  Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population

Religions:
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%,
other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%

Languages:
French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language),
Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala,
  Kingwana, or Tshiluba
  total population: 65.5%
  male: 76.2%
  female: 55.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo
  local short form: none
  former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville,
  Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
  abbreviation: DRC

Capital:
  name: Kinshasa
  geographic coordinates: 4 18 S, 15 18 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville);
  Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental,
  Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu

Legal system:
a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001);
  note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire
  KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the
  presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001);
  note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire
  KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the
  presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the president
  elections: under the new constitution the president is elected by
  popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  elections last held 30 July 2006 with a second round held on 29
  October 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: results of 29 October 2006 elections (second
  round); Joseph KABILA 58%, Jean-Pierre BEMBA Gombo 42%
  note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA,
  following the latter's assassination in January 2001; negotiations
  with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a transitional
  government in July 2003 with free elections held on 30 July 2006 and
  29 October 2006 where the poplar vote confirmed Joseph KABILA as
  president

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly (500 seats;
  60 elected by majority vote and 440 by open list proportional
  representation; members serve 5-year terms) and a Senate (120 seats;
  members elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms)
  elections: NA; members of the National Assembly were appointed by
  leaders in the factions integrated into the new government;
  elections scheduled for 30 July 2006 will establish a new
  legislature under the February 2006 constitution

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces
  for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph
  OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois
  LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR (three factions:
  MPR-Fait Prive [Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix
  VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]); Unified Lumumbast
  Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social
  Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of
  Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI (two factions:
  UFERI [Lokambo OMOKOKO]; UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA])

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended),
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF,
  OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU
  chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note -
  Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roger MEECE
  embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
  mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828
  telephone: [243] (88) 43608
  FAX: [243] (88) 43467

Flag description:
  sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to
  upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow
  stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist
  corner

Economy - overview:
  The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation
  endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since
  the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, dramatically
  reduced national output and government revenue, increased external
  debt, and resulted in the deaths of perhaps 3.5 million people from
  violence, famine, and disease. Foreign businesses curtailed
  operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict,
  lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment.
  Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large
  portion of the invading foreign troops. The transitional government
  has reopened relations with international financial institutions and
  international donors, and President KABILA has begun implementing
  reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. Economic
  stability improved in 2003-05, although an uncertain legal
  framework, corruption, and a lack of openness in government policy
  continues to hamper growth. In 2005, renewed activity in the mining
  sector, the source of most exports, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal
  position and GDP growth. Business and economic prospects are
  expected to improve once a new government is installed after
  elections.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 55% industry: 11% services: 34% (2000 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $700 million
  expenditures: $750 million; including capital expenditures of $24
  million (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca),
palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products

Industries:
  mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer
  products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods
  and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.8% hydro: 98.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Belgium 38.2%, US 17.9%, China 11.7%, France 8%, Finland 7.8%,
Chile 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners:
  South Africa 16.5%, Belgium 16.1%, France 9.1%, Zambia 6.9%, Kenya
  5.7%, Germany 4.6%, US 4.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1%
  (2005)

Exchange rates:
Congolese francs per US dollar - 437.86 (2005), 401.04 (2004),
405.34 (2003), 346.49 (2002), 206.62 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poor
  domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in
  and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth
  stations
  international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 209 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 94 under 914 m: 97 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 5,138 km
  narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km
  1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,004 GRT/1,640 DWT
  by type: petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Congo, Republic of the 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa,
Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 11,365,610 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but
  unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues unabated in
  the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
  drawing in the neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the
  UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  (MONUC) has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region since
  1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo continue to flee
  the fighting primarily into Uganda; 90,000 Angolan refugees were
  repatriated by 2004 with the remainder in the DRC expected to return
  in 2005; in 2005, DRC and Rwanda established a border verification
  mechanism to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting
  Congolese rebels and the DRC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe"
  forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; the location of
  the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo
  is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 5,277 (Republic of Congo) 11,816
  (Rwanda) 18,953 (Uganda) 19,400 (Burundi) 45,226 (Sudan) 98,383
  (Angola)
  IDPs: 2.33 million (fighting between government forces and rebels
  since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption;
  while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the
  banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a
  well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
  money-laundering center

Background:
  Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo
  became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of
  experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a
  democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil
  war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO,
  and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest.
  Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March
  2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a
  humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's
  largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will
  need to hope for new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings
  over the long term.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola
and Gabon

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,504 km
  border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African
  Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon
  1,903 km

Climate:
  tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to
  October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly
  enervating climate astride the Equator

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates,
gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the
dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation

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

Geography - note:
about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or
along the railroad between them

Population:
  3,702,314
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.4% (male 864,407/female 853,728)
  15-64 years: 50.7% (male 930,390/female 945,545)
  65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,430/female 63,814) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.6 years
  male: 16.4 years
  female: 16.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 85.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 91 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 79.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 52.8 years
  male: 51.65 years
  female: 53.98 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups:
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%

Languages:
  French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade
  languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is
  the most widespread)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83.8%
  male: 89.6%
  female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
  conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)
  local long form: Republique du Congo
  local short form: none
  former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo

Capital:
  name: Brazzaville
  geographic coordinates: 4 16 S, 15 17 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza,
  Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala,
  Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October
  1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president
  Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October
  1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president
  Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next
  to be held in 2009)
  election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent
  of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU
  2.7%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National
  Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held July
  2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next
  to be held by May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45

Political parties and leaders:
  the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and
  Patriotic Forces or FDP [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president] (an
  alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor
  Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy
  and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and
  Union for the National Renewal); Congolese Movement for Democracy
  and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African
  Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for
  Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere
  TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR
  [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR;
  Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese
  Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women
  or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UN Security
  Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
  chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500
  FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mark
  BIEDLINGMAIER
  embassy: NA
  mailing address: NA
  telephone: [243] (88) 43608
  note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in
  the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310
  Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)

Flag description:
  divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the
  upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red;
  uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an
  industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a
  government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil
  has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a
  major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s,
  rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance
  large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5%
  annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has
  mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings through
  oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and
  chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been
  undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably
  the World Bank and the IMF. However, the reform program came to a
  halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who
  returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly
  expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and
  privatization and in renewing cooperation with international
  financial institutions. Economic progress was badly hurt by slumping
  oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998,
  which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current
  administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces
  difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing
  poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and
  near-term prospects. The Republic of Congo may be eligible for an
  IMF-World Bank heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in
  early 2006, provided it meets the strict fiscal and monetary targets
  set out for it under a new three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth
  Facility (PRGF) with the IMF.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 6.2%
  industry: 57%
  services: 36.9% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $1.328 billion
  expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee,
cocoa; forest products

Industries:
petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil,
soap, flour, cigarettes

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

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds

Imports - partners:
France 25.6%, China 11.3%, US 8.1%, India 8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium
5.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: services barely adequate for government use;
  key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo;
  intercity lines frequently out of order
  domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and
  coaxial cable
  international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the
1) (2006)

Military branches:
Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Congolese Air Force (Armee de
l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 688,628
females age 18-49: 685,388 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 406,016
females age 18-49: 394,745 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 38,464
females age 18-49: 38,082 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts
  since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the
  Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with
  the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the
  Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 53,834 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  IDPs: 60,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are ethnic
  Lari) (2005)

Background:
  Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands
  became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative
  control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965 residents chose
  self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration
  of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are
  continuing problems.

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April
to November and a more humid season from December to March

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated,
  coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the
  population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic
  isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 34.1% (male 2,718/female 2,388)
  15-64 years: 59.5% (male 4,531/female 4,395)
  65 years and over: 6.4% (male 489/female 469) (2001 census)

Median age:
  total: 25.3 years
  male: 24.7 years
  female: 25.9 years (2001 census)

Ethnic groups:
Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 87.7%, part Cook Island Maori 5.8%,
other 6.5% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9%, Roman Catholic 16.8%,
  Seventh-Day Adventists 7.9%, Church of Latter Day Saints 3.8%, other
  Protestant 5.8%, other 4.2%, unspecified 2.6%, none 3% (2001 census)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Cook Islands
  former: Harvey Islands

Dependency status:
  self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands
  is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
  responsibility for external affairs and defense, in consultation
  with the Cook Islands

Capital:
  name: Avarua
  geographic coordinates: 21 12 S, 159 46 W
  time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Independence:
  none (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on
  4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full
  independence by unilateral action)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Frederick GOODWIN (since 9 February 2001); New
  Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since 6 September 2005),
  representative of New Zealand
  head of government: Prime Minister Jim MARURAI (since 14 December
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister Terepai MAOATE (since 9 August 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively
  responsible to Parliament
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the UK representative is
  appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner is
  appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consisting of a lower house or Legislative
  Assembly with 25 seats (24 seats representing districts of the Cook
  Islands and one seat representing Cook Islanders living overseas;
  members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and an
  upper house or House of Ariki made up of traditional leaders
  elections: last held 26 September 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Demo 51.9%, CIP 45.5%,
  independent 2.7%; seats by party - Demo 15, CIP 8, independent 1
  note: the House of Ariki advises on traditional matters and
  maintains considerable influence, but has no legislative powers

Political parties and leaders:
Cook Islands Party or CIP [Henry PUNA]; Democratic Party or Demo
[Dr. Terepai MAOATE]

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IOC, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island)
  centered in the outer half of the flag

Economy - overview:
  Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands'
  economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country
  from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of
  natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and
  inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing about 70% of the
  working population, provides the economic base with major exports
  made up of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook
  Island's leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to
  fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are
  offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid,
  overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country
  lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service and
  accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the
  sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the
  encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have
  rekindled investment and growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15.1% industry: 9.6% services: 75.3% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 29% industry: 15% services: 56% (1995)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $70.95 million
  expenditures: $69.05 million; including capital expenditures of
  $5.744 million (FY00/01 est.)

Agriculture - products: copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry

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

Exports - commodities:
copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls
and pearl shells; clothing

Imports - partners:
New Zealand 61%, Fiji 19%, US 9%, Australia 6%, Japan 2% (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$13.1 million; note - New Zealand continues to furnish the greater
part (1995)

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers international
  direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
  domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of
  satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF
  radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small
  exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and
  fiber-optic cable
  international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (outer islands receive satellite broadcasts) (2004)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 48,422 GRT/51,900 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3
  foreign-owned: 5 (Norway 1, NZ 1, Sweden 3) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Ministry of Police and Disaster
Management (2005)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with
the Cook Islands and at its request

Background:
  Scattered over more than three-quarters of a million square
  kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory
  of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small
  meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather
  stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and
  reefs.

Area:
  total: less than 3 sq km
  land: less than 3 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea
  area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most
  important

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2005)

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological
  station (2005 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands

Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories

Executive branch:
administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment,
Sport, and Territories

Communications - note:
there are automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs
relaying data to the mainland

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by
  the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities
  of visitors

Background:
  Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial
  attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a
  combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested
  swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was
  not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was
  established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area
  remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa
  Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly
  declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined
  the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation
  disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its
  sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two
  brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic
  development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural
  sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong
  technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is
  relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Area:
  total: 51,100 sq km
  land: 50,660 sq km
  water: 440 sq km
  note: includes Isla del Coco

Land boundaries: total: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km

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

Climate:
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy
season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Terrain:
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100
volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

Natural hazards:
  occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent
  flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active
  volcanoes

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing
  of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal
  marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air
  pollution

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

Geography - note:
  four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San
  Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu,
  erupted destructively in 1963-65

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 28.3% (male 590,261/female 563,196)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 1,359,750/female 1,329,346)
  65 years and over: 5.7% (male 108,041/female 124,667) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.4 years
  male: 26 years
  female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.02 years
  male: 74.43 years
  female: 79.74 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%,
other 1%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%,
other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: 95.9%
  female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
  conventional short form: Costa Rica
  local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
  local short form: Costa Rica

Capital:
  name: San Jose
  geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago,
Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006);
  First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second
  Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May
  2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006);
  Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
  elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5
  February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of
  vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otto SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto
  GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%; note - official
  results pending the resolution of election challenges

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats;
  members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PLN 25, PAC 18, PML 6, PUSC 4, other 4

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for
eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or
  PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo
  Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA
  CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega];
  Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas]; Independent Worker
  Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement
  Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party
  or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National Integration Party or PIN
  [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco
  Antonio PACHECO]; National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique
  REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos
  AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel
  VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas];
  Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]; Union
  for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist
  Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS Carbonel]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist
  Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of
  Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican
  Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party
  affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National
  Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association
  of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert
  BROWN]

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL,
  OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC consulate(s): San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 519-2000 FAX: [506] 519-2305

Flag description:
  five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width),
  white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on
  the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue
  ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near
  the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words,
  REPUBLICA COSTA RICA

Economy - overview:
  Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism,
  agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially
  reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has
  been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the
  country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism
  continues to bring in foreign exchange. Low prices for coffee and
  bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues
  to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable
  internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult
  problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market
  rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform
  its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is
  the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement
  (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result
  in economic reforms and an improved investment climate.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.8% industry: 29.9% services: 61.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: 22% services: 58% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 36.8% (2002)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.722 billion
  expenditures: $3.195 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes;
beef; timber

Industries:
microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing,
construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.5% hydro: 81.9% nuclear: 0% other: 16.6% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, bananas, sugar, pineapples; textiles, electronic
components, medical equipment

Exports - partners:
US 42.6%, Hong Kong 6.9%, Netherlands 6.4%, Guatemala 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum

Imports - partners:
US 41.3%, Japan 5.6%, Venezuela 4.8%, Mexico 4.8%, Ireland 4.3%,
Brazil 4.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004),
398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of
  breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service
  domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave,
  fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is
  available
  international: country code - 506; connected to Central American
  Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
  Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 125 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 101 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,308 GRT/743 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 2 (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security,
Government, and Police (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 997,690
females age 18-49: 968,290 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 829,874
females age 18-49: 809,343 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 41,097
females age 18-49: 39,243

Disputes - international:
  in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the ICJ to
  advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa
  Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which Nicaragua retains
  sovereignty

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 8,266 (Colombia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America;
  illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic
  cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising

Background:
  Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of
  cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote
  d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical African states,
  but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a
  military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history -
  overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged
  elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular
  protest forced him to step aside and brought runner-up Laurent
  GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the
  military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002. Rebel
  forces claimed the northern half of the country, and in January 2003
  were granted ministerial positions in a unity government under the
  auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Accord. President GBAGBO and
  rebel forces resumed implementation of the peace accord in December
  2003 after a three-month stalemate, but issues that sparked the
  civil war, such as land reform and grounds for citizenship, remain
  unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the
  northern regions and tensions remain high between GBAGBO and
  opposition leaders. Several thousand French and West African troops
  remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and facilitate the
  disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation process.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana
and Liberia

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,110 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km,
  Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km

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

Climate:
  tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm
  and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet
  (June to October)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt,
  bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa
  beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 10.23%
  permanent crops: 11.16%
  other: 78.61% (2005)

Natural hazards:
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy
season torrential flooding is possible

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in
  West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage
  and industrial and agricultural effluents

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart
from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

Population:
  17,654,843
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 40.8% (male 3,546,674/female 3,653,990)
  15-64 years: 56.4% (male 5,024,575/female 4,939,677)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 238,793/female 251,134) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.2 years
  male: 19.4 years
  female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 89.11 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 105.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 71.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 48.82 years
  male: 46.24 years
  female: 51.48 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high
  risks in some locations
  water contact: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous
  11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and
  14,000 French) (1998)

Religions:
  Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40%, Christian 20-30% (2001)
  note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim
  (70%) and Christian (20%)

Languages:
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely
spoken

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 50.9%
  male: 57.9%
  female: 43.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
  conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
  local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
  local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
  former: Ivory Coast

Capital:
  name: Yamoussoukro
  geographic coordinates: 5 19 N, 4 02 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since
  1983, Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative center; the
  US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan

Administrative divisions:
  19 regions; Agneby, Bafing, Bas-Sassandra, Denguele, Dix-Huit
  Montagnes, Fromager, Haut-Sassandra, Lacs, Lagunes, Marahoue,
  Moyen-Cavally, Moyen-Comoe, N'zi-Comoe, Savanes, Sud-Bandama,
  Sud-Comoe, Vallee du Bandama, Worodougou, Zanzan

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
  in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Charles Konan BANNY (since 7
  December 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be
  held by October 2006, after the government postponed the election);
  prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Laurent GBAGBO elected president; percent of vote
  - Laurent GBAGBO 59.4%, Robert GUEI 32.7%, Francis WODIE 5.7%, other
  2.2%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats;
  members are elected in single- and multi-district elections by
  direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on
  14 January 2001 (next to be held by 31 October 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2
  note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election
  in 2006

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consists of four chambers: Judicial
  Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for financial cases,
  Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases, and Administrative
  Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit to the number of
  members

Political parties and leaders:
  Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Eg Theodore MEL]; Democratic
  Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA [Henri
  Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian
  Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the Republicans or
  RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace or UDPCI
  [Paul Akoto YAO]; over 20 smaller parties

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC,
  OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional),
  WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 FAX: [1] (202) 244-3088

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS
  embassy: Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan
  mailing address: B. P. 1866, Abidjan 01
  telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79
  FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and
  green; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the
  colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also
  similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white,
  and red; design was based on the flag of France

Economy - overview:
  Cote d'Ivoire is among the world's largest producers and exporters
  of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is
  highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these
  products and weather conditions. Despite government attempts to
  diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on agriculture
  and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the population.
  Growth was negative in 2000-03 because of the difficulty of meeting
  the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key
  exports, and severe civil war. In November 2004, the situation
  deteriorated when President GBAGBO's troops attacked and killed nine
  French peacekeeping forces, and the UN imposed an arms embargo.
  Political turmoil damaged the economy in 2005, with fear among
  Ivorians spreading, foreign investment shriveling, French businesses
  and expats fleeing, travel within the country falling, and criminal
  elements that traffic in weapons and diamonds gaining ground. The
  government will continue to survive financially off of the sale of
  cocoa, which represents 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Though the
  2005 harvest was largely unaffected by past fighting, the government
  will likely lose between 10% and 20% of its cocoa harvest to
  northern rebels, who smuggle the cocoa they control to neighboring
  countries where cocoa prices are higher. The government remains
  hopeful that ongoing exploration of Cote d'Ivoire's offshore oil
  reserves will result in significant production that could boost
  daily crude output from roughly 33,000 barrels per day (b/d) to over
  200,000 b/d by the end of the decade.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27.9% industry: 17.1% services: 55% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.434 billion
  expenditures: $2.83 billion; including capital expenditures of $420
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc
(tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber

Industries:
  foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus
  assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity,
  ship construction and repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 61.9% hydro: 38.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm
oil, fish

Exports - partners:
France 18.3%, US 14.1%, Netherlands 11%, Nigeria 8%, Panama 4.4%
(2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: well developed by African standards but
  operating well below capacity
  domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized
  international: country code - 225; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 submarine cables
  (June 1999)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 7
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 660 km
  narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge
  note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina
  Faso (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 80,000 km
  paved: 6,500 km
  unpaved: 73,500 km
  note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt
  roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are
  impassable (2006)

Waterways:
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)
(2005)

Military branches:
Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSC): Army, Navy, Air
Force (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,696,106
females age 18-49: 3,569,967 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,973,265
females age 18-49: 1,911,777 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 189,354
females age 18-49: 192,600 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  rebel and ethnic fighting against the central government in 2002
  has spilled into neighboring states, driven out foreign cocoa
  workers from nearby countries, and, in 2004, resulted in 6,000
  peacekeepers deployed as part of UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire
  (UNOCI) assisting 4,000 French troops already in-country; the
  Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting
  Ivorian rebels

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 70,402 (Liberia)
  IDPs: 500,000-800,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions)
  (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption;
  transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to
  Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American cocaine
  destined for Europe and South Africa; while rampant corruption and
  inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money
  laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the
  country's utility as a major money-laundering center

Background:
  The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the
  Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the
  Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as
  Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal
  independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO.
  Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991,
  it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before
  occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under
  UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was
  returned to Croatia in 1998.

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Slovenia

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,197 km
  border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km,
  Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 670 km

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

Climate:
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with
hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Terrain:
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low
mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

Natural resources:
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum,
natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Environment - current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
  Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and
Turkish Straits

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.2% (male 373,638/female 354,261)
  15-64 years: 67% (male 1,497,958/female 1,515,314)
  65 years and over: 16.8% (male 288,480/female 465,098) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.3 years
  male: 38.3 years
  female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.68 years
  male: 71.03 years
  female: 78.53 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak, Hungarian,
Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim
1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

Languages:
Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including
Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.5%
  male: 99.4%
  female: 97.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
  conventional short form: Croatia
  local long form: Republika Hrvatska
  local short form: Hrvatska
  former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia

Capital:
  name: Zagreb
  geographic coordinates: 45 48 N, 15 58 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad -
  singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska
  Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija,
  Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija,
  Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska
  Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija,
  Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija,
  Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija,
  Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija,
  Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*,
  Zagrebacka Zupanija

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 is the day
  the Croatian Parliament voted for independence; following a
  three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the
  Yugoslav crisis peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8
  October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February
  2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ivo SANADER (since 9 December
  2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Jadranka KOSOR (since 23 December
  2003) and Damir POLANCEC (since 15 February 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and
  approved by the parliamentary Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 January 2005
  (next to be held January 2010); the leader of the majority party or
  the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime
  minister by the president and then approved by the Assembly
  election results: Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote
  - Stjepan MESIC 66%, Jadranka KOSOR (HDZ) 34% in the second round

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was added
  in the November 2003 parliamentary elections; members elected from
  party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by
  party - HDZ 66, SDP 34, HSS 10, HNS 10, HSP 8, IDS 4, Libra 3, HSU
  3, SDSS 3, other 11
  note: minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts
  appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the
  Republic, which is elected by the Assembly

Political parties and leaders:
  Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic
  Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ
  [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC];
  Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner
  Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS
  [Vesna PUSIC] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian
  People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [Vesna PUSIC]); Croatian
  Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Djurdja ADLESIC]; Croatian True
  Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC
  [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS
  [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan
  JAKOVCIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO,
  IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF
  (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Neven JURICA
  chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert A. BRADTKE
  embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb
  mailing address: use street address
  telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200
  FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue
superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)

Economy - overview:
  Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia,
  after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area with
  a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average.
  The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000 with tourism,
  banking, and public investments leading the way. Unemployment
  remains high, at about 18%, with structural factors slowing its
  decline. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely been
  achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the
  part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians.
  Growth, while impressive at about 3% to 4% for the last several
  years, has been stimulated, in part, through high fiscal deficits
  and rapid credit growth. The EU accession process should accelerate
  fiscal and structural reform.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 30.8% services: 62.2% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2.7% industry: 32.8% services: 64.5% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
18% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment around
14% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 24.5% (2003 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $17.69 billion
  expenditures: $19.35 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover,
olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Industries:
  chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal,
  electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper,
  wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding,
  petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 33.6% hydro: 66% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Exports - partners:
Italy 21.8%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.7%, Germany 10.7%, Slovenia
8.1%, Austria 7.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals, fuels and
lubricants; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Italy 15.9%, Germany 14.9%, Russia 9.1%, Slovenia 6.8%, Austria
5.8%, China 4.7%, France 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
kuna per US dollar - 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003),
7.8687 (2002), 8.34 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog
  circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be
  included in the plan for the main trunk
  international: country code - 385; digital international service is
  provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in
  the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of
  two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic
  trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also
  investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany,
  Albania, and Greece

Airports - with paved runways: total: 23 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 37 (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,726 km
standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 28,344 km
  paved: 24,186 km (including 742 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 4,158 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 72 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,079,286 GRT/1,724,698 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 11, chemical tanker 3,
  passenger/cargo 27, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
  on/roll off 3
  registered in other countries: 36 (Belize 1, Cyprus 2, Liberia 7,
  Malta 10, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 9) (2006)

Military branches:
  Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces
  (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces
  (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO),
  Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military
  Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces
  (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with six-month service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service (December 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,005,058
females age 18-49: 1,008,511 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 725,914
females age 18-49: 823,611 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,020
females age 18-49: 27,897 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small
  disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that
  hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the
  Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would
  have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and
  several villages to Croatia, remains un-ratified and in dispute; as
  a European Union peripheral state, neighboring Slovenia must conform
  to the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and
  commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close
  cross-border ties with Croatia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 12,600 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to
  Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime
  shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe

Background:
  The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the
  European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and
  following its development as a Spanish colony during the next
  several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to
  work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the
  launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from
  Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became
  increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and
  occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. It was US
  intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally
  overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established
  Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year
  transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959;
  his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's
  Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout
  Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The
  country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in
  1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4
  billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as
  the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration
  to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or
  via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast
  Guard intercepted 2,712 individuals attempting to cross the Straits
  of Florida in fiscal year 2005.

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

Land boundaries:
  total: 29 km
  border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km
  note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of
  Cuba

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April);
rainy season (May to October)

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in
the southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m

Natural resources:
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica,
petroleum, arable land

Natural hazards:
  the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in
  general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year);
  droughts are common

Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater
Antilles

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.1% (male 1,117,677/female 1,058,512)
  15-64 years: 70.3% (male 4,001,161/female 3,999,303)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 554,148/female 652,019) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35.9 years
  male: 35.2 years
  female: 36.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.41 years
  male: 75.11 years
  female: 79.85 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
  Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also
  represented

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97.2%
  female: 96.9% (2003 est.)

People - note:
  illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart
  the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers,
  direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime
  routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and
  over-land via the southwest border

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
  conventional short form: Cuba
  local long form: Republica de Cuba
  local short form: Cuba

Capital:
  name: Havana
  geographic coordinates: 23 08 N, 82 22 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special
  municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila,
  Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla
  de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio,
  Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

Independence:
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US
from 1898 to 1902)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is
  the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of
  independence from US administration; Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953)

Legal system:
based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist
legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of
  the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from
  February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished;
  president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the
  Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of
  Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President of the Council of State and President
  of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from
  February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished;
  president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the
  Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of
  Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the
  Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the
  31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its
  behalf when it is not in session
  elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National
  Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003
  (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of
  legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president;
  percent of legislative vote - 100%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional
  del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved
  by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609

Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice
president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first
secretary]

International organization participation:
  ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS
  (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy,
  headed by Principal Officer Bernardo GUANCHE Hernandez; address:
  Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW,
  Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202)
  797-8521

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy,
  headed by Principal Officer Michael E. PARMLY; address: USINT, Swiss
  Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone:
  [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX:
  [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland

Flag description:
  five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom)
  alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the
  hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center

Economy - overview:
  The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening
  against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back
  limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise
  efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods,
  and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a
  lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused
  by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The
  government in 2005 strengthened its controls over dollars coming
  into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. External
  financing has helped growth in the mining, oil, construction, and
  tourism sectors.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.5% industry: 26.1% services: 68.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 4.6 million note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 21.2% industry: 14.4% services: 64.4% (2004)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $22.11 billion
  expenditures: $23.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock

Industries:
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement,
agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 93.9% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 5.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 25.4%, Canada 20.7%, China 9.8%, Spain 6.8% (2005)

Imports - partners:
China 14.9%, Spain 13.9%, Canada 8.6%, US 8.5%, Germany 7.4%, Italy
5.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Japan 4.1% (2005)

Debt - external:
$12.56 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed
to Russia (2005 est.)

Exchange rates:
  Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93
  note: Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso
  (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although
  the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the
  official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC
  (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals
  can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban
  pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP
  and CUC at a 1:1 ratio.

Telephone system:
  general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the
  establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and
  Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system;
  wireless service is expensive and remains restricted to foreigners
  and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally
  with the help of foreigners
  domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 85% of
  switches digitized by end of 2004; telephone line density remains
  low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service
  expanding
  international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
  linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
  (Atlantic Ocean region)

Internet users:
  190,000
  note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or
  accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may
  access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls;
  some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take
  advantage of public outlets, to access limited email and the
  government-controlled "intranet" (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 78 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 37 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 92 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 62 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 4,226 km
  standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
  note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations;
  about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge
  (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 60,858 km
  paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)
  unpaved: 31,038 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,932 GRT/48,791 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1,
  petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands
  Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER),
  Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR),
  Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army
  (EJT) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age; both sexes are eligible for military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 2,967,865
females age 17-49: 2,913,559 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 2,441,927
females age 17-49: 2,396,741 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 91,901
females: 87,500 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of
Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993

Disputes - international:
US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual
agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Cuba is a source country for women and children
  trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced child
  labor; Cuba is a major destination for sex tourism, which largely
  caters to European, Canadian, and Latin American tourists and
  involves large numbers of minors; there are reports that Cuban women
  have been trafficked to Mexico for sexual exploitation; forced labor
  victims also include children coerced into working in commercial
  agriculture
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US
  and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain
  drug-related crimes in 1999

Background:
  A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960
  following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the
  Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head
  in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia.
  Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic
  intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into
  enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek
  Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by
  military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a
  third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself
  the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," but it is recognized only
  by Turkey. The latest two-year round of UN-brokered talks - between
  the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to
  reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the
  Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004
  referendum. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although
  the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies
  only to the areas under direct Republic of Cyprus control, and is
  suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. At present,
  every Cypriot carrying a Cyprus passport has the status of a
  European citizen; however, EU laws do not apply to north Cyprus.
  Nicosia continues to oppose EU efforts to establish direct trade and
  economic links to north Cyprus as a way of encouraging the Turkish
  Cypriot community to continue to support reunification.

Area:
  total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
  land: 9,240 sq km
  water: 10 sq km

Land boundaries:
total: NA; note - boundary with Dhekelia is being resurveyed
border countries: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia NA

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

Terrain:
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but
significant plains along southern coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m

Natural resources:
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth
pigment

Environment - current issues:
  water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal
  disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest
  aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from
  sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife
  habitats from urbanization

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

Geography - note:
the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and
Sardinia)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.4% (male 81,776/female 78,272)
  15-64 years: 68% (male 270,254/female 263,354)
  65 years and over: 11.6% (male 39,536/female 51,109) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.9 years
  male: 33.9 years
  female: 35.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.82 years
  male: 75.44 years
  female: 80.31 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and
other 4%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.6%
  male: 98.9%
  female: 96.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus
  conventional short form: Cyprus
  local long form: Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti
  local short form: Kypros/Kibris
  note: the Turkish Cypriot community (north Cyprus) refers to itself
  as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC)

Government type:
  republic
  note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
  island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
  separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
  July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave
  the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots
  control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
  November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared
  independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern
  Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey

Capital:
  name: Nicosia (Lefkosia)
  geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia,
  Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions
  include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts
  of Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Larnaca

Independence:
  16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed
  self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these
  proclamations are only recognized by Turkey

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots
celebrate 15 November (1983) as Independence Day

Constitution:
  16 August 1960; from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer
  participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for
  a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better
  relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held
  intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974
  Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own
  constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated
  State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern
  Cyprus" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in
  1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5
  May 1985

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

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Tassos PAPADOPOULOS (since 1 March 2003);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the
  1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
  head of government: President Tassos PAPADOPOULOS (since 1 March
  2003); note - post of vice president is currently vacant; under the
  1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and
  vice president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  election last held 16 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)
  election results: Tassos PAPADOPOULOS elected president; percent of
  vote - Tassos PAPADOPOULOS 51.5%, Glafkos KLIRIDIS 38.8%, Alekos
  MARKIDIS 6.6%
  note: Mehmet Ali TALAT became "president" of north Cyprus, 24 April
  2005, after "presidential" elections on 17 April 2005; results -
  Mehmet Ali TALAT 55.6%, Dervis EROGLU 22.7%; Ferdi Sabit SOYER is
  "prime minister"; there is a Council of Ministers (cabinet) in north
  Cyprus, appointed by the "prime minister"

Legislative branch:
  unicameral - Republic of Cyprus: House of Representatives or Vouli
  Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24 to
  Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are
  filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms); north Cyprus: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi
  (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: Republic of Cyprus: last held 27 May 2001 (next to be
  held 21 May 2006); north Cyprus: last held 14 December 2003 (next to
  be held in 2008)
  election results: Republic of Cyprus: House of Representatives -
  percent of vote by party - AKEL 34.71%, DISY 34%, DIKO 14.84%, KISOS
  6.51%, others 9.94%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 20, DISY 19,
  DIKO 9, KISOS 4, other 4; north Cyprus: Assembly of the Republic -
  percent of vote by party - CTP 35.8%, UBP 32.3%, Peace and
  Democratic Movement 13.4%, DP 12.3%; seats by party - CTP 19, UBP
  18, Peace and Democratic Movement 6, DP 7

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president and
  vice president)
  note: there is also a Supreme Court in north Cyprus

Political parties and leaders:
  Republic of Cyprus: Democratic Party or DIKO [Tassos PAPADOPOULOS];
  Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; European Democracy
  or EURO.DE [Prodromos PRODROMOU] (evolved from For Europe which
  merged with New Horizons); European Party or EURO.KO [Demetris
  SYLLOURIS]; Fighting Democratic Movement or ADIK [Dinos
  MIKHAILIDIS]; Green Party of Cyprus [George PERDIKIS]; Movement for
  Social Democracy United Democratic Union of Center or KISOS
  [Yannakis OMIROU]; Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL
  (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS]; United Democrats Movement
  or EDE [Michalis PAPAPETROU]; north Cyprus: Democratic Party or DP
  [Serder DENKTASH]; National Birth Party or UDP [Enver EMIN];
  National Unity Party or UBP [Dervis EROGLU]; Our Party or BP [Okyay
  SADIKOGLU]; Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Alpay DURDURAN]; Peace
  and Democratic Movement [Mustafa AKINCI]; Republican Turkish Party
  or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation
  of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish
  Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or
  PEO (Communist controlled)

International organization participation:
  Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer),
  OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andreas KAKOURIS chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772, 462-0873 FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710 consulate(s) general: New York note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Osman ERTUG; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1] (202) 887-6198

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald L. SCHLICHER
  embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi,
  Nicosia
  mailing address: P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia
  telephone: [357] (22) 393939
  FAX: [357] (22) 780944

Flag description:
  white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name
  Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green
  crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches
  symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek
  and Turkish communities
  note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag has a
  horizontal red stripe at the top and bottom between which is a red
  crescent and red star on a white field

Economy - overview:
  The Republic of Cyprus has a market economy dominated by the
  service sector, which accounts for 76% of GDP. Tourism and financial
  services are the most important sectors; erratic growth rates over
  the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which
  often fluctuates with political instability in the region and
  economic conditions in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy
  grew a healthy 3.7% per year in 2004 and 2005, well above the EU
  average. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2)
  in May 2005. The government has initiated an aggressive austerity
  program, which has cut the budget deficit to below 3% but continued
  fiscal discipline is necessary if Cyprus is to meet its goal of
  adopting the euro on 1 January 2008. As in the area administered by
  Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few
  desalination plants are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the
  country received substantial rainfall from 2001-03 alleviating
  immediate concerns. The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly
  one-third of the per capita GDP of the south, and economic growth
  tends to be volatile, given north Cyprus's relative isolation,
  bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small
  market size. The Turkish Cypriot economy grew 15.4% in 2004, fueled
  by growth in the construction and education sectors, as well as
  increased employment of Turkish Cypriots in the Republic of Cyprus.
  The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the
  Turkish Government. Under the 2003-06 economic protocol, Ankara
  plans to provide around $550 million to the "TRNC." Agriculture and
  services, together, employ more than half of the work force.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
Republic of Cyprus: $16.81 billion; north Cyprus: $4.54 billion
(2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
Republic of Cyprus: 3.8%; north Cyprus: 10.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
Republic of Cyprus: $21,600 (2005 est.); north Cyprus: $7,135 (2004
est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  Republic of Cyprus: agriculture 3.7%; industry 19.8%; services
  76.5% (2005 est.)
  north Cyprus: agriculture 10.6%; industry 20.5%; services 68.9%
  (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  Republic of Cyprus: agriculture 7.4%, industry 38.2%, services
  54.4% (2004 est.)
  north Cyprus: agriculture 14.5%, industry 29%, services 56.5% (2004
  est.)

Unemployment rate:
Republic of Cyprus: 4% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 5.6% (2004 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Republic of Cyprus: 2.6% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 9.1% (2004 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: Republic of Cyprus - $6.698 billion (2005 est.)
  expenditures: Republic of Cyprus - $7.122 billion (2005 est.)
  revenues: $685.7 million; north Cyprus - $231.3 million (2003 est.)
  expenditures: north Cyprus - $432.8 million (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry,
pork, lamb; dairy, cheese

Industries:
  tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum
  production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light
  chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products

Industrial production growth rate:
Republic of Cyprus: 0.4% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: -0.3% (2002
est.)

Electricity - production:
Republic of Cyprus: 3.801 billion kWh; north Cyprus: NA kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption: Republic of Cyprus: 3.535 billion kWh (2004); north Cyprus: NA kWh (2003)

Exports:
Republic of Cyprus: $1.237 billion f.o.b.; north Cyprus: $69
million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
Republic of Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement,
clothing and cigarettes; north Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, textiles

Imports:
Republic of Cyprus: $5.552 billion f.o.b.;; north Cyprus: $415.2
million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  Republic of Cyprus: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants,
  intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment; north Cyprus:
  vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery

Imports - partners:
Greece 17.3%, Italy 10.3%, UK 9%, Germany 8.4%, Israel 7.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Republic of Cyprus: $4.429 billion; north Cyprus $NA (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
Republic of Cyprus: $10.53 billion; north Cyprus: $NA (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
Republic of Cyprus - $NA; north Cyprus - $700 million from Turkey
in grants and loans, which are usually forgiven (2003-06)

Currency (code):
Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot pound (CYP); Turkish Cypriot area:
Turkish New lira (YTL)

Exchange rates:
  Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174
  (2003), 0.6107 (2002), 0.6431 (2001), Turkish lira per US dollar -
  1.36 (2005), 1.426 million (2004), 1.501 million (2003), 1.507
  million (2002), 1.226 million (2001)

Telephones - main lines in use:
Republic of Cyprus: 420,000 (2005); north Cyprus: 86,228 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
Republic of Cyprus: 718,800 (2005); north Cyprus: 143,178 (2002)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent in both Republic of Cyprus and north
  Cyprus areas
  domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish
  Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); tropospheric
  scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2
  Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations:
Republic of Cyprus: AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0
north Cyprus: AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)

Television broadcast stations:
Republic of Cyprus: 8
north Cyprus: 2 (plus 4 relay) (2004)

Televisions:
Greek Cypriot area: 248,000 (1997); Turkish Cypriot area: 52,300
(1994)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

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

Roadways:
  total: 14,496 km (Republic of Cyprus: 12,146 km; north Cyprus:
  2,350 km)
  paved: Republic of Cyprus: 7,845 km (including 276 km of
  expressways); north Cyprus: 1,370 km
  unpaved: Republic of Cyprus: 4,301 km; north Cyprus: 980 km
  (2005/1996 est.)

Merchant marine:
  total: 884 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,477,944 GRT/31,157,473 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 354, cargo 210, chemical tanker 44, container
  145, liquefied gas 8, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 23, petroleum
  tanker 64, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle
  carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 777 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 11, Croatia 2, Cuba
  2, Denmark 1, Estonia 6, Germany 214, Greece 337, Greenland 1, Hong
  Kong 1, India 5, Iran 2, Ireland 3, Israel 3, Italy 2, Japan 17,
  South Korea 1, Latvia 4, Netherlands 18, Norway 16, Philippines 1,
  Poland 20, Portugal 2, Russia 53, Singapore 1, Slovakia 1, Slovenia
  4, Spain 7, Sweden 3, Switzerland 4, Syria 3, UAE 11, UK 6, Ukraine
  4, US 7, unknown 1)
  registered in other countries: 87 (Bahamas 13, Belize 2, Cambodia
  12, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 1, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 3,
  Malta 15, Marshall Islands 15, Norway 2, Panama 14, Portugal 1,
  Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Turkey
  2) (2006)

Military branches:
  Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes
  air and naval elements); north Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security
  Force (GKK)

Manpower available for military service:
  Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
  males age 18-49: 184,352
  females age 18-49: 175,567 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
  males age 18-49: 150,750
  females age 18-49: 144,344 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
  males age 18-49: 6,578
  females age 18-49: 6,200 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous
  entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a
  Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the 1,000-strong UN
  Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since
  1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and south; March
  2003 reunification talks failed, but Turkish-Cypriots later opened
  their borders to temporary visits by Greek Cypriots; on 24 April
  2004, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities voted in
  simultaneous and parallel referenda on whether to approve the
  UN-brokered Annan Plan that would have ended the 30-year division of
  the island by establishing a new "United Cyprus Republic," a
  majority of Greek Cypriots voted "no"; on 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered
  the European Union still divided, with the EU's body of legislation
  and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the north

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 265,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced for
over 30 years) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Cyprus is primarily a destination country for a
  large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe,
  the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic for the purpose of
  sexual exploitation; traffickers continued to fraudulently recruit
  victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term
  "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or
  for illegal work on tourist or student visas; there were credible
  reports of female domestic workers from India, Sri Lanka, and the
  Philippines forced to work excessively long hours and denied proper
  compensation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cyprus does not fully comply with
  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and failed
  to show evidence of increasing efforts to address its serious
  trafficking for sexual exploitation problem; however, it is making
  significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and
  container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey;
  some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of
  anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money
  laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector
  remains weak

Background:
  Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and
  Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form
  Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders
  were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic
  minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and
  the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated
  Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968,
  an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's
  leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism
  with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year
  ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet
  authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a
  peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country
  underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the
  Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999
  and the European Union in 2004.

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,290.2 km
  border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8
  km, Slovakia 251.8 km

Terrain:
  Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus
  surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very
  hilly country

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

Environment - current issues: air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most
  significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional
  military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in
  central Europe

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.4% (male 755,098/female 714,703)
  15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,656,021/female 3,629,036)
  65 years and over: 14.5% (male 576,264/female 904,333) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.3 years
  male: 37.5 years
  female: 41.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.22 years
  male: 72.94 years
  female: 79.69 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%, unspecified
8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)

Literacy: definition: NA total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Czech Republic
  conventional short form: Czech Republic
  local long form: Ceska Republika
  local short form: Cesko

Capital:
  name: Prague
  geographic coordinates: 40 55 N, 21 00 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni
  mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky Kraj,
  Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj,
  Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Praha (Prague)*,
  Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj

Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia)

Legal system:
  civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to bring it in line
  with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
  obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March 2003)
  note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down
  from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years;
  parliament finally elected a successor on 28 February 2003 after two
  inconclusive elections in January 2003
  head of government: Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 4
  September 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 4 September
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); last successful election held 28
  February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003
  were inconclusive; next election to be held January 2008); prime
  minister appointed by the president
  election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February
  2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round;
  combined votes of both chambers of parliament)

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
  (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year
  terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
  Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 20-21 and 27-28 October
  2006 (next to be held October 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held
  2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - ODS 41, CSSD 12, KDU-CSL 10, others 15, independents 2;
  Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD
  32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by
  party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and deputy chairmen
are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL
  [Jan KASAL, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or ODA [Jirina
  NOVAKOVA, chairwoman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Mirek
  TOPOLANEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM
  [Vojtech FILIP, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD
  [Jiri PAROUBEK, chairman]; Freedom Union-Democratic Union or US-DEU
  [Jan HADRAVA, chairman]; Green Party [Martin BURSIK, chairman];
  Independent Democrats (NEZDEM) [Vladimir ZELEZNY, chairman]; Party
  of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel NOVACEK, chairman]; Path of Change
  [Jiri LOBKOWITZ, chairman]; SNK-European Democrats or SNK-ED [Jana
  HYBASKOVA, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Milan STECH]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI,
  CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member),
  FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF
  (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
  UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Petr KOLAR
  chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. GRABER
  embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [420] 257 022 000
  FAX: [420] 257 022 809

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue
  isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to the flag of
  the former Czechoslovakia)

Economy - overview:
  The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the
  post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. Growth in
  2000-05 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany,
  and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic investment. Domestic
  demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth
  as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and
  mortgages increases. The current account deficit has declined to
  around 3% of GDP as demand for Czech products in the European Union
  has increased. Inflation is under control. Recent accession to the
  EU gives further impetus and direction to structural reform. In
  early 2004 the government passed increases in the Value Added Tax
  (VAT) and tightened eligibility for social benefits with the
  intention to bring the public finance gap down to 4% of GDP by 2006,
  but more difficult pension and healthcare reforms will have to wait
  until after the next elections. Privatization of the state-owned
  telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom took place in 2005.
  Intensified restructuring among large enterprises, improvements in
  the financial sector, and effective use of available EU funds should
  strengthen output growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4% industry: 39.3% services: 57.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.1% industry: 37.6% services: 58.3% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.3% highest 10%: 22.4% (1996)

Budget:
  revenues: $48.16 billion
  expenditures: $53.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry

Industries:
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass,
armaments

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 76.1% hydro: 2.9% nuclear: 20% other: 1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%, raw materials
and fuel 9% (2003)

Exports - partners:
Germany 33.5%, Slovakia 8.7%, Austria 5.5%, Poland 5.5%, France
5.3%, UK 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials and fuels 15%,
chemicals 10% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Germany 30%, Russia 5.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, China 5.1%, Poland 5%,
Italy 4.8%, France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.8 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion
funds (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
koruny per US dollar - 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004), 28.209 (2003),
32.739 (2002), 38.035 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: privatization and modernization of the Czech
  telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily;
  growth in the use of mobile cellular telephones is particularly
  vigorous
  domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber
  systems now being enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
  (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals;
  trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1
  Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar

Airports - with paved runways: total: 46 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 49 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 9,572 km
  standard gauge: 9,473 km 1.435-m gauge (2,951 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 99 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 127,747 km
paved: 127,747 km (including 518 km of expressways) (2003)

Waterways:
664 km (principally on Elbe as well as Vltava and Oder rivers)
(2005)

Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1) (2006)

Military branches:
Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces Command (includes
air forces), Support and Training Forces Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18-50 years of age for voluntary military service; on-going transformation of military service into a fully professional, all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription began in January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by 2007 (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,414,728
females age 18-49: 2,329,412 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,996,631
females age 18-49: 1,923,508 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 66,583
females age 18-49: 63,363 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the restitution of
  Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech Republic
  confiscated in 1945 as German property; individual Sudeten Germans
  seek restitution for property confiscated in connection with their
  expulsion from Czechoslovakia after World War II; Austrian
  anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian
  border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in
  the Czech Republic

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit
  point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of
  synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money
  laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime

Background:
  Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European
  power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is
  participating in the general political and economic integration of
  Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973.
  However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the
  European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic
  and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues
  concerning certain justice and home affairs.

Location:
  Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a
  peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major
  islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)

Area:
  total: 43,094 sq km
  land: 42,394 sq km
  water: 700 sq km
  note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest
  of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major
  islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and
  Greenland

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m
highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel
and sand

Natural hazards:
  flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of
  Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are
  protected from the sea by a system of dikes

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions;
  nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and
  surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides

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

Geography - note:
  controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and
  North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater
  Copenhagen

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.7% (male 523,257/female 496,697)
  15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,815,240/female 1,787,406)
  65 years and over: 15.2% (male 355,656/female 472,405) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.8 years
  male: 38.9 years
  female: 40.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.79 years
  male: 75.49 years
  female: 80.22 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%,
Muslim 2%

Languages:
  Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small
  minority)
  note: English is the predominant second language

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
  conventional short form: Denmark
  local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
  local short form: Danmark

Capital:
  name: Copenhagen
  geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt) and 2
  boroughs* (amtskommuner, singular - amtskommune); Arhus, Bornholm,
  Frederiksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavn
  (Copenhagen)*, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde,
  Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg
  note: as a result of an extensive 2005 local government reform, with
  2006 being a transition year, 275 municipalities will be merged to
  99 by 1 January 2007, and the 14 counties will be reorganized into
  five regions

Independence:
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became
a constitutional monarchy

National holiday:
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally
viewed as the National Day

Constitution:
  5 June 1849 adoption of original constitution; a major overhaul of
  5 June 1953 allowed for a unicameral legislature and a female chief
  of state

Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir
  Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born 26
  May 1968)
  head of government: Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27
  November 2001)
  cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (179 seats, including 2
  from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are elected by
  popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 29%,
  Social Democrats 25.9%, Danish People's Party 13.2%, Conservative
  Party 10.3%, Social Liberal Party 9.2%, Socialist People's Party 6%,
  Unity List 3.4%; seats by party - Liberal Party 52, Social Democrats
  47, Danish People's Party 24, Conservative Party 18, Social Liberal
  Party 17, Socialist People's Party 11, Unity List 6; note - does not
  include the 2 seats from Greenland and the 2 seats from the Faroe
  Islands

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democrats (was Christian People's Party) [Bodil KORNBEK];
  Conservative Party (sometimes known as Conservative People's Party)
  [Bendt BENDTSEN]; Danish People's Party [Pia KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal
  Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Red-Green Unity List (bloc includes
  Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of Denmark, Socialist Workers'
  Party) [collective leadership]; Social Democratic Party [Helle
  THORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party (sometimes called the
  Radical Left) [Marianne JELVED, leader; Soren BALD, chairman];
  Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Friis Arne PETERSEN
  chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador James P. CAIN
  embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen
  mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716
  telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00
  FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23

Flag description:
  red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the
  vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side, and that
  design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently
  adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway,
  and Sweden

Economy - overview:
  This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech
  agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry,
  extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards,
  a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is
  a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance
  of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the
  bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The
  government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the
  economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase
  (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary
  Union (EMU), but Denmark has decided not to join 12 other EU members
  in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the
  euro. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn
  accelerated through 2005. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare
  benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish
  people enjoy living standards topped by no other nation. A major
  long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to
  retirees.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 24.6% services: 73.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 24% (2000 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $144 billion
  expenditures: $135 billion; including capital expenditures of $4.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing,
  machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing,
  electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products,
  shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical
  equipment

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 82.7% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 17.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products,
fish, chemicals, furniture, ships, windmills

Exports - partners:
Germany 17.5%, Sweden 13.2%, UK 8.8%, US 6.4%, France 5.5%,
Netherlands 5.3%, Norway 5.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for
industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
Germany 20.5%, Sweden 13.8%, Norway 6.6%, Netherlands 6.6%, UK 6%,
China 4.7%, France 4.2%, Italy 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877
(2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph services
  domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form
  trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems
  international: country code - 45; 18 submarine fiber-optic cables
  linking Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland,
  Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth
  stations - 6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat
  (Blaavand-Atlantic-East); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark,
  Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station
  and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (1997)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 64 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 61 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 12 km; gas 3,931 km; oil 626 km; oil/gas/water 2 km
(2006)

Railways:
total: 2,673 km
standard gauge: 2,673 km 1.435-m gauge (601 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 72,257 km
paved: 72,257 km (including 1,032 km of expressways) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 293 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,986,735 GRT/9,936,431 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 63, chemical tanker 48, container 86,
  liquefied gas 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo
  40, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 8,
  specialized tanker 4
  foreign-owned: 25 (Canada 1, Germany 13, Greece 5, Greenland 1,
  Norway 3, Sweden 1, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 409 (Antigua and Barbuda 14, Bahamas
  59, Belgium 4, Cayman Islands 5, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Estonia 2,
  France 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Gibraltar 1, Hong
  Kong 6, Isle of Man 53, North Korea 1, Liberia 8, Lithuania 10,
  Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 2, Netherlands 9, Netherlands
  Antilles 1, Norway 32, Panama 34, Portugal 4, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 14, Singapore 52, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 4, UK
  46, US 24, Vanuatu 6, Venezuela 3, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Aalborg, Aarhus, Asnaesvaerkets, Copenhagen, Elsinore, Ensted,
Esbjerg, Fredericia, Frederikshavn, Kalundborg, Odense, Roenne

Military branches:
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet,
Tactical Air Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from four to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,175,108
females age 18-49: 1,150,627 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 955,168
females age 18-49: 935,643 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 31,317
females age 18-49: 29,558 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line; Iceland,
  the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands'
  continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue to study
  proposals for full independence; uncontested sovereignty dispute
  with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between
  Ellesmere Island and Greenland

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

Environment - current issues:
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and
autumn

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

Population:
  no indigenous personnel
  note: approximately 2,200 military personnel are on the base; there
  are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military
  personnel or civilian staff on both the bases of Akrotiri and
  Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Military - note:
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by
a roadway

Background:
  The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in
  1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party
  state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among
  the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in
  2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels
  and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first
  multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of
  Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in
  2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth
  of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for
  goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present
  leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a
  significant military presence in the country, but is also developing
  stronger ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base
  in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on
  terrorism.

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between
Eritrea and Somalia

Land boundaries: total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m

Natural resources:
geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt,
diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the
Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land;
desertification; endangered species

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

Geography - note:
  strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to
  Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly
  wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.3% (male 105,760/female 105,068)
  15-64 years: 53.3% (male 135,119/female 124,367)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,183/female 8,033) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.2 years
  male: 18.7 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 43.17 years
  male: 41.86 years
  female: 44.52 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 67.9%
  male: 78%
  female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
  conventional short form: Djibouti
  local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
  local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
  former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Capital:
  name: Djibouti
  geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 15 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil,
Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

Legal system:
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and
Islamic law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4
  March 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2005 (next
  to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent
  of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats;
  members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
  elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held January 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats -
  RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic
  Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development
  Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration de
  l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress
  Assembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); Peoples
  Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican
  Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed Dini AHMED]; Union for
  Democracy and Justice or UDJ

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD,
  PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition
  coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed Dini AHMED]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine
  chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
  FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95 FAX: [253] 35 39 40

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with
  a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red
  five-pointed star in the center

Economy - overview:
  The economy is based on service activities connected with the
  country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in
  northeast Africa. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in the capital
  city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall
  limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must
  be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for
  the region and an international transshipment and refueling center.
  Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation
  is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help
  support its balance of payments and to finance development projects.
  An unemployment rate of at least 50% continues to be a major
  problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of
  the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value
  of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of
  payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the
  last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a high
  population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced
  with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen
  in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to
  meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.9% industry: 22.5% services: 59.6% (2001 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $135 million
  expenditures: $182 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1999 est.)

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

Imports - commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 21.7%, India 18.5%, China 10%, Ethiopia 4.8%, France
4.5%, US 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004),
177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002), 177.72 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti
  are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to
  outlying areas of the country
  domestic: microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 253; submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez,
  Sicily, Marseille, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations
  - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional
  microwave radio relay telephone network

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 10
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
  narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
  note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 95,328
females age 18-49: 87,795 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 46,020
females age 18-49: 42,181 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with
  "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to
  various factions in Somalia; thousands of Somali refugees await
  repatriation in UNHCR camps in Djibouti

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 17,331 (Somalia) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Djibouti is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and possibly forced labor; small numbers are trafficked
  from Ethiopia and Somalia for sexual exploitation; economic migrants
  from these countries also fall victim to trafficking upon reaching
  Djibouti City or the Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor; women and
  children from neighboring countries reportedly transit Djibouti to
  Arab countries and Somalia for ultimate use in forced labor or
  sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Djibouti does not fully comply with
  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
  it is making significant efforts to do so based partly on the
  government's commitments to undertake future action

Background:
  Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by
  Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs.
  France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the
  island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence,
  Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical
  administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the
  first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office
  for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are
  the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

Location:
  Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
  Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and
  Tobago

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be
expected during the late summer months

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

Geography - note:
  known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its
  spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected
  by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the
  Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and
  include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in
  the world

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,084/female 8,885)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 23,419/female 22,079)
  65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,186/female 3,257) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 30.1 years
  male: 29.8 years
  female: 30.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 13.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.87 years
  male: 71.95 years
  female: 77.93 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian

Religions:
Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), other 6%, none 2%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 94%
  male: 94%
  female: 94% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica

Capital:
  name: Roseau
  geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John,
  Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul,
  Saint Peter

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October
  2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8
  January 2004); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister
  Pierre CHARLES
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a
  five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held
  October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of
  legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21
  elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010);
  note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five
  years of the last election, but technically it is five years from
  the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace
  period
  election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.07%, UWP 43.6%,
  DFP 3.15%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1

Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal
  and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges
  must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary
  Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders:
  Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor
  Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or
  UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
  (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Judith Anne ROLLE, Third Secretary chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to
Barbados is accredited to Dominica

Flag description:
  green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical
  part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal
  part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center
  of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10
  green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent
  the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)

Economy - overview:
  The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas,
  and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and
  international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped
  precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP.
  Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote
  Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism
  industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged
  coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international
  airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the
  economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls,
  privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to
  address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order
  to diversify the island's production base, the government is
  attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning
  to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.7% industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2002 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $73.9 million
  expenditures: $84.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2001)

Agriculture - products: bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.1% hydro: 52.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
UK 26.2%, Jamaica 9.8%, South Korea 8.7%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.6%,
Guyana 7.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals

Imports - partners:
US 25.3%, China 20.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.3%, South Korea 7.1%,
Japan 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: fully automatic network
  international: country code - 1-767; microwave radio relay and SHF
  radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF
  radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Merchant marine:
  total: 48 ships (1000 GRT or over) 634,668 GRT/1,100,558 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 24, chemical tanker 4, container 2,
  petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1,
  vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 45 (Estonia 11, Germany 1, Greece 5, Latvia 1, Norway
  1, NZ 4, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 9, Syria 1, Turkey 3,
  UAE 2, Ukraine 2) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force
(includes coast guard)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 602 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's
  sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island
  nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human
  habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the
  Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive
  Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large
  portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe;
  minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak,
  making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering

Background:
  Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on his first voyage in
  1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish
  conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain
  recognized French dominion over the western third of the island,
  which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then
  known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821,
  but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally
  attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861,
  the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two
  years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865.
  A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed,
  capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from
  1930-1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962, but was deposed
  in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the United States led an
  intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to
  restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an
  election to become president. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on
  power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to
  flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then,
  regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition
  candidates have won the presidency. Former President (1996-2000)
  Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna won election to a second term in 2004
  following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve
  more than one term.

Location:
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between
the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 6 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal
variation in rainfall

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

Land use:
  arable land: 22.49%
  permanent crops: 10.26%
  other: 67.25% (2005)

Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs;
deforestation

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,531,145/female 1,464,076)
  15-64 years: 61.9% (male 2,902,098/female 2,782,608)
  65 years and over: 5.5% (male 235,016/female 269,041) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 24 years
  female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 28.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.73 years
  male: 70.21 years
  female: 73.33 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 84.7%
  male: 84.6%
  female: 84.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Dominican Republic
  conventional short form: The Dominican
  local long form: Republica Dominicana
  local short form: La Dominicana

Capital:
  name: Santo Domingo
  geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district*
  (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*,
  Duarte, El Seibo, Elias Pina, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia,
  La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor
  Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata,
  Salcedo, Samana, San Cristobal, San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San
  Pedro de Macoris, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez,
  Santo Domingo, Valverde

Legal system:
  based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in
  2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons
  regardless of age
  note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August
  2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16
  August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16
  August 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 16 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2008)
  election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ elected president; percent of
  vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ (PLD) 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez
  (PRD) 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA (PRSC) 8.7%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
  Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de
  Diputados (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in May
  2006); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be
  held in May 2006)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PRD 29, PLD 2, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of
  vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 73, PLD 41, PRSC 36

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the
  National Judicial Council comprised of the president, the leaders of
  both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and
  an additional non-governing party congressional representative)

Political parties and leaders:
  Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna];
  Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Ramon ALBURQUERQUE]; National
  Progressive Front [Vincent CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]; Social
  Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Enrique ATUN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective
  of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building
  and Justice (FINJUS)

International organization participation:
  ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA
  (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Flavio Dario ESPINAL Jacobo chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057 consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hans H. HERTELL embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500 telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171 FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437

Flag description:
  a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag
  into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red,
  and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of
  arms featuring a shield supported by an olive branch (left) and a
  palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield
  a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God,
  Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA
  appears on a red ribbon

Economy - overview:
  The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy that
  enjoyed strong GDP growth until 2003. Although the country has long
  been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco,
  in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the
  economy's largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade
  zones. Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major
  bank fraud, and limited growth in the US economy (the source of
  about 80% of export revenues), but recovered in 2004 and 2005. With
  the help of strict fiscal targets agreed in the 2004 renegotiation
  of an IMF standby loan, President FERNANDEZ has stabilized the
  country's financial situation. Although the economy continues to
  grow at a respectable rate, unemployment remains an important
  challenge. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the
  poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP,
  while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income. The
  Dominican Republic's development prospects improved with the
  ratification of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade
  Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in September 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.2% industry: 30.6% services: 58.2% (2003)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 17% industry: 24.3% services: 58.7% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 37.9% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.322 billion
  expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1
  billion (2005)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes,
corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

Industries:
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles,
cement, tobacco

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 92% hydro: 7.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats,
consumer goods

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals

Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831
(2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave
  radio relay network
  international: country code - 1-809; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 517 km
  standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
  note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m,
  0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,133,142
females age 18-49: 2,032,840 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,671,493
females age 18-49: 1,536,257 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 91,699
females age 18-49: 87,550 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find work

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
  and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the
  Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial
  money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor the
  Dominican Republic for illicit financial transactions

Background:
  The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early
  16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the
  Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which
  Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan
  occupied East Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial
  authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor
  declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and
  was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It
  was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of East
  Timor. An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the
  next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000
  individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised
  popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of East
  Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Between the referendum
  and the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force in late
  September 1999, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and
  supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale,
  scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed
  approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into
  West Timor as refugees. The majority of the country's
  infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply
  systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical
  grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led
  peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor
  (INTERFET) deployed to the country and brought the violence to an
  end. On 20 May 2002, East Timor was internationally recognized as an
  independent state.

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda
  Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note -
  East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the
  Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of
  Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Maritime claims: territorial sea: NA exclusive economic zone: NA continental shelf: NA exclusive fishing zone: NA

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m

Natural hazards:
floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical
cyclones

Environment - current issues:
widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to
deforestation and soil erosion

Geography - note:
  Timor comes from the Malay word for "East"; the island of Timor is
  part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of
  the Lesser Sunda Islands

Population: 1,062,777 note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.3% (male 196,293/female 189,956)
  15-64 years: 60.6% (male 328,111/female 315,401)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 16,072/female 16,944) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.8 years
  male: 20.8 years
  female: 20.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 45.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.03 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 39.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 66.26 years
  male: 63.96 years
  female: 68.67 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%, Buddhist,
Animist (1992 est.)

Languages:
  Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English
  note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole,
  Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 58.6%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
  conventional short form: East Timor
  local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum];
  Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
  local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
  former: Portuguese Timor

Capital:
  name: Dili
  geographic coordinates: 8 35 S, 125 36 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro
  (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los Palos),
  Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque

Independence:
  28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence from
  Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international
  recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia

Legal system:
  UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place
  but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese
  law; these have passed and are expected to be promulgated in early
  2006

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 20 May
  2002); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is
  able to veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national
  elections; he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO
  head of government: Prime Minister Jose RAMOS-HORTA (since 10 July
  2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Estanlislau Maria Alexio da SILVA
  (since 10 July 2006); Second Deputy Prime Minister Rui Maria do
  ARAUJO (since 10 July 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 April 2002 (next
  to be held in May 2007)
  election results: Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO elected president; percent
  of vote - Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO 82.7%, Francisco Xavier do AMARAL
  17.3%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary, minimum
  requirement of 52 and a maximum of 65 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - for its first term of
  office, the National Parliament is comprised of 88 members on an
  exceptional basis
  elections: (next to be held in May 2007); direct elections for
  national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the
  national convention adopted a constitution and named themselves
  legislators instead of having elections; hence the exceptional
  numbers for this term of the national parliament
  election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD
  8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT
  2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by
  party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT
  2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for one judge to be
  appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed by Superior
  Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court is established,
  Court of Appeals is highest court

Political parties and leaders:
  Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do
  AMARAL]; Christian Democratic Party of Timor or PDC [Antonio
  XIMENES]; Christian Democratic Union of Timor or UDC [Vicente da
  Silva GUTERRES]; Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO];
  People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front
  of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Francisco Guterres Lu OLO];
  Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO];
  Socialist Party of Timor or PST [Pedro da COSTA]; Sons of the
  Mountain Warriors (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes) or
  KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL]; Timor Democratic Union or UDT
  [Joao CARRASCALAO]; Timor Labor Party or PTT [Paulo Freitas DA
  SILVA]; Timorese Nationalist Party or PNT [Abilio ARAUJO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Popular Council for the Defense of the Democratic Republic of East
  Timor or CPD-RDTL [Antonio-Aitahan MATAK] is largest political
  pressure group; dissatisfied veterans of struggle against Indonesia,
  led by one-time government advisor Cornelio GAMA (also known as
  L-7), also play an important role in pressuring government

International organization participation:
  ACP, ARF, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF (observer), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Constancio
  PINTO
  chancery: 4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: 202 966-3202
  FAX: 202 966-3205
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Grover Joseph REES
  embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili
  mailing address: US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place,
  Washington, DC 20521-8250
  telephone: (670) 332-4684
  FAX: (670) 331-3206

Flag description:
  red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side)
  superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to
  the center of the flag; there is a white star in the center of the
  black triangle

Economy - overview:
  In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East
  Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence
  militias, and 300,000 people fled westward. Over the next three
  years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000
  peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to
  substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By the end
  of 2005, all refugees either returned or resettled in Indonesia.
  Non-petroleum GDP growth was held back in 2003 by extensive drought
  and the gradual winding down of the international presence but
  recovered somewhat in 2004. The country faces great challenges in
  continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure, strengthening the
  infant civil administration, and generating jobs for young people
  entering the work force. The development of oil and gas resources in
  nearby waters has begun to supplement government revenues ahead of
  schedule and above expectations - the result of high petroleum
  prices - but the technology-intensive industry does little to create
  jobs for the unemployed, because there are no production facilities
  in Timor and the gas is piped to Australia. The parliament in June
  2005 unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve
  as a repository for all petroleum revenues and preserve the value of
  East Timor's petroleum wealth for future generations.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 8.5%
  industry: 23.1%
  services: 68.4% (2001)

Unemployment rate:
50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached 20%; data
do not include underemployed (2001 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $107.7 million
  expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla

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

Exports - commodities:
coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla
exports

Internet country code:
.tl; note - ICANN approved the change from .tp in January 2005

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Military branches:
East Timor Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, FDTL):
Army, Navy (Armada) (2005)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 235,198
females age 18-49: 223,069 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 179,422
females age 18-49: 184,533 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 12,740
females age 18-49: 12,438 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) has maintained about
  1,000 peacekeepers in East Timor since 2002; East Timor-Indonesia
  Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey, and delimit the land
  boundary, but several sections of the boundary especially around the
  Oekussi enclave remain unresolved; Indonesia and East Timor contest
  the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Pulau Batek/Fatu
  Sinai, which prevents delimitation of the northern maritime
  boundaries; many refugees who left East Timor in 2003 still reside
  in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Australia and East Timor
  agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for 50
  years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint
  Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty;
  dispute with Australia has hampered creation of a southern maritime
  boundary with Indonesia

Background:
  What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until
  the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish
  colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New
  Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada
  (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence by 1819
  and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew
  in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic
  of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in
  a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru
  that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25
  years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by
  political instability. Seven presidents have governed Ecuador since
  1996.

Location:
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator,
between Colombia and Peru

Area:
  total: 283,560 sq km
  land: 276,840 sq km
  water: 6,720 sq km
  note: includes Galapagos Islands

Land boundaries: total: 2,010 km border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath

Climate:
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations;
tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Terrain:
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and
flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods;
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution;
  pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas
  of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 33% (male 2,281,499/female 2,195,551)
  15-64 years: 61.9% (male 4,178,653/female 4,210,766)
  65 years and over: 5% (male 319,719/female 361,322) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23.6 years
  male: 23.1 years
  female: 24 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 22.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.42 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.42 years
  male: 73.55 years
  female: 79.43 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish
and others 7%, black 3%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.5%
  male: 94%
  female: 91% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
  conventional short form: Ecuador
  local long form: Republica del Ecuador
  local short form: Ecuador

Capital:
  name: Quito
  geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  22 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar,
  Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos,
  Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo,
  Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages
18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005);
  Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government; former President Lucio GUTIERREZ was removed from office
  by congress effective 20 April 2005
  head of government: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005);
  Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
  ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve
  consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff
  election scheduled for 26 November 2006 (next to be held October
  2010)
  election results: results of the 15 October 2006 election; percent
  of vote - Alvaro NOBOA 26.8%; Rafael CORREA 22.8%; Gilmar GUTIERREZ
  17.4%; Leon ROLDOS Aguilera 14.8%; Cynthia VITERI 9.6%; note - a
  runoff election will be held 26 November 2006 between NOBOA and
  CORREA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats;
  members are popularly elected by province to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 October 2002 (next to be held October 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PSC 25, ID 16, PRE 15, PRIAN 10, PSP 9, Pachakutik Movement 6, MPD
  5, DP 4, PS-FA 3, independents 7; note - defections by members of
  National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in
  the numbers of seats held by the various parties

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to the Constitution, new
  justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in December 2004,
  however, Congress successfully replaced the entire court via a
  simple-majority resolution)

Political parties and leaders:
  Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
  Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI]; National Action
  Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik
  Movement [Gilberto TALAHUA]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio
  GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel
  FUERTES]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta];
  Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist
  Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian
  Party or PSC [Leon FEBRES CORDERO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or
  PS-FA [Victor GRANDA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE
  [Luis MACAS, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F.
  Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or
  FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of Indigenous
  Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ,
  president]

International organization participation:
  CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH,
  NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200 FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito mailing address: APO AA 34039 telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890 FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052 consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red
  with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag;
  similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear
  a coat of arms

Economy - overview:
  Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources, which have accounted
  for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-third of central
  government budget revenues in recent years. Consequently,
  fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic
  impact. In the late 1990s, Ecuador suffered its worst economic
  crisis, with natural disasters and sharp declines in world petroleum
  prices driving Ecuador's economy into free fall in 1999. Real GDP
  contracted by more than 6%, with poverty worsening significantly.
  The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its
  external debt later that year. The currency depreciated by some 70%
  in 1999, and, on the brink of hyperinflation, the MAHAUD government
  announced it would dollarize the economy. A coup, however, ousted
  MAHAUD from office in January 2000, and after a short-lived junta
  failed to garner military support, Vice President Gustavo NOBOA took
  over the presidency. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of
  structural reforms that also provided the framework for the adoption
  of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the
  economy, and growth returned to its pre-crisis levels in the years
  that followed. Under the administration of Lucio GUTIERREZ - January
  2003 to April 2005 - Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum
  prices. However, the government under Alfredo PALACIO has reversed
  economic reforms that reduced Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum
  price swings and financial crises, allowing the central government
  greater access to oil windfalls and disbursing surplus retirement
  funds.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 31.2% services: 61.8% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2%
  highest 10%: 32%
  note: data for urban households only (October 2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42
note: data are for urban households (2003)

Budget:
  revenues: $8.822 billion
  expenditures: planned $8.153 billion; including capital expenditures
  of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca),
  plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy
  products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81% hydro: 19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
vehicles, medicinal products, telecommunications equipment,
electricity

Imports - partners:
US 22.3%, Colombia 14.9%, Venezuela 7.8%, Brazil 6%, China 5.3%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
25,000 (2005), 25,000 (2004), 25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002), 25,000
(2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
  domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
  international: country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 98 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 261 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 228 (2006)

Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 578 km; gas 71 km; oil 1,386 km; refined products
1,185 km (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 31 ships (1000 GRT or over) 184,819 GRT/300,339 DWT
  by type: chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 7, petroleum
  tanker 21, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 1, Paraguay 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard),
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month service
obligation (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,792,770
females age 20-49: 2,849,519 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,338,428
females age 20-49: 2,380,327 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 133,922
females age 20-49: 129,758 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across
  Ecuador's shared border and caused over 20,000 refugees to flee into
  Ecuador in 2004

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 8,270 (Colombia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and
  Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit
  narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug
  traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak
  anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern
  frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents

Background:
  The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled
  with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west,
  allowed for the development of one of the world's great
  civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series
  of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last
  native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were
  replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who
  introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who
  ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the
  Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the
  conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the
  completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important
  world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt.
  Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of
  Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman
  Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in
  1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The
  completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake
  Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the
  agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the
  largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on
  the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The
  government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium
  through economic reform and massive investment in communications and
  physical infrastructure.

Location:
  Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and
  the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the
  Asian Sinai Peninsula

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,665 km
  border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km,
  Sudan 1,273 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone,
gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Natural hazards:
  periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides;
  hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms,
  sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
  agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands;
  increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification;
  oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats;
  other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and
  industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources
  away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid
  growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
  remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link
  between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition
  to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
  dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues;
  prone to influxes of refugees

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 13,172,641/female 12,548,346)
  15-64 years: 62.9% (male 25,102,754/female 24,519,698)
  65 years and over: 4.5% (male 1,510,280/female 2,033,288) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24 years
  male: 23.6 years
  female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 31.33 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.29 years
  male: 68.77 years
  female: 73.93 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Egyptian 98%, Berber, Nubian, Bedouin, and Beja 1%, Greek,
Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated
classes

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 57.7%
  male: 68.3%
  female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
  conventional short form: Egypt
  local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
  local short form: Misr
  former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

Capital:
  name: Cairo
  geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last
  Thursday in September

Administrative divisions:
  26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah,
  Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al
  Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al
  Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, As Suways, Ash Sharqiyah,
  Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash
  Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj

Legal system:
  based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes;
  judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees
  validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October
  1981)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term (no
  term limits); note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a
  constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a
  multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was nominated
  by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a
  national, popular referendum; last referendum held 26 September
  1999; first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7
  September 2005; next election scheduled for 2011
  election results: Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote
  - Hosni MUBARAK 88.6%, Ayman NOUR 7.6%, Noman GOMAA 2.9%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis
  al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by
  the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory
  Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative
  role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the
  president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half
  of the elected members)
  elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7 and
  20 November, 1 December 2005;(next to be held November-December
  2010); Advisory Council - last held May-June 2004 (next to be held
  May-June 2007)
  election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - NDP 311, NWP 6, Tagammu 2, Tomorrow Party 1,
  independents 112 (12 seats to be determined by rerun elections, 10
  seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - NA

Political parties and leaders:
  National Democratic Party or NDP [Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (governing
  party)]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat
  EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP [Mahmoud ABAZA]; Tomorrow Party
  [Naji AL-GHATRIFI]
  note: formation of political parties must be approved by the
  government

Political pressure groups and leaders: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes Hosni MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK tolerated limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two terms, but moved more aggressively since then to block its influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms; trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, COMESA,
  EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
  OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
  UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nabil FAHMY
  chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr.
  embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo
  mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900
  telephone: [20] (2) 797-3300
  FAX: [20] (2) 797-3200

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the
  national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with
  a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name
  of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is
  based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria,
  which has two green stars, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus
  an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white
  band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band

Economy - overview:
  Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is
  bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic
  activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has
  reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President
  NASSER. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF reduced personal and
  corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized
  several enterprises. The stock market boomed, and GDP grew nearly
  5%. Despite these achievements, the government has failed to raise
  living standards for the average Egyptian, and has had to continue
  providing subsidies for basic necessities. The subsidies have
  contributed to a growing budget deficit - more than 8% of GDP in
  2005 - and represent a significant drain on the economy. Foreign
  direct investment remains low. To achieve higher GDP growth the
  NAZIF government will need to continue its aggressive pursuit of
  reform, especially in the energy sector. Egypt's export sectors -
  particularly natural gas - have bright prospects.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.9% industry: 35.7% services: 49.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 32% industry: 17% services: 51% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.4% highest 10%: 25% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $20.29 billion
  expenditures: $27.68 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.7
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water
buffalo, sheep, goats

Industries:
textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81% hydro: 19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products,
chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 13.4%, Italy 9.4%, Spain 7.7%, Syria 5.7%, Germany 4.9%, France
4.9%, UK 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels

Imports - partners:
US 10.6%, Germany 7%, China 6.5%, France 6.3%, Italy 5.7%, Saudi
Arabia 4.8% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Egyptian pounds per US dollar - 5.78 (2005), 6.1962 (2004), 5.8509
(2003), 4.4997 (2002), 3.973 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: large system; underwent extensive upgrading
  during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and cellular
  service are available
  domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
  Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
  microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 20; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1
  Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan;
  microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 72
  over 3,047 m: 13
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 38
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 16
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Pipelines:
  condensate 464 km; condensate/gas 94 km; gas 6,021 km; liquid
  petroleum gas 897 km; oil 5,120 km; oil/gas/water 36 km; refined
  products 897 km (2006)

Railways: total: 5,063 km standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2005)

Waterways:
  3,500 km
  note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,
  and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including
  approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m
  (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 76 ships (1000 GRT or over) 987,524 GRT/1,467,139 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 33, container 2, passenger/cargo 5,
  petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 9
  foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 2)
  registered in other countries: 49 (Bolivia 2, Cambodia 8, Georgia 8,
  Honduras 4, North Korea 2, Panama 16, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 3, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Sierra Leone
  1, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for conscript military service; three-year service
obligation (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,347,560
females age 18-49: 17,683,904 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,540,234
females age 18-49: 14,939,378 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 802,920
females age 18-49: 764,176 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the two triangular
  areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along
  the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt
  is developing the Hala'ib Triangle north of the Treaty line; since
  the attack on Taba and other Egyptian resort towns on the Red Sea in
  October 2004, Egypt vigilantly monitors the Sinai and borders with
  Israel and the Gaza Strip; Egypt does not extend domestic asylum to
  some 70,000 persons who identify themselves as Palestinians but who
  largely lack UNRWA assistance and, until recently, UNHCR recognition
  as refugees

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 70,245 (Palestinian Territories)
14,904 (Sudan) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Egypt is a transit country for women trafficked
  from Eastern Europe to Israel for the purpose of sexual
  exploitation; these women generally arrive as tourists and are
  subsequently trafficked through the Sinai Desert by Bedouin tribes;
  men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are believed to be
  trafficked through the Sinai Desert to Israel and Europe for labor
  exploitation; some Egyptian children from rural areas are trafficked
  within the country to work as domestic servants or laborers in the
  agriculture industry
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Egypt is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to
  address trafficking over the past year, particularly in the area of
  law enforcement

Illicit drugs:
  transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and
  opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for
  Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax
  enforcement of financial regulations

Background:
  El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the
  Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost
  about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the
  government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for
  military and political reforms.

Location:
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Guatemala and Honduras

Land boundaries: total: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to
April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Land use:
  arable land: 31.37%
  permanent crops: 11.88%
  other: 56.75% (2005)

Natural hazards:
  known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive
  earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to
  hurricanes

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

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

Geography - note:
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline
on Caribbean Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.3% (male 1,265,080/female 1,212,216)
  15-64 years: 58.5% (male 1,900,372/female 2,092,251)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 156,292/female 196,167) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.8 years
  male: 20.7 years
  female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 24.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.49 years
  male: 67.88 years
  female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
  note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout
  the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million
  Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador

Literacy:
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 80.2%
  male: 82.8%
  female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
  conventional short form: El Salvador
  local long form: Republica de El Salvador
  local short form: El Salvador

Capital:
  name: San Salvador
  geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
  Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz,
  La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana,
  Sonsonate, Usulutan

Legal system:
based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June
  2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1
  June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 21
  March 2004 (next to be held March 2009)
  election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president;
  percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik
  HANDAL (FMLN) 35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats;
  members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the
Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER, secretary
  general]; Democratic Convergence or CD (formerly United Democratic
  Center or CDU) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Farabundo Marti
  National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ, coordinator
  general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA,
  president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio
  SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene
  AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar
  HERNANDEZ Carcamo, coordinator general]

Political pressure groups and leaders: labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS,
  OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
  chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey),
  Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales
  (Arizona), Santa Ana (California), San Francisco, Washington, DC
  consulate(s): Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 2278-4444 FAX: [503] 2278-5522

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
  the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
  arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL
  SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua,
  which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it
  features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on
  top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of
  Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern
  centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third
  largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years. Hoping
  to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is striving to
  open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize
  the tax and healthcare systems. Implementation in 2006 of the
  Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which El
  Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed as a key policy to help
  achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has been offset by
  annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16.6% of GDP in
  2005 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as its
  currency in 2001, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy
  and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.9% industry: 30.2% services: 59.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 17.1% industry: 17.1% services: 65.8% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
6.5% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2005
est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.84 billion
  expenditures: $3.167 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef,
dairy products; shrimp

Industries:
food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer,
textiles, furniture, light metals

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44% hydro: 30.9% nuclear: 0% other: 25.1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles,
chemicals, electricity

Exports - partners:
US 61%, Guatemala 12.1%, Honduras 7.4%, Nicaragua 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs,
petroleum, electricity

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
  international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
  System

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 71
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 14
  under 914 m: 56 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 283 km
  narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
  note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by
  disuse and lack of maintenance (2005)

Military branches:
Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month
service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,391,278
females age 18-49: 1,542,323 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 960,315
females age 18-49: 1,310,466 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 70,286
females age 18-49: 69,526 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the
  delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El
  Salvador-Honduras boundary, but despite Organization of American
  States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full
  demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling
  advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf
  of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador
  continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ
  decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana
produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise

Background:
  Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of
  Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus
  five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African
  continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the
  country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although
  nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002
  presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative
  elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost
  total control over the political system and has discouraged
  political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid
  economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves,
  and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest
  oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil
  production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in
  recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's
  living standards.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and
Gabon

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum,
sand and gravel, clay

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989)
  15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.8 years
  male: 18.2 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 49.54 years
  male: 48 years
  female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups:
Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily
Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Religions:
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan
practices

Languages:
Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi,
Ibo

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.7%
  male: 93.3%
  female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
  conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
  local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee
  equatoriale
  local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale
  former: Spanish Guinea

Capital:
  name: Malabo
  geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko
Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Constitution:
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January
1995

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
  MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA
  (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono
  NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be
  held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers
  appointed by the president
  election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president;
  percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino
  Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de
  Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PDGE 98, CPDS 2
  note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all
  executive authority in the president

Political parties and leaders:
  Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO
  Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro
  OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Party for Progress of
  Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of
  Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP
  [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP
  [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI
  [Daniel OYONO]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
  OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
  WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO
  chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
  FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to
  Equatorial Guinea
  embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note
  - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries
  should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
  mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US
  Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
  telephone: [237] 220 15 00
  FAX: [237] 220 16 20

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
  blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms
  centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow
  six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore
  islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below
  which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity,
  Peace, Justice)

Economy - overview:
  The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have
  contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry,
  farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence
  farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea
  counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect
  of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished
  potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its
  intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number
  of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been
  cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No
  longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil
  revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow"
  fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses,
  for the most part, are owned by government officials and their
  family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron
  ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong
  in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest
  per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 3%
  industry: 90.6%
  services: 6.2% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $1.973 billion
  expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 94.3% hydro: 5.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.5%,
Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005)

Imports - partners:
US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d'Ivoire
8.7%, UK 7% (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poor system with adequate government services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 240; international communications from
  Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
  station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

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

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 104,563
females age 18-49: 109,923 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 56,462
females age 18-49: 59,260 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of
  Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of
  Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an
  island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined maritime
  coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi
  allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been
  pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the
  sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a
  maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Equatorial Guinea is a transit and destination
  country for women and children trafficked for forced labor,
  involuntary domestic servitude, and commercial sexual exploitation
  from surrounding countries - primarily Benin, Nigeria, Mali, and
  Cameroon; victims work in the agricultural and commercial sectors of
  Malabo and Bata, where demand is high due to a booming oil sector;
  children work as farmhands, street vendors, or household servants;
  girls and women are also trafficked for commercial sexual
  exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Equatorial Guinea is placed on the
  Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide adequate evidence of
  concrete measures to address trafficking over the past year

Background:
  Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation.
  Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later
  sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with
  Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was
  overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year
  border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN
  auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping
  operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on
  the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to
  resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final
  demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.

Land boundaries: total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Climate:
  hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the
  central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June
  to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Terrain:
  dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands,
  descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest
  to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of
infrastructure from civil warfare

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping
  lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the
  Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955)
  15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.8 years
  male: 17.6 years
  female: 18 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 59.03 years
  male: 57.44 years
  female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3%, other 3%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 58.6%
  male: 69.9%
  female: 47.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: State of Eritrea
  conventional short form: Eritrea
  local long form: Hagere Ertra
  local short form: Ertra
  former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Government type:
  transitional government
  note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
  Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
  Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
  Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
  Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
  constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
  transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
  did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
  elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December
  2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal
  party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Capital:
  name: Asmara (Asmera)
  geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern),
  Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel
  (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Constitution:
a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced
by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented

Legal system:
  primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions;
  new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been
  promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted
  laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
  head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
  cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority;
  members appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8
  June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did
  not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)
  election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of
  National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not
  established)
  elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new
  constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old
  Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member
  Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss
  and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans
  living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to
  serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections
  to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of
  the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution
  stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the
  National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible
  voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were
  postponed indefinitely

Judicial branch:
High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have
military and special courts

Political parties and leaders:
  People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party
  recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National
  Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January
  2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on
  it

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic
  Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement));
  Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa
  Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed];
  Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS,
  ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean
  Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam
  chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
  consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI
  embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara
  mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
  telephone: [291] (1) 120004
  FAX: [291] (1) 127584

Flag description:
  red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag
  into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one
  is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on
  the hoist side of the red triangle

Economy - overview:
  Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the
  economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the
  economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on
  subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in
  farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely
  hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to
  -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern
  Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss,
  including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The
  attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive
  region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war,
  Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new
  roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and
  bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm
  grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and
  party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda.
  Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists
  from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding
  down growth in 2002-05. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its
  ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment,
  and low skills, as well as the willingness to open its economy to
  private enterprise so that the diaspora's money and expertise can
  foster economic growth.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 10.2%
  industry: 25.4%
  services: 64.3% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $248.8 million
  expenditures: $409.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal;
livestock, goats; fish

Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt, cement,
commercial ship repair

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

Exports - commodities:
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)

Exports - partners:
Italy 39.3%, US 14.9%, Belarus 7.3%, Germany 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)

Imports - partners:
Germany 22.2%, Italy 20.3%, France 15.9%, US 12.8%, Ireland 8.2%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878
(2003), 13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate
  domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is
  seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
  international: country code - 291; note - international connections
  exist

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 13 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWT
  by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll
  off 1 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 16 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 893,361
females age 18-49: 891,662 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 555,553
females age 18-49: 562,426 (2005)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 50,156
females age 18-49: 49,746 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea
  Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite
  international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations, and
  armed posturing have prevented demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to
  withdraw to the delimited boundary until claimed technical errors
  made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed,
  including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war;
  Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately
  without modifications; in 2005 Eritrea began severely restricting
  the operations of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and
  Eritrea (UNMEE) monitoring the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in
  Eritrea since 2000; Sudan sustains over 110,000 Eritrean refugees
  and accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 59,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs
are near the central border region) (2005)

Background:
  After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule,
  Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into
  the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse
  of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994,
  Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with
  Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland,
between Latvia and Russia

Area:
  total: 45,226 sq km
  land: 43,211 sq km
  water: 2,015 sq km
  note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with
  neighboring states

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m

Natural resources:
oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite,
arable land, sea mud

Environment - current issues:
  air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power
  plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to
  the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less
  than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to
  water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; in
  connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the
  pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400
  natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural
  areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain
  locations

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore
lie more than 1,500 islands

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.2% (male 103,367/female 97,587)
  15-64 years: 67.6% (male 427,043/female 468,671)
  65 years and over: 17.2% (male 75,347/female 152,318) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.3 years
  male: 35.8 years
  female: 42.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.04 years
  male: 66.58 years
  female: 77.83 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%,
Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)

Religions:
  Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian
  (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic,
  Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%,
  none 6.1% (2000 census)

Languages:
Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%
(2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.8%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
  conventional short form: Estonia
  local long form: Eesti Vabariik
  local short form: Eesti
  former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Tallinn
  geographic coordinates: 59 25 N, 24 45 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn),
  Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa
  (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa
  (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare),
  Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa
  (Voru)
  note: counties have the administrative center name following in
  parentheses

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 is
  the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20
  August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet
  Union

Legal system:
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October
  2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
  approved by Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure
  two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the
  Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus
  members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between
  the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election
  last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held fall of 2011); prime
  minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
  election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23
  September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received
  174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left
  blank or invalid

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected
  by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party of Estonia
  25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Estonian Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian
  People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3%
  People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Res Publica 26, Center
  Party 20, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria
  Union 7, Social Democrats (formerly People's Party Moodukad) 6,
  non-affiliated (Social Liberals and independents) 10

Political parties and leaders:
  Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman];
  Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN, chairman];
  Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian
  United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG, chairman];
  Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or
  Moderates) [Ivari PADAR, chairman]; Social Liberals (group of eight
  parliamentarians, former Center Party members) [Peeter KREITZBERG];
  Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit)
  [Tonis LUKAS and Taavi VESKIMAGI, co-chairman]

International organization participation:
  Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new
  member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Juri LUIK
  chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aldona Zofia WOS
  embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [372] 668-8100
  FAX: [372] 668-8134

Flag description:
pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal
horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

Economy - overview:
  Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization and the
  European Union, has transitioned effectively to a modern market
  economy with strong ties to the West, including the pegging of its
  currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics
  and telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced by
  developments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major trading
  partners. The current account deficit remains high; however, the
  state budget is essentially in balance, and public debt is low.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 29.4% services: 66.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 28.5% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $4.91 billion
  expenditures: $4.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish

Industries:
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile;
information technology, telecommunications

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food
products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)

Exports - partners:
Finland 26.5%, Sweden 12.9%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%, Germany
6.2%, Lithuania 4.8% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles
10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)

Imports - partners:
Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.8%, Russia 9.4%, Sweden 8.8%, Lithuania
6.1%, Latvia 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
krooni per US dollar - 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003),
16.612 (2002), 17.478 (2001), note - the krooni is pegged to the euro

Telephone system:
  general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint
  business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial
  fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in
  the digital mode; Internet services are available throughout most of
  the country
  domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet
  services is available throughout the country
  international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland,
  Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched
  service; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 12
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 12
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 56,849 km
  paved: 13,303 km (including 99 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 45,546 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 388,723 GRT/98,393 DWT
  by type: cargo 7, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2)
  registered in other countries: 72 (Antigua and Barbuda 12, Bahamas
  1, Belize 3, Cyprus 6, Dominica 11, Isle of Man 2, Liberia 1, Malta
  4, Norway 1, Panama 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  25, Slovakia 1, Vanuatu 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Volunteer
Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28; conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17 years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60 (2006)

Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 291,696 females age 18-49: 304,961 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 200,382 (in 2004, 51% of the young men called up for service were determined to be unfit; main obstacles to conscription were psychiatric and behavioral) females age 18-49: 250,351 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 11,146
females age 18-49: 10,605 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2005, Russia refuses to sign the 1996 technical border agreement
  with Estonia when Estonia prepares a unilateral declaration
  referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands
  better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia;
  Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the
  boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the
  now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within
  Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
  border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia
  and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western
  Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to
  Scandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem; possible
  precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking; potential money
  laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a
  concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds

Background:
  Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy
  maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the
  1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a military
  junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since
  1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups,
  uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the
  regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces,
  the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A
  constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty
  elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the
  1990's ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Final demarcation
  of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to
  an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender
  territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,328 km
  border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km,
  Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m

Natural resources:
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas,
hydropower

Natural hazards:
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water
  shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor
  management

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the
  de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the
  chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk
  (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to
  have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean

Population:
  74,777,981
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.7% (male 16,373,718/female 16,280,766)
  15-64 years: 53.6% (male 19,999,482/female 20,077,014)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 929,349/female 1,117,652) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.8 years
  male: 17.7 years
  female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is
  expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and
  Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine
  in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 93.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 103.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 83.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 49.03 years
  male: 47.86 years
  female: 50.24 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali
6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Languages:
Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other
local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 42.7%
  male: 50.3%
  female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
  conventional short form: Ethiopia
  local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
  local short form: Ityop'iya
  former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
  abbreviation: FDRE

Capital:
  name: Addis Ababa
  geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2
  self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular -
  astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara),
  Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples),
  Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali),
  Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations,
  Nationalities and Peoples)

Independence:
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the
world - at least 2,000 years

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August
  1995)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
  constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
  approved by the House of People's Representatives
  elections: president elected by the House of People's
  Representatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held October 2007);
  prime minister designated by the party in power following
  legislative elections
  election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of
  vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper
  chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve
  five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lower
  chamber (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote
  from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPRDF 327,
  CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1,
  others 6, undeclared 2
  note: irregularities at some polling stations necessitated the
  rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies

Judicial branch:
  Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the
  Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and
  appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other
  federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
  Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal
  Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders:
  Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People's
  Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for
  Unity and Democracy or CUD [HAILU Shawel]; Ethiopian People's
  Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance
  of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's
  Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopean People's
  Democratic Front or SEPDF, and TigrAyan Peoples' Liberation Front or
  TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo
  Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Somali
  People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethopian Democratic Forces
  or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; dozens of small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF; Oromo
  Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]; Oromo National Liberation
  Front or ONLF

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA
  chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
  FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
  consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Vicki
  HUDDLESTON
  embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
  telephone: [251] (1) 517-4000
  FAX: [251] (1) 517-4888

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a
  yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles
  between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands;
  Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three
  main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African
  countries upon independence that they became known as the
  pan-African colors

Economy - overview:
  Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture,
  accounting for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total
  employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought
  and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian
  economy with exports of some $156 million in 2002, but historically
  low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement
  income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have
  buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November
  2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted
  Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the
  International Monetary Fund voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the
  body. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all
  land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system
  continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs
  are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again
  late in 2002, leading to a 2% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather
  patterns late in 2003 helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in
  2004-05.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 47.5% industry: 9.9% services: 42.6% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 33.7% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.338 billion
  expenditures: $2.88 billion; including capital expenditures of $788
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat,
cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Industries:
food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals
processing, cement

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.3% hydro: 97.6% nuclear: 0% other: 1.2% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds

Exports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Djibouti 6.8%, Switzerland 6.4%, Italy 5.9%, US
5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 14.7%, China 12.6%, US 12.4%, **COUNTRY** 9.6%, India
6.7%, Italy 4.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  birr per US dollar - 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004), 8.5997 (2003),
  8.5678 (2002), 8.4575 (2001)
  note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily
  basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate for government use
  domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
  the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide
  the national trunk service
  international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
  microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth
  stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 70 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti
  railroad)
  narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
  note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 79,441 GRT/97,669 DWT
by type: cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Ethiopia is landlocked and has used ports of Assab and Massawa in
Eritrea and port of Djibouti

Military branches:
  Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian
  Air Force
  note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the
  secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in
  Eritrean possession

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 14,568,277
females age 18-49: 14,482,885 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 8,072,755
females age 18-49: 7,902,660 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 803,777
females age 18-49: 801,789 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia
  Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but mutual
  animosities, accusations, and armed posturing prevail, preventing
  demarcation despite international intervention; Ethiopia refuses to
  withdraw to the delimited boundary until technical errors made by
  the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the
  award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that
  the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications;
  Ethiopia has only an administrative line and no international border
  with the Oromo region of southern Somalia where it maintains
  alliances with local clans in opposition to the unrecognized Somali
  Interim Government in Mogadishu; "Somaliland" secessionists provide
  port facilities and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; efforts to
  demarcate the porous boundary with Sudan have been delayed by civil
  war

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 90,451 (Sudan) 16,470 (Somalia) 8,719
  (Eritrea)
  IDPs: 132,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic
  clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces)
  (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia
  and destined for Europe and North America, as well as cocaine
  destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for
  local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia
  (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed
  financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering
  center

Preliminary statement:
  The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic
  agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's
  supranational organization of 25 countries across the European
  continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of
  history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the
  norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were
  arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the
  Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number
  of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching
  entity is truly unique. Although the EU is not a federation in the
  strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as
  ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes
  associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding
  date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and
  security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future,
  many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded.
  Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed
  appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook.
  However, because of the EU's special status, this description is
  placed after the regular country entries.

Background: Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris. The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since. In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to 15. A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 rejected the proposed constitution. This development suspended the ratification effort and left the longer-term political integration of the EU in limbo.

Location:
Europe between Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, southeastern Europe, and
the North Atlantic Ocean

Land boundaries:
  total: 11,214.8 km
  border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050
  km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein
  34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania
  443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 151 km,
  Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km
  note: data for European Continent only

Climate:
cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate;
mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south

Terrain:
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the
central and southern areas

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands
  -7 m
  highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border
  between France and Italy

Natural resources:
iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead,
zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish

Natural hazards:
  flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes
  in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in
  Spain; ice floes in the Baltic

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical
  Timber 94
  signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)
  15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)
  65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: NA
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.3 years
  male: 75.1 years
  female: 81.6 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
  Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German,
  Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish,
  Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official
  languages are listed; Irish (Gaelic) will become the 21st language
  on 1 January 2007

Capital:
  name: Brussels (Belgium)
  geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the
  European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of
  Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg

Member states:
  25 countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
  Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
  Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
  Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - Canary Islands
  (Spain), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), French Guyana, Guadeloupe,
  Martinique, and Reunion (France) are sometimes listed separately
  even though they are legally a part of Spain, Portugal, and France;
  candidate countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey

Independence:
7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1
November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)

National holiday:
Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that
Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of an organized Europe

Constitution:
  based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up
  the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties
  of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the
  European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single
  European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in
  1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in
  2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October
  2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either
  by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled
  to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch
  referenda in May-June 2005 caused a suspension of the ratification
  process

Executive branch:
  chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel
  DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)
  cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each
  member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
  areas)
  elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by
  member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other
  Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire
  Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004
  (next to be held 2009)
  election results: European Parliament approved the European
  Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions
  note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
  government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
  least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major
  political issues relating to European integration and to issue
  general policy guidelines

Legislative branch:
  Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321
  votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states'
  population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of
  the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member
  states by proportion to population); members elected by direct
  universal suffrage for a five-year term
  elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED
  268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN
  27, independents 28

Judicial branch:
  Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the
  treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 justices (one
  from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for
  the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as
  the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed
  for a six-year term

Political parties and leaders:
  Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or
  EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats
  or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals
  and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Group of
  Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and
  Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM
  [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European
  Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Union for Europe of the Nations
  Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]

International organization participation:
  European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member),
  IDA, OAS (observer), UN (observer), WTO
  European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10,
  NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, ZC (observer)
  European Central Bank: BIS
  European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500 FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador C. Boyden GRAY embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: same as above telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222 FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720

Flag description:
  on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle,
  representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars
  is fixed

Economy - overview:
  Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers,
  adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living
  standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade
  position and its political and economic power. Because of the great
  differences in per capita income (from $15,000 to $56,000) and
  historic national animosities, the European Community faces
  difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example,
  since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty
  obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than
  a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and eastern
  European countries that are, in general, less advanced
  technologically and economically than the other 15. Twelve EU member
  states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January
  1999, but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not participate. The 10 new
  member states may choose to adopt the euro when they meet the EU's
  fiscal and monetary criteria and the other euro states so agree.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.2% industry: 27.3% services: 70.5% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.4% industry: 27.2% services: 67.2% note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.5% (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products,
cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish

Industries:
  among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the
  European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous
  metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal,
  cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation
  equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction
  equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power
  equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems,
  electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and
  beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism

Exports:
$1.318 trillion; note - external exports, excluding intra-EU trade
(2004)

Exports - commodities:
  machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and
  other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp
  and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic
  beverages.

Imports:
$1.402 trillion; note - external imports, excluding intra-EU trade
(2004)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals,
textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing

Currency (code):
  euro, British pound, Cypriot pound, Czech koruna, Danish krone,
  Estonian kroon, Hungarian forint, Latvian lat, Lithuanian litas,
  Maltese lira, Polish zloty, Slovak koruna, Slovenian tolar, Swedish
  krona

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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual
  country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide
  station (Euroradio)

Television broadcast stations:
  2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual
  country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide
  station (Eurovision)

Internet country code:
.eu (effective 2005); note - see country entries of member states
for individual country codes

Internet hosts:
22,000,414 (2004); note - sum of individual country Internet hosts

Railways:
  total: 222,293 km
  broad gauge: 28,438 km
  standard gauge: 186,405 km
  narrow gauge: 7,427 km
  other: 23 km (2003)

Roadways:
  total: 4,634,810 km (including 56,704 km of expressways)
  paved: 4,161,318 km
  unpaved: 473,492 km (1999-2000)

Ports and terminals:
  Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Bremen (Germany), Copenhagen
  (Denmark), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland),
  Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon
  (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy),
  Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam
  (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia)

Military - note:
  In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a
  "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers
  possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and
  security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some
  two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European
  Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty.
  Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a
  European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is
  creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid
  system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany,
  Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for
  wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by
  France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already
  deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and
  Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and
  assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force
  (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands
  the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command
  Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in
  December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command
  - commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU
  session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in
  2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with
  promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began
  operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally
  committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end
  of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis.
  Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops.
  France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups
  in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and
  Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to
  include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by
  2007. (2005)

Disputes - international:
  as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with
  neighboring countries, but Estonia and Latvia have no land boundary
  agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime
  boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime
  disputes with Morocco; the EU has set up a Schengen area -
  consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention
  implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free
  movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in
  Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into
  EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1
  May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
  France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal,
  Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as
  part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area
  since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current
  membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take
  part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect
  to police and criminal matters; the 10 new member states that joined
  the EU in 2004 eventually are expected to participate in Schengen,
  following a transition period to upgrade their border controls and
  procedures

Background:
  Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first
  landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in
  1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until
  1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the
  islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first
  between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The
  UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval
  garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April
  1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed
  seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine
  surrender on 14 June 1982.

Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east
of southern Argentina

Area:
  total: 12,173 sq km
  land: 12,173 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and
  about 200 small islands

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
  cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on
  more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches
  in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and
  February, but does not accumulate

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)

Environment - current issues:
  overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were
  introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is
  the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the
  Chornobyl disaster

Geography - note:
deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing
season

Religions:
primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist
Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Capital:
  name: Stanley
  geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
  third Sunday in April

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006);
  Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since March 2003); Financial
  Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA)
  cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative
  Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial
  secretary), and the governor
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - two ex officio, eight
  elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided
  over by the governor
  elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court
  (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions);
  Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Flag description:
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the
  flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once
  the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose
  crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the
  motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Economy - overview:
  The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep
  farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic
  activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to
  foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive
  fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per
  year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and
  welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy
  farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder.
  Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale
  of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing
  except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a
  200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early
  seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing
  500,000 barrels per day; to date, no exploitable site has been
  identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks
  to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen
  foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism,
  especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000
  visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on
  money the government has in the bank. The British military presence
  also provides a sizeable economic boost.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) industry and services: 5%

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

Budget:
  revenues: $66.2 million
  expenditures: $67.9 million; including capital expenditures of $23.2
  million (FY98/99 est.)

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

Exchange rates:
  Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
  (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
  radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
  points on both islands
  international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other
  countries

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0
  note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
  (FM) and Radio 2 (AM) service (2006)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides
  multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as
  islanders)
  note: cable television is available in Stanley (2006)

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

Disputes - international:
  Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly
  occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek
  settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for
  sovereignty talks

Background:
  The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from
  Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have
  been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high
  degree of self government was attained in 1948.

Location:
  Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the
  North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to
  Norway

Area:
  total: 1,399 sq km
  land: 1,399 sq km
  water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Geography - note:
  archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and
  a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea
  lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits
  habitation to small coastal lowlands

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.9% (male 4,940/female 4,952)
  15-64 years: 65.1% (male 16,247/female 14,522)
  65 years and over: 13.9% (male 2,976/female 3,609) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35 years
  male: 34.7 years
  female: 35.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.35 years
  male: 75.91 years
  female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)

Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Faroe Islands
  local long form: none
  local short form: Foroyar

Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark since 1948

Capital:
  name: Torshavn
  geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W
  time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
  administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are 49 municipalities

Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January
  1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief
  administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3
  February 2004)
  cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held
  20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008)
  election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent
  of parliamentary vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven
  constituencies to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than
  January 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%,
  Social Democratic Party 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's
  Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by
  party - Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 7, Republican Party
  8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1
  note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held
  on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1,
  People's Party 1

Political parties and leaders:
  Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P.
  HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party
  [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union
  Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN]

International organization participation:
Arctic Council, IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

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

Economy - overview:
  The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly
  as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export
  prices. Unemployment is minimal and there are signs of labor
  shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has
  helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget
  surpluses, which in turn have helped reduce the large public debt,
  most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing
  makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present
  fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of
  fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give
  hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may
  eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus
  lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a
  substantial annual subsidy (about 15% of GDP) from Denmark, the
  Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other
  Scandinavians.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27% industry: 11% services: 62% (1999)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $488 million
  expenditures: $484 million; including capital expenditures of $21
  million (1999)

Industries:
fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment,
handicrafts

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 37.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Denmark 38.2%, UK 29.6%, Nigeria 8.9%, Norway 6.1%, Netherlands
4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%,
machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels, fish, salt (1999)

Imports - partners:
Denmark 46.2%, Norway 18.2%, Germany 8.2%, Spain 7.5%, Iceland 4.8%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877
(2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good international communications; good
  domestic facilities
  domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog)
  and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
  international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1
  Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands,
  linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic
  submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

Merchant marine:
  total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,265 GRT/9,171 DWT
  by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 366 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been
  realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been
  deferred; Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line
  boundary; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that
  the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Background:
  Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a
  British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military
  coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as
  dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers
  brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The
  coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian
  control of Fiji, led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss
  resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians
  became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more
  equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a
  government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May
  2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil.
  Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a
  democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia
  QARASE.

Location:
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds
of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Maritime claims:
  measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
  rectilinear shelf claim added

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
  83, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061)
  15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312)
  65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.6 years
  male: 24.1 years
  female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.82 years
  male: 67.32 years
  female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture),
  Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and
  other 5% (1998 est.)

Religions:
  Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim
  8%, other 2%
  note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is
  a Muslim minority

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.7%
  male: 95.5%
  female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands
  conventional short form: Fiji
  local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti
  local short form: Fiji/Viti

Capital:
  name: Suva (on Viti Levu)
  geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*,
Western

Constitution:
enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make
multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18
  July 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10
  September 2000)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
  members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
  elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister
  appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006 (next to
  be held in 2011)
  election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president
  by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 appointed
  by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9
  appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime Minister, 8 on
  the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed on the advice
  of the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71
  seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic
  Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the
  council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and
  25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1
  September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held 6-13 May 2006)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - SDL 27.5%, FLP 26.5%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, NFP 1.2%,
  independents 1.4%, UGP .3%; seats by party - SDL 32, FLP 27, MV 6,
  NLUP 2, NFP 1, independents 2, UGP 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of
Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or CAMV [Ratu Josefa
  DIMURI]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji
  Democratic Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian
  Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association
  Party or FAP, Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian)
  [Sitiveni RABUKA], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]);
  Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or
  GVP (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or
  GHP; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or
  LFR; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond
  RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA];
  Party of National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the
  Truth or POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or
  SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick
  BEDDOES]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU
  chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER
  embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
  mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
  telephone: [679] 331-4466
  FAX: [679] 330-0081

Flag description:
  light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
  and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
  shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the
  cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree,
  bananas, and a white dove

Economy - overview:
  Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of
  the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still
  with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports, remittances from
  Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with
  300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of
  foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union
  markets, but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar
  subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial
  activity but is not efficient. Long-term problems include low
  investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's
  ability to manage its budget. Yet, because of a tourist boom,
  short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not
  again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas
  remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased
  significantly.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.9% industry: 13.5% services: 77.6% (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 70% industry and services: 30% (2001 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $720.5 million
  expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes,
bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish

Industries:
tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small
cottage industries

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 18.5% hydro: 81.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil

Exports - partners:
US 19.7%, Australia 17%, UK 12.3%, Japan 5.4%, Samoa 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum
products, food, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Singapore 27.4%, Australia 23.6%, NZ 18.9%, Thailand 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958
(2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international
  (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone,
  telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications
  center
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 679; access to important cable links
  between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; 2
  satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 597 km
  narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge
  note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used
  to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2005)

Waterways:
  203 km
  note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
  (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT
  by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces
(2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 215,104
females age 18-49: 212,739 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 163,960
females age 18-49: 178,714 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 9,266
females age 18-49: 8,916 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the
  12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia
  after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World
  War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist
  invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory.
  In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable
  transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern
  industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western
  Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only
  Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January
  1999.

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and
Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Land boundaries: total: 2,681 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
  exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary
  with Sweden

Climate:
  cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild
  because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current,
  Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low
hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

Natural resources:
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold,
silver, limestone

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to
  acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural
  chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

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

Geography - note:
  long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
  capital on European continent; population concentrated on small
  southwestern coastal plain

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.1% (male 455,420/female 438,719)
  15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,766,674/female 1,724,858)
  65 years and over: 16.2% (male 337,257/female 508,444) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 41.3 years
  male: 39.7 years
  female: 42.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.5 years
  male: 74.99 years
  female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%,
Sami 0.1%

Religions:
Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%,
other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003)

Languages:
Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small
Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2000 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Finland
  conventional short form: Finland
  local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
  local short form: Suomi/Finland

Capital:
  name: Helsinki
  geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 58 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani,
Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

Legal system:
  civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request
  the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June
  2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Eero HEINALUOMA (since 24 September
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
  president, responsible to parliament
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 January 2006
  (next to be held January 2012); the president appoints the prime
  minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the
  majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament
  must approve the appointment
  election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli
  NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti Vanhanen (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA
  (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held
  29 January 2006 - HOLONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%
  note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected
  by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%,
  Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party -
  Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, other 4

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD
  [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left
  Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and
  Democratic Alternative [Martti KORHONEN]; National Coalition
  (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic
  Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP
  [Stefan WALLIN]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
  chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
  FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn WARE
  embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
  mailing address: APO AE 09723
  telephone: [358] (9) 616250
  FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

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

Economy - overview:
  Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy
  with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and
  Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the
  wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics
  industries. Trade is important; exports equal two-fifths of GDP.
  Finland excels in high-tech exports, e.g., mobile phones. Except for
  timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw
  materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods.
  Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to
  maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an
  important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the
  rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe
  - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic
  and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over
  the next several years. High unemployment remains a persistent
  problem.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.8% industry: 29.5% services: 67.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Budget:
  revenues: $99.61 billion
  expenditures: $97.14 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Industries:
  metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific
  instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals,
  textiles, clothing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 39% hydro: 18.7% nuclear: 30.4% other: 11.8% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp
(1999)

Exports - partners:
Russia 11.2%, Sweden 10.7%, Germany 10.5%, UK 6.6%, US 6.2%,
Netherlands 4.8% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport
  equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics,
  grains

Imports - partners:
Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 13.9%, Netherlands 6.2%,
Denmark 4.6%, UK 4.3%, China 4.2% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system with excellent service
  domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
  cellular network provide domestic needs
  international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland
  Estonia Connection); satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat
  transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1
  Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares
  the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark,
  Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

Internet country code:
.fi; note - the IANA has assigned the ccTLD of .ax to the Aland
Islands

Airports - with paved runways: total: 76 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 14 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 72 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 67 (2006)

Railways: total: 5,741 km broad gauge: 5,741 km 1.524-m gauge (2,619 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 78,189 km
  paved: 50,633 km (including 653 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 27,556 km (2006)

Waterways:
  7,842 km
  note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased
  from Russia (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 87 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,250,600 GRT/952,072 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 22, chemical tanker 6, container 1,
  passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll
  off 25
  foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 1, Russia 1, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 48 (Bahamas 8, Germany 2, Gibraltar
  3, Luxembourg 4, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 13, Norway 4,
  Sweden 11, UK 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvoo, Raahe,
Rauma, Turku

Military branches:
Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes coastal defense
forces), Air Force (2003)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service
(October 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,121,275
females age 18-49: 1,076,684 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 913,617
females age 18-49: 875,689 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 32,040
females age 18-49: 30,519 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other
  areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts
  no territorial demands

Background:
  Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France
  suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank
  as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the
  most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European
  nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy
  resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary
  democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation
  with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of
  Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency,
  the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of
  efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement
  progress toward an EU foreign policy.

Location:
  Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel,
  between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the
  Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Area:
  total: 547,030 sq km
  land: 545,630 sq km
  water: 1,400 sq km
  note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas
  administrative divisions

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,889 km
  border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km,
  Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km,
  Switzerland 573 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot
  summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry,
  north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

Terrain:
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;
remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash,
feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

Natural hazards:
flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires
in south near the Mediterranean

Environment - current issues:
  some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial
  and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes,
  agricultural runoff

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.3% (male 5,704,152/female 5,427,213)
  15-64 years: 65.3% (male 19,886,228/female 19,860,506)
  65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,103,883/female 5,894,154) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.73 years
  male: 76.1 years
  female: 83.54 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese,
Basque minorities

Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%,
unaffiliated 4%

Languages:
French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages
(Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: French Republic
  conventional short form: France
  local long form: Republique francaise
  local short form: France

Capital:
  name: Paris
  geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine,
  Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre,
  Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie,
  Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine,
  Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie,
  Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes
  note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the
  "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided
  into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas
  departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the
  overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre, Miquelon)

Dependent areas:
  Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French
  Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands,
  Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and
  Futuna
  note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

National holiday:
  Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often
  incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually
  commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the
  storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of
  a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete
  Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)

Constitution:
  adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958;
  amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to comply
  with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty,
  2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in 1993;
  amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a
  five-year term

Legal system:
civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative
but not legislative acts

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
  head of government: Prime Minister Dominique DE VILLEPIN (since 31
  May 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  suggestion of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held
  21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round April 2007,
  second round May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National
  Assembly majority and appointed by the president
  election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of
  vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN
  (FN) 18.04%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat
  (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas
  departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad;
  members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve
  nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years); note -
  between 2004 and 2010, 25 new seats will be added to the Senate for
  a total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas
  departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre
  and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French
  nationals abroad; starting in 2008, members will be indirectly
  elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms, with
  one-half the seats being renewed every three years; and the National
  Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote under a single-member majority system to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held
  September 2008); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next
  to be held not later than June 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National
  Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 355,
  PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Left Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed
  by the president from nominations of the High Council of the
  Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three
  members appointed by the president, three appointed by the president
  of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of
  the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

Political parties and leaders:
  Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT];
  Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly Radical
  Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG) [Jacques PELLETIER];
  French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Yan
  WEHRLING, national secretary]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously
  Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG)
  [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE
  VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for
  France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois
  HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU];
  Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed); left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed); independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members (claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia
  Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC,
  EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
  OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI
  (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
  UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE
  chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
  Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON
  embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
  mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777
  telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
  FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
  consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red;
  known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of
  the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the design and/or
  colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of
  Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands;
  the official flag for all French dependent areas

Economy - overview:
  France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern
  economy that has featured extensive government ownership and
  intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The
  government has partially or fully privatized many large companies,
  banks, and insurers. It retains controlling stakes in several
  leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and
  Thales, and is dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public
  transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is
  gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain
  committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by
  means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income
  disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and
  welfare. The government has lowered income taxes and introduced
  measures to boost employment and reform the pension system. In
  addition, it is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labor
  and labor market inflexibility resulting from the 35-hour workweek
  and restrictions on lay-offs. The tax burden remains one of the
  highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering
  economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the budget
  deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit; unemployment stands at
  10%.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.2% industry: 21.4% services: 76.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.1% industry: 24.4% services: 71.5% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.06 trillion
  expenditures: $1.144 trillion; including capital expenditures of $23
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy
products; fish

Industries:
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft,
electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.2% hydro: 14% nuclear: 77.1% other: 0.7% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports - partners:
Germany 14.7%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.7%, UK 8.3%, US 7.2%, Belgium
7.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Germany 18.9%, Belgium 10.7%, Italy 8.2%, Spain 7%, Netherlands
6.5%, UK 5.9%, US 5.1% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: highly developed
  domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
  introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
  international: country code - 33; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for
  Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF
  radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes
many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 292 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 96 914 to 1,523 m: 81 under 914 m: 74 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 185 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 73 under 914 m: 108 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 29,085 km
  standard gauge: 28,918 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 891,290 km paved: 891,290 km (including 10,390 km of expressways) (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 875,777 GRT/1,318,605 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, container 5, liquefied gas 6,
  passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll
  off 1
  foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 1, Italy 2, Monaco 1, Norway
  1, NZ 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 2, Switzerland 2)
  registered in other countries: 154 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia
  3, Bahamas 37, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1, French Polynesia 1, French
  Southern and Antarctic Lands 36, Gibraltar 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of
  Man 2, Italy 1, South Korea 12, Liberia 3, Luxembourg 14, Malta 6,
  Mexico 1, Morocco 1, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8,
  UK 4, Wallis and Futuna 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Marseille,
Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg

Military branches:
  Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy
  (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National
  Gendarmerie

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended
in the 1990s; women serve in non-combat military posts (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 13,676,509
females age 17-49: 13,504,539 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 11,262,661
females age 17-49: 11,079,472 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 389,204
females age 17-49: 372,719 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa
  Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims
  Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute
  between Suriname and the French overseas department of French
  Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie
  Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of
  New Caledonia

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine,
Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

Background:
  First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of
  notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency
  launches its communication satellites from Kourou.

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Brazil and Suriname

Land boundaries: total: 1,240.4 km border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish,
niobium, tantalum, clay

Land use: arable land: 0.13% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005)

Natural hazards:
high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding

Geography - note:
mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of
the South American continent

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)
  15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980)
  65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.6 years
  male: 29.6 years
  female: 27.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.27 years
  male: 73.95 years
  female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese

Ethnic groups:
black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
12%, other 10%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83%
  male: 84%
  female: 82% (1982 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Department of Guiana
  conventional short form: French Guiana
  local long form: none
  local short form: Guyane

Capital:
  name: Cayenne
  geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July
  2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT
  (since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine
  KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional
  Councils are appointed by the members of those councils

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
  unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be
  held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004
  (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7,
  other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of
  vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by
  party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7
  note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
  (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
  - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French
  National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR
  1, Walwari Committee 1

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in
  Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French
  Guiana)

Political parties and leaders:
  Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese
  Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party
  or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or
  PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix LABBE]; Union for
  French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular
  Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee
  (aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]

Economy - overview:
  The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy
  through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at
  Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the
  most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of
  the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully
  exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn
  logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal
  area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc
  are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports
  of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly
  among younger workers.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% 6.6% industry: NA% 15.6% services: NA% 77.8%

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 18.2% industry: 21.2% services: 60.6% (1980)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $135.5 million
  expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105
  million (1996)

Agriculture - products: corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry

Industries:
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

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

Imports - commodities:
food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment,
fuels and chemicals

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system
  international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5
repeaters) (1998)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Waterways:
  3,760 km
  note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and
  river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003)

Disputes - international:
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini
(both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana

Illicit drugs:
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor
transshipment point to Europe

Background:
  The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th
  century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by
  resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year
  moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent
  years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.

Location:
Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of
the way from South America to Australia

Area:
  total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
  land: 3,660 sq km
  water: 507 sq km

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Geography - note:
  includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in
  French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in
  the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati
  and Nauru

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
  15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.9 years
  male: 28.2 years
  female: 27.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.1 years
  male: 73.69 years
  female: 78.63 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Languages:
French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian
languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 14 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 98% (1977 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
  conventional short form: French Polynesia
  local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise
  local short form: Polynesie Francaise
  former: French Colony of Oceania

Dependency status:
overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from
1946-2004

Capital:
  name: Papeete
  geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W
  time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises,
  Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles
  Sous-le-Vent
  note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French
  Polynesia

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET
  (since September 2005)
  head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU
  (since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial Assembly Antony
  GEROS (since 9 May 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members
  of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as
  ministers
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
  advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
  territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly
  are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no
  term limits)

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats
  - changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected
  by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy
  27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13
  February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the
  Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New
  Democracy 3
  note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
  (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
  - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French
  National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1,
  UMP 1

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or
  Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or
  Tribunal Administratif

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip
  SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is
  Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini
  Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile
  VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR
  (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy or UPD
  [Oscar TEMARU]

International organization participation:
FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WMO

Flag description:
  two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered
  on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the
  lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a
  stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the
  French flag is used for official occasions

Government - note:
  under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired
  autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice,
  monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and
  foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after
  those of the French prime minister

Economy - overview:
  Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region,
  French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy
  to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either
  employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the
  halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to
  the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of
  GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources
  of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The
  small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural
  products. The territory benefits substantially from development
  agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses
  and strengthening social services.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.1% industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2002)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13% industry: 19% services: 68% (2002)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $865 million
  expenditures: $644.1 million; including capital expenditures of $185
  million (1996)

Agriculture - products: coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.7% hydro: 39.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark
meat

Exchange rates:
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89
  (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)
  note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 39 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
  by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo
  1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (France 1)
  registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,747 (2005 est.)

Background:
  The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and
  Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile
  Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited
  only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion
  consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent
  discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.

Location:
  southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about
  equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French
  Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul,
  Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along
  with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US
  does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"

Area:
  total: 7,829 sq km
  land: 7,829 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles
  Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in
  Antarctica that is not recognized by the US

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not
  include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m

Geography - note:
islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in
the southern Indian Ocean

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from
  winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2006 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and
  Antarctic Lands
  conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques
  Francaises
  local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
  abbreviation: TAAF

Dependency status:
  overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by
  Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004),
  assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)

Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are three districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Iles
  Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica
  that is not recognized by the US

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON

Economy - overview:
  Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and
  geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets.
  The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are
  exported to France and Reunion.

Merchant marine:
  total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/5,345,291 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, container 18, liquefied
  gas 5, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 4
  foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 6, Denmark 2, France 36, Germany 2, Hong
  Kong 2, Japan 4, Norway 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1,
  UK 1) (2006)

Disputes - international: French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US

Background:
  Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence
  from France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar
  BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the
  world - has dominated the contry's political scene for almost four
  decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and
  a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of
  electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the
  presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal
  political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition remains
  weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime.
  Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural
  resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon
  one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator,
between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,551 km
  border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km,
  Equatorial Guinea 350 km

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold,
timber, iron ore, hydropower

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon
  become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these
  circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its
  pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

Population:
  1,424,906
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.1% (male 300,914/female 299,141)
  15-64 years: 53.9% (male 383,137/female 384,876)
  65 years and over: 4% (male 23,576/female 33,262) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.6 years
  male: 18.4 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 54.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 63.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 54.49 years
  male: 53.21 years
  female: 55.81 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang,
  Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000,
  including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 63.2%
  male: 73.7%
  female: 53.3% (1995 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
  conventional short form: Gabon
  local long form: Republique gabonaise
  local short form: Gabon

Capital:
  name: Libreville
  geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga,
Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

National holiday:
Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
  of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2
  December 1967)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20
  January 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
  consultation with the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be
  held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected;
  percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 79.2%, Pierre
  MAMBOUNDOU 13.6%, Zacharie MYBOTO 6.6%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members
  elected by members of municipal councils and departmental
  assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120
  seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next
  to be held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 9 and 23
  December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents
  9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
  - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1,
  independents 13, others 3

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers -
  Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts
  of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE];
  Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes
  OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE
  [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG
  [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA] (former sole party); Gabonese Party for
  Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of
  Woodcutters or RNB; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or
  RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party
  or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or
  RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver
  MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or
  UDIS; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
  chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668
  consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
  embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
  mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville
  telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92
  FAX: [241] 74 55 07

Economy - overview:
  Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of
  sub-Saharan African nations. This has supported a sharp decline in
  extreme poverty; yet, because of high income inequality, a large
  proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber
  and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s.
  The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face
  fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports.
  Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management
  hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in January
  1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped
  to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in
  1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near
  commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119
  million in October 2000. Those agreements mandated progress in
  privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional
  financial support in January 1997 after Gabon met IMF targets for
  mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government
  for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central
  bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and
  administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped
  growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing
  potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with
  the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up
  bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December
  2001. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in
  May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year.
  Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal
  and other adjustments in line with IMF policies.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6.1% industry: 59.2% services: 34.8% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $2.463 billion
  expenditures: $1.618 billion; including capital expenditures of $325
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical
softwood); fish

Industries:
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship
repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 34.5% hydro: 65.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 53.5%, France 6.4%, China 6.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction
materials

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate service by African standards and
  improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
  domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
  tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
  domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
  international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
  provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 278,826
females age 18-49: 279,865 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 159,198
females age 18-49: 156,122 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 15,325
females age 18-49: 15,367 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty
  dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime
  boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only a few hundred out of
  the 20,000 Republic of the Congo refugees who fled militia fighting
  in 2000 remain in Gabon

Background:
  The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965; it formed a
  short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and
  1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation
  treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned
  political activity, but a 1996 constitution and presidential
  elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a
  nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round
  of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early
  2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has been
  elected president in all subsequent elections.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season
(November to May)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m

Natural resources:
fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand,
clay, petroleum

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

Geography - note:
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of
Africa

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.3% (male 365,157/female 361,821)
  15-64 years: 53% (male 431,627/female 438,159)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 22,889/female 21,911) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.7 years
  male: 17.6 years
  female: 17.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 71.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 78.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 54.14 years
  male: 52.3 years
  female: 56.03 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli
9%, other 4%), non-African 1%

Languages:
English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 40.1%
  male: 47.8%
  female: 32.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia

Capital:
  name: Banjul
  geographic coordinates: 12 28 N, 16 39 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North
Bank, Upper River, Western

Constitution:
24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by
national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished January 1997

Legal system:
based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and
customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October
  1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the Junta); Vice
  President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18
  October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the
  Junta); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 22 September 2006 (next to be
  held in 2011)
  election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent
  of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 67.3%, Ousainou DARBOE 26.6%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote,
  5 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held 25 January
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH] (the ruling party); Gambian People's Party-Progressive People's Party-United Democratic Party or GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA] note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned since 1996

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
  UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Dodou Bammy JAGNE
  chancery: Suite 905, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph D. STAFFORD, III embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul telephone: [220] 439-2856, 437-6169, 437-6170 FAX: [220] 439-2475

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges,
and green

Economy - overview:
  The Gambia has no significant mineral or natural resource deposits
  and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of the population
  depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood. Small-scale
  manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and
  hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a major segment of
  economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed preshipment
  inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi (currency)
  have drawn some of the reexport trade away from The Gambia. The
  government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm Alimenta
  eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts. Despite an
  announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals, no plans
  have been made public that would indicate that the government
  intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment and
  underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic
  progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on
  responsible government economic management, on continued technical
  assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors, and on expected growth
  in the construction sector.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30.8% industry: 14.2% services: 54.9% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $46.63 million
  expenditures: $62.66 million; including capital expenditures of $4.1
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (tapioca),
palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries:
processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism, beverages,
agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing

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

Exports - commodities:
peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports

Exports - partners:
India 40.4%, UK 18.2%, Indonesia 8.3%, Senegal 4.6%, Belgium 4.3%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment

Imports - partners:
China 21.3%, Senegal 11.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.4%, Brazil 6%, US 5.2%,
UK 5.1%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
dalasi per US dollar - 30.38 (2005), 30.03 (2004), 27.306 (2004),
19.918 (2003), 15.687 (2002), 15.687 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is
  available
  domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire
  international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to
  Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Atlantic Ocean)

Waterways:
390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190
km) (2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,064 GRT/9,751 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 (2006)

Military branches:
Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Presidential Guard,
National Guard

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 311,025
females age 18-49: 316,214 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 183,057
females age 18-49: 194,551 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and
  other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's
  Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African
  states

Background:
  The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
  Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,
  provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of
  Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West
  Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and
  responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of the
  interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
  A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and
  Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo
  Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional
  areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995
  Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol
  Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998
  Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh
  Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility
  during the transitional period for external and internal security
  and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct
  negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank
  began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed
  by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. In April
  2003 the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a
  final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps
  by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic
  Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has
  been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that
  both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Longtime
  Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in November 2004 and Mahmud
  ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005, bringing hope of a
  turning point in the conflict. In February 2005 Israel and the PA
  agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments, focused on security
  issues, in an effort to move the peace process forward. Progress has
  been slow because of different interpretations of the verbal
  agreement by the two sides. In September 2005, Israel withdrew all
  its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in
  the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless,
  Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza
  Strip. An agreement signed by the PA and Israel in November 2005
  authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the
  Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control, with
  monitoring provided by the EU.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Israel

Maritime claims:
  Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the
  Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be
  determined through further negotiation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

Environment - current issues:
  desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment;
  water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination
  of underground water resources

Geography - note:
  strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes
  has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza
  itself has been besieged countless times in its history

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 48.1% (male 351,642/female 335,060)
  15-64 years: 49.4% (male 360,147/female 345,318)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 15,231/female 21,359) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 15.8 years
  male: 15.7 years
  female: 16 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 22.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 23.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.97 years
  male: 70.67 years
  female: 73.34 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely
understood)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.9%
  male: 96.3%
  female: 87.4% (2003 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah

Economy - overview:
  High population density, limited land access, and strict internal
  and external controls have kept economic conditions in the Gaza
  Strip - the smaller of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority
  (PA)- even more degraded than in the West Bank. The beginning of the
  second intifadah in September 2000 sparked an economic downturn,
  largely the result of Israeli closure policies; these policies,
  which were imposed in response to security interests in Israel,
  disrupted labor and commodity relationships with the Gaza Strip. In
  2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli military measures in
  PA areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant, the
  disruption of administrative structure, and widespread business
  closures. Including the West Bank, the UN estimates that more than
  100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israel
  or in joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. Half the labor
  force is unemployed. Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in
  September 2005 offers some medium-term opportunities for economic
  growth, especially given the removal of restrictions on internal
  movement. In addition, recent agreements and continuing negotiations
  on the administration of Gaza's border crossings increase the
  prospects for trade.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 28.3% services: 68.7% (includes West Bank) (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11.9% industry: 18% services: 70.1% (2nd qtr. 2005)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $964 million
  expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA;
  note - these budget data include West Bank (2004)

Industries:
  generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap,
  olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis
  have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial
  center, but operations ceased prior to Israel's evacuation of Gaza
  Strip settlements

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the Gaza Strip power plant
and by an Israeli utility

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - some electricity supplied by an Israeli utility
(2005)

Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004),
4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
  are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the
  Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
  international: country code - 970

Airports:
  2
  note: includes Gaza International Airport closed since its runway
  was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001 (2006)

Military branches:
  in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authority
  is not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however,
  public security forces (2002)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 15,196 (2005 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 986,034 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)) (2005)

Background:
  The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of
  Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in
  the first centuries A.D. and Christianity became the state religion
  in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed
  by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by
  the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian
  empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed
  into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three
  years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly
  incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
  An attempt by the incumbent Georgian government to manipulate
  national legislative elections in November 2003 touched off
  widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard
  SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early 2004
  swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National
  Movement Party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has
  been made in the years since independence, but this progress has
  been complicated by two civil conflicts in the breakaway regions of
  Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two territories remain outside the
  control of the central government and are ruled by de facto,
  unrecognized governments, supported by Russia. Russian-led
  peacekeeping operations continue in both regions. The Georgian
  Government put forward a new peace initiative for the peaceful
  resolution of the status of South Ossetia in 2005.

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,461 km
  border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
  Turkey 252 km

Terrain:
  largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and
  Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida
  Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in
  the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of
  Kolkhida Lowland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m

Natural resources:
  forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor
  coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important
  tea and citrus growth

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari
  River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil
  pollution from toxic chemicals

Geography - note:
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much
of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.3% (male 428,056/female 380,193)
  15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,482,908/female 1,602,064)
  65 years and over: 16.5% (male 308,905/female 459,347) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 37.7 years
  male: 35.3 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 17.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 15.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.09 years
  male: 72.8 years
  female: 79.87 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5%
(2002 census)

Religions:
Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%,
Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)

Languages:
Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2004 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Georgia
  local long form: none
  local short form: Sak'art'velo
  former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: T'bilisi
  geographic coordinates: 41 43 N, 44 49 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi,
  singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy
  respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)
  regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti,
  Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti,
  Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli
  cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, Tbilisi,
  Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi
  autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri
  Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika
  (Bat'umi)
  note: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are
  shown in parentheses

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of
  independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of
  independence from the Soviet Union

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government for the power ministries: state security (includes
  interior) and defense
  head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
  2004); Prime Minister Zurab NOGHAIDELI (since 17 February 2005);
  note - the president is the chief of state and head of government
  for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and
  defense; the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 January 2004
  (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of
  vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or
  Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party lists); members
  are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - National
  Movement-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other
  parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National
  Movement-Democratic Front 135, Rightist Opposition 15

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the
  president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation);
  Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front
  [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG
  [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry
  Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor
  Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP
  [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [Mikheil
  SAAKASHVILI] bloc composed of National Movement and
  Burjanadze-Democrats; National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New
  Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI];
  Rightist Opposition [David GAMKRELIDZE] bloc composed of
  Industrialists and New Right Party; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli
  MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of National
  Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile;
  separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
  supporters of former President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA ousted in 1991

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Vasil SIKHARULIDZE chancery: 1101 15th Street NW, Suite 602, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390 FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT embassy: 11 George Balanchine St., T'bilisi 0131 mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00 FAX: [995] (32) 53-23-10

Flag description:
  white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross connecting all
  four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red
  bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to
  the 14th century

Economy - overview:
  Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of
  agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts;
  mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial
  sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals,
  machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of its energy
  needs, including natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable but
  underdeveloped hydropower capacity. Despite the severe damage the
  economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of
  the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic gains since
  2000, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation.
  Georgia had suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues;
  however, the new government is making progress and has reformed the
  tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax enforcement,
  and cracked down on corruption. In addition, the reinvigorated
  privatization process has met with success, supplementing government
  expenditures on infrastructure, defense, and poverty reduction.
  Despite customs and financial (tax) enforcement improvements,
  smuggling is a drain on the economy. Georgia also suffers from
  energy shortages due to aging and badly maintained infrastructure,
  as well as poor management. Due to concerted reform efforts,
  collection rates have improved considerably to roughly 60%, both in
  T'bilisi and throughout the regions. Continued reform in the
  management of state-owned power entities is essential to successful
  privatization and onward sustainability in this sector. The country
  is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit
  state for pipelines and trade. The construction on the
  Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas
  pipeline have brought much-needed investment and job opportunities.
  Nevertheless, high energy prices in 2006 will compound the pressure
  on the country's inefficient energy sector. Restructuring the sector
  and finding energy supply alternatives to Russia remain major
  challenges.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.2% industry: 27.5% services: 55.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 40% industry: 20% services: 40% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 27.9% (1996)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.43 billion
  expenditures: $1.56 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining
(manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 19.7% hydro: 80.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits,
tea, wine

Exports - partners:
Russia 18.1%, Turkey 14.3%, Azerbaijan 9.8%, Turkmenistan 8.9%,
Bulgaria 5%, Armenia 4.7%, Ukraine 4.4%, Canada 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and other
foods, pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners:
Russia 15.4%, Turkey 11.4%, Azerbaijan 9.4%, Ukraine 8.8%, Germany
8.3%, US 6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
lari per US dollar - 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004), 2.1457 (2003),
2.1957 (2002), 2.073 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone
  networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural
  telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities
  include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
  nationwide pager service is available
  international: country code - 995; Georgia and Russia are working on
  a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present
  international service is available by microwave, landline, and
  satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail
  and telex service are available

Airports - with paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

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

Railways:
  total: 1,612 km
  broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
  narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 222 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,059,386 GRT/1,538,746 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 27, cargo 176, container 4, liquefied gas 1,
  passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated
  cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 188 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2, Belgium 1, China 2,
  Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 8, Germany 1, Greece 8, Indonesia 1,
  South Korea 1, Lebanon 7, Monaco 13, Romania 11, Russia 28, Slovakia
  1, Slovenia 1, Syria 43, Turkey 30, UAE 1, UK 4, Ukraine 22) (2006)

Transportation - note:
  transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnic
  conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks
  maintenance and repair

Military branches:
Ground Forces (includes National Guard), Air and Air Defense
Forces, Navy (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty
military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,038,736
females age 18-49: 1,105,910 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 827,281
females age 18-49: 903,791 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 38,857
females age 18-49: 38,238 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the
  Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer
  group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia

Disputes - international:
  Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border,
  leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime boundary
  unresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the
  Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia;
  UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping force
  in Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the
  former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia
  remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of
  Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government;
  Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their
  boundary at certain crossing areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
  domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via
  Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia

Background:
  As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation,
  Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political,
  and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany
  in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century
  and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the
  US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the
  Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal
  Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic
  (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic
  and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,
  while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led
  Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War
  allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has
  expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages
  up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU
  countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Location:
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between
the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,621 km
  border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646
  km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577
  km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

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

Climate:
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m

Natural resources:
coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium,
potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Environment - current issues:
  emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to
  air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions,
  is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and
  industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste
  disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of
  nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU
  commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the
  EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive

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

Geography - note:
strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance
to the Baltic Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.1% (male 5,973,437/female 5,665,971)
  15-64 years: 66.4% (male 27,889,936/female 26,874,858)
  65 years and over: 19.4% (male 6,602,478/female 9,415,619) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.8 years
  male: 75.81 years
  female: 81.96 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek,
Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)

Religions:
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or
other 28.3%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
  conventional short form: Germany
  local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  local short form: Deutschland
  former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich

Capital:
  name: Berlin
  geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  13 states (Laender, singular - Land) and 3 free states*
  (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern*,
  Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen,
  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
  Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen*, Sachsen-Anhalt,
  Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen*

Independence:
  18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four
  zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945
  following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West
  Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and
  French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
  proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
  unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
  1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991

Constitution:
23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united
German people 3 October 1990

Legal system:
  civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)
  head of government: Chancellor Angela MERKEL (since 22 November 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by
  the president on the recommendation of the chancellor
  elections: president elected for a five-year term (eligible for a
  second term) by a Federal Convention, including all members of the
  Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the
  state parliaments; election last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held
  23 May 2009); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the
  Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 22
  November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604
  votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN;
  Angela MERKEL elected chancellor; vote by Federal Assembly 397 to
  202 with 12 abstentions

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly
  or Bundestag (613 seats; elected by popular vote under a system
  combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win
  5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain
  representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal
  Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly
  represented by votes; each has three to six votes depending on
  population and are required to vote as a block)
  elections: Federal Assembly - last held 18 September 2005 (next to
  be held September 2009); note - there are no elections for the
  Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the
  state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the
  potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
  election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  CDU/CSU 35.2%, SPD 34.3%, FDP 9.8%, Left 8.7%, Greens 8.1%; seats by
  party - CDU/CSU 225, SPD 222, FDP 61, Left 54, Greens 51

Judicial branch:
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the
judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance '90/Greens [Claudia ROTH and Reinhard BUETIKOFER];
  Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social
  Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or
  FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Left Party (Linkspartei. was
  Party of Democratic Socialism) or PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social
  Democratic Party or SPD [Kurt BECK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
business associations, employers' organizations; expellee, refugee,
trade unions, and veterans groups

International organization participation:
  AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
  (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
  G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,
  UNRWA, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO,
  ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Klaus SCHARIOTH chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000 FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William R. TIMKEN, Jr. embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008 mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265 telephone: [49] (030) 2385 174 FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215 consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich

Economy - overview:
  Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth
  largest in the world - has become one of the slowest growing
  economies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the offing
  in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of 1%,
  rising to 1.7% in 2004 before falling back to 0.9% in 2005. The
  modernization and integration of the eastern German economy
  continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers
  from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's aging
  population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social
  security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers.
  Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict
  regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a
  national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate
  restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the
  foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term
  challenges of European economic integration and globalization,
  particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. In
  the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise
  in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.9% industry: 29.6% services: 69.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2.8% industry: 33.4% services: 63.8% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 25.1% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.249 trillion
  expenditures: $1.362 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle,
pigs, poultry

Industries:
  among the world's largest and most technologically advanced
  producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,
  vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages,
  shipbuilding, textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 61.8% hydro: 4.2% nuclear: 29.9% other: 4.1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures,
foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners:
France 10.2%, US 8.8%, UK 7.9%, Italy 6.9%, Netherlands 6.1%,
Belgium 5.6%, Austria 5.4%, Spain 5.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals

Imports - partners:
France 8.7%, Netherlands 8.5%, US 6.6%, China 6.4%, UK 6.3%, Italy
5.7%, Belgium 5%, Austria 4% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
  technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
  intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
  backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to
  World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the
  western part
  domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
  telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
  cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
  satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available,
  expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign
  countries
  international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is
  excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable
  facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat,
  Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 332 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 54 1,524 to 2,437 m: 58 914 to 1,523 m: 72 under 914 m: 135 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 222 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 185 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 37 km; gas 25,035 km; oil 3,546 km; refined products
3,827 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 47,201 km
  standard gauge: 46,948 km 1.435-m gauge (19,674 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 229 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km
  0.750-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 231,581 km
paved: 231,581 km (including 12,200 km of expressways) (2005)

Waterways:
  7,467 km
  note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North
  Sea and Black Sea (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 394 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,017,754 GRT/13,091,194 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 60, chemical tanker 13, container
  273, liquefied gas 3, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 25, petroleum
  tanker 10, roll on/roll off 3
  foreign-owned: 4 (Finland 2, Italy 1, Switzerland 1)
  registered in other countries: 2,491 (Antigua and Barbuda 858,
  Australia 3, Bahamas 22, Belize 3, Bermuda 21, Brazil 7, Bulgaria 1,
  Burma 5, Canada 3, Cayman Islands 13, Cyprus 214, Denmark 13,
  Dominica 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Georgia 1,
  Gibraltar 108, Guyana 1, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Ireland 2, Isle
  of Man 56, Jamaica 3, Liberia 587, Luxembourg 10, Malaysia 2, Malta
  64, Marshall Islands 194, Morocco 2, Netherlands 56, Netherlands
  Antilles 60, NZ 1, Panama 35, Portugal 17, Russia 2, Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines 8, Samoa 1, Singapore 9, Spain 12, Sri Lanka 5,
  Sweden 3, Turkey 1, UK 76, US 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bremen, Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Duisburg, Frankfurt, Hamburg,
Karlsruhe, Mainz, Rostock, Wilhemshaven

Military branches:
  Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche
  Marine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe), Joint
  Service Support Command (Streitkraeftebasis), Central Medical
  Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of compulsory
military service) (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,917,537
females age 18-49: 17,913,113 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,258,931
females age 18-49: 14,443,412 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 497,048
females age 18-49: 470,537 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine
  processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian
  heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic
  drugs; major financial center

Background:
  Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and
  the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first
  sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A
  long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution
  in 1981 and a ban on political parties. A new constitution,
  restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry
  RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in
  1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a
  third term in 2000. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President
  Atta MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire
and Togo

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,094 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo
  877 km

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

Climate:
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and
humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Natural resources:
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,
rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Natural hazards:
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts

Environment - current issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water

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

Population:
  22,409,572
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.8% (male 4,395,744/female 4,288,720)
  15-64 years: 57.7% (male 6,450,828/female 6,483,781)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 371,428/female 419,071) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.9 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 55.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 59.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 58.87 years
  male: 58.07 years
  female: 59.69 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
African 98.5% (includes Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga
8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)

Languages:
English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74.8%
  male: 82.7%
  female: 67.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
  conventional short form: Ghana
  former: Gold Coast

Capital:
  name: Accra
  geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra,
Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western

Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January
  2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January
  2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject
  to approval by Parliament
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
  election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in
  election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seats
  in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10

Political parties and leaders:
  Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general
  secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA,
  chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY];
  National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National
  Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary];
  New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's
  Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman];
  People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE];
  People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party
  [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer),
  OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR,
  UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKU
  chancery: 1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
  embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra
  mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
  telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348
  FAX: [233] (21) 701-813

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a
  large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the
  popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of
  Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band

Economy - overview:
  Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the
  per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so,
  Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and
  technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major
  sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to
  revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34% of
  GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders.
  Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country
  (HIPC) program in 2002, but was included in a G-8 debt relief
  program decided upon at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005.
  Priorities under its current $38 million Poverty Reduction and
  Growth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and fiscal policies,
  accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services.
  Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2005
  along with record high prices for Ghana's largest cocoa crop to
  date. Inflation should ease but remains a major internal problem.
  Ghana also remains a candidate country to benefit from Millennium
  Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding that could assist in
  transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector. A final decision on
  its MCC bid is expected in spring 2006.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 36.6% industry: 24.6% services: 38.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 60% industry: 15% services: 25% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.216 billion
  expenditures: $3.506 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts,
bananas; timber

Industries:
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food
processing, cement, small commercial ship building

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 5% hydro: 95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore,
diamonds

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 12.6%, UK 8.3%, US 6.7%, Belgium 5.8%, France 5.7%,
Germany 4.5% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Nigeria 15.4%, China 12.7%, US 6.4%, UK 5.3%, Netherlands 4.1%,
South Africa 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
cedis per US dollar - 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4
(2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many
  rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is
  underway
  domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has
  been installed
  international: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel
  system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable
  (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Waterways:
  1,293 km
  note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano
  rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta
  (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,808,451
females age 18-49: 4,762,459 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,011,081
females age 18-49: 2,991,551 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 251,056
females age 18-49: 247,777 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 40,853 (Liberia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
  major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a
  lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the
  US; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but the lack of a
  well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility
  as a money-laundering center

Background:
  Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great
  Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison
  was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in
  1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British
  dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar
  states that the British government will never allow the people of
  Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against
  their freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talks
  were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing
  temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these
  talks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002
  in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any
  sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite
  talks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in
  September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to
  allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed up
  customs procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar.
  Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in
  Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to
  open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly.

Location:
  Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links
  the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern
  coast of Spain

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Environment - current issues:
  limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural
  rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking
  water) and adequate desalination plant

Geography - note:
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North
Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.5% (male 2,499/female 2,388)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 9,443/female 8,999)
  65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,059/female 2,540) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.8 years
  male: 39.4 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.8 years
  male: 76.92 years
  female: 82.83 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North
Africans

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%,
  Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none
  2.9% (2001 census)

Languages:
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish,
Italian, Portuguese

Capital:
  name: Gibraltar
  geographic coordinates: 39 11 N, 5 22 W
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

National holiday:
National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national
referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who have
been residents six months or more

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October 2006)
  head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected
  members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation
  with the chief minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed chief minister by the governor

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular
  vote, 1 appointed for the Speaker, and 2 ex officio members; members
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later
  than February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%;
  seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7

Political parties and leaders:
  Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats
  or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP
  [Joseph John BOSSANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization;
Women's Association

Flag description:
  two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a
  three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging
  from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band

Economy - overview:
  Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping
  trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international
  conference center. The British military presence has been sharply
  reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared
  with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million
  visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer
  goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping
  sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP.
  Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years,
  Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a
  private sector economy, but changes in government spending still
  have a major impact on the level of employment.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: negligible industry: 40% services: 60%

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

Budget:
  revenues: $307 million
  expenditures: $284 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY00/01 est.)

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

Exports - commodities:
(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%,
other 8%

Exports - partners:
UK 30.8%, Spain 22.7%, Germany 13.7%, Turkmenistan 10.4%,
Switzerland 8.3%, Italy 6.7% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Spain 23.4%, Russia 12.3%, Italy 12%, UK 9%, France 8.9%,
Netherlands 6.8%, US 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
  (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and
  adequate international facilities
  domestic: automatic exchange facilities
  international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio
  relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Merchant marine:
  total: 180 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,129,379 GRT/1,437,754 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 1, cargo 105, chemical tanker
  26, container 26, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off
  6, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 165 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Finland 3,
  France 1, Germany 108, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Ireland 1, Italy 6,
  Latvia 2, Netherlands 5, Norway 18, Sweden 5, UK 4) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 187 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular
  infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal
  Gibraltar Regiment

Disputes - international:
  in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
  reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of
  Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and
  Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater
  autonomy

Background:
  Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829.
  During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the
  20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and
  territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II,
  Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied
  by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war
  between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the
  latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military
  dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and
  forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974
  democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary
  republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981 Greece joined the EC
  (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.

Location:
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the
Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,228 km
  border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km,
  Macedonia 246 km

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

Terrain:
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas
or chains of islands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m

Natural resources:
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel,
magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

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

Geography - note:
  strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach
  to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago
  of about 2,000 islands

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.3% (male 790,291/female 742,902)
  15-64 years: 66.7% (male 3,562,251/female 3,566,097)
  65 years and over: 19% (male 891,620/female 1,134,897) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.8 years
  male: 39.7 years
  female: 42 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.24 years
  male: 76.72 years
  female: 81.91 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Greek 98%, Turkish and other 2%
  note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in
  Greece

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.5%
  male: 98.6%
  female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

People - note:
women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece for
the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor

Country name:
  conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
  conventional short form: Greece
  local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
  local short form: Ellas or Ellada
  former: Kingdom of Greece

Capital:
  name: Athens
  geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous region*;
  Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Argolis,
  Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chanion, Chios, Dodekanisos,
  Drama, Evros, Evrytania, Evvoia, Florina, Fokidos, Fthiotis,
  Grevena, Ileia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Karditsa, Kastoria,
  Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Kyklades,
  Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lefkas, Lesvos, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella,
  Pieria, Preveza, Rethynnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia,
  Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos

Legal system:
  based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil,
  criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas) KARAMANLIS
  (since 7 March 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005
  (next to be held by February 2010); according to the Greek
  Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president
  appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election
  to become prime minister and form a government
  election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of
  parlimentary votes, 279 out of 300

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are
  elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: elections last held 7 March 2004 (next to be held by
  March 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%,
  KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE
  12, Synaspismos 6

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges
  appointed for life by the president after consultation with a
  judicial council

Political parties and leaders:
  Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos ALAVANOS];
  Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New Democracy or
  ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist
  Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU]; Popular Orthodox Rally or
  LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos
  POLYZOGOPOULOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas
  KYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros
  PAPASPYROS]

International organization participation:
  Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU,
  FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
  OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WEU,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros P. MALLIAS
  chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
  FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San
  Francisco, Tampa
  consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles P. RIES embassy: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282 consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki

Flag description:
  nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there
  is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white
  cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established
  religion of the country

Economy - overview:
  Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector accounting
  for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP at least 75% of the
  leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP. Immigrants
  make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in menial jobs.
  Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of
  annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the between
  2003 and 2005, largely because of an investment boom and
  infrastructure upgrades for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Economic
  growth slowed to about 3% in 2005. Greece has not met the EU's
  Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of 3% of GDP since
  2000. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the
  euro-zone average. To overcome these challenges, the Greek
  Government is expected to continue cutting government spending,
  reducing the size of the public sector, and reforming the labor and
  pension systems.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.4% industry: 21.3% services: 73.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 12% industry: 20% services: 68% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 28.3% (1998 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $94.13 billion
  expenditures: $103.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco,
potatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries:
tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal
products; mining, petroleum

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 94.5% hydro: 3.8% nuclear: 0% other: 1.7% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products,
chemicals, textiles

Exports - partners:
Germany 12.4%, Italy 10.4%, UK 6.7%, Bulgaria 5.9%, US 5.3%, Cyprus
5.2%, Turkey 5.1%, France 4.2% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Germany 12.7%, Italy 12.4%, Russia 7.8%, France 5.7%, Netherlands
5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good
  mobile telephone and international service
  domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire
  connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
  international: country code - 30; tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine
  cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and
  1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Television broadcast stations:
36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US
Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 66 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,571 km
  standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge
  dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail
  system) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 116,470 km
  paved: 106,920 km (including 880 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,550 km (1999)

Waterways:
  6 km
  note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens
  sea voyage by 325 km (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 817 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,895,832 GRT/54,341,584 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 270, cargo 61, chemical tanker 47, container
  47, liquefied gas 5, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 114, petroleum
  tanker 244, roll on/roll off 17, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 24 (Belgium 12, Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 1, UK 9, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 2,363 (Bahamas 232, Barbados 11,
  Belgium 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 2, Cambodia 8, Cayman Islands 21,
  Comoros 10, Cyprus 337, Denmark 5, Dominica 5, Egypt 6, Georgia 8,
  Gibraltar 7, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 27, Isle of Man 45, Italy 6,
  Jamaica 6, North Korea 1, Lebanon 3, Liberia 267, Malta 495,
  Marshall Islands 199, Norway 1, Panama 524, Philippines 5, Portugal
  4, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 82, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Singapore 9, Slovakia 4, UAE
  2, UK 7, Uruguay 1, US 1, Venezuela 3, unknown 7) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Agioitheodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Irakleion, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki

Military branches:
  Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Ellinikos
  Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polimiki
  Aeroporia, EPA) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for the Army, Air Force; 15 months for Navy; women are eligible for military service (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,459,988
females age 18-49: 2,442,818 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,018,557
females age 18-49: 2,000,650 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 58,399
females age 18-49: 55,571 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex
  maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea;
  Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of the name
  Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Illicit drugs:
  a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin
  from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor
  chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is
  consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and
  organized crime

Background:
  Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice-capped.
  Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish
  colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an
  integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community
  (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a
  dispute over stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted
  self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament. The law went into
  effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of
  Greenland's foreign affairs.

Location:
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the
North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

Area:
  total: 2,166,086 sq km
  land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km
  ice-covered) (2000 est.)

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Terrain:
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunnbjorn 3,700 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium,
fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Environment - current issues:
protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit
traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

Geography - note:
  dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe;
  sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but
  close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk;
  world's second largest ice cap

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 24.5% (male 7,072/female 6,740)
  15-64 years: 68.9% (male 20,904/female 17,919)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 1,768/female 1,958) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34 years
  male: 35.3 years
  female: 32.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.94 years
  male: 66.36 years
  female: 73.6 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish and
others 12% (2000)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2001 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Greenland local long form: none local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark since 1979

Capital:
  name: Nuuk (Godthab)
  geographic coordinates: 64 11 N, 51 44 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Greenland is divided into four time zones

Administrative divisions:
  3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu
  (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
  note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland

Independence:
  none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the
  responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in
  international agreements relating to Greenland)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January
  1972), represented by High Commissioner Soren MOLLER (since April
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December
  2002)
  cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the parliament
  (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed
  by the monarch; prime minister is elected by parliament (usually the
  leader of the majority party); election last held 3 December 2002
  (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
  note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Landstinget (31 seats; members are elected
  by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held on 15 November 2005 (next to be held by
  December 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 30.7%,
  Demokratiit 22.8%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.6%, Atassut Party 19.1%;
  Katusseqatigiit 4.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - Siumut 10,
  Demokratiit 7, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Atassut 6, Katusseqatigiit 1
  note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or
  Folketing on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009);
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit
  Ataqatigiit 1

Judicial branch:
High Court or Landsret (appeals can be made to the Ostre Landsret
or Eastern Division of the High Court or Supreme Court in Copenhagen)

Political parties and leaders:
  Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing
  close relations with Denmark) [Finn KARLSEN]; Demokratiit [Per
  BERTHELSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood, a leftist
  party favoring complete independence from Denmark rather than home
  rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Issituup (Polar Party) [Nicolai HEINRICH];
  Kattusseqatigiit (Candidate List, an independent right-of-center
  party with no official platform; Siumut (Forward Party, a social
  democratic party advocating more distinct Greenlandic identity and
  greater autonomy from Denmark) [Hans ENOKSEN]

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk
  slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is
  red, the bottom half is white

Economy - overview:
  The economy remains critically dependent on exports of fish and
  substantial support from the Danish Government, which supplies about
  half of government revenues. The public sector, including
  publicly-owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the
  dominant role in the economy. Despite several interesting
  hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take a
  number of years before production can materialize. Tourism is the
  only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is
  limited due to a short season and high costs.

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

Budget:
  revenues: $646 million
  expenditures: $629 million; including capital expenditures of $85
  million (1999)

Agriculture - products:
forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer;
fish

Industries:
  fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold,
  niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts,
  hides and skins, small shipyards

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100%
  hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0%
  note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil
  fuel to hydropower production (2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
petroleum products

Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877
(2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate domestic and international service
  provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay; totally
  digitalized in 1995
  domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
  international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 12
  Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Television broadcast stations:
1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations, and three
AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: NA
  note: while there are short roads in towns, there are no roads
  between towns; inter-town transport takes place either by sea or air
  (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,540 GRT/2,540 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger 2
  registered in other countries: 2 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 1) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 440 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland

Background:
  Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the island
  in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The
  French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar
  estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took
  the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the
  19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export
  crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In
  1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full
  independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest
  independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized
  by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the
  island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean
  nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds
  of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following
  year and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck
  Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean,
north of Trinidad and Tobago

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Natural hazards:
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to
November

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

Geography - note:
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 33.4% (male 15,097/female 14,820)
  15-64 years: 63.4% (male 30,106/female 26,764)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,394/female 1,522) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.7 years
  male: 22.1 years
  female: 21.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.87 years
  male: 63.06 years
  female: 66.68 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian
5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003 est.)

Capital:
  name: Saint George's
  geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*,
  Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark,
  Saint Patrick

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June
  1995)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body, 10
  appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition)
  and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by
  November 2008)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - NNP 46.65%, NDC 44.12%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7

Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal
  and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and
  resides in Grenada)

Political parties and leaders:
  Good Old Democracy or GOD [Justin MCBURNIE]; Grenada United Labor
  Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic Congress
  or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL];
  People Labor Movement or PLM [Dr. Francis ALEXIS]

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
  ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561 FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to
  Grenada
  embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's
  mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's
  telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176
  FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820

Flag description:
  a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and
  bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red
  border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars
  with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the
  bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center
  of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side
  triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg,
  after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative
  divisions

Economy - overview:
  Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange,
  especially since the construction of an international airport in
  1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing,
  together with the development of an offshore financial industry,
  have also contributed to growth in national output.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.4% industry: 18% services: 76.6% (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 24% industry: 14% services: 62% (1999 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $85.8 million
  expenditures: $102.1 million; including capital expenditures of $28
  million (1997)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops,
sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Industries:
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism,
construction

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

Exports - commodities:
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace

Exports - partners:
  Saint Lucia 12.1%, US 11.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.2%, Germany
  7.9%, Netherlands 7.8%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 7.4%, Dominica 7.4%, UK
  6.8%, France 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
  domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
  international: country code - 1-473; new SHF radiotelephone links to
  Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to
  Trinidad

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

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,274 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for
marijuana and cocaine to US

Background:
  Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of
  Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is
  named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its
  northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe

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

Area:
  total: 1,780 sq km
  land: 1,706 sq km
  water: 74 sq km
  note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands,
  including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade,
  Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and
  Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)

Land boundaries: total: 15 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km

Terrain:
  Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains;
  Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other
  islands are volcanic in origin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m

Natural hazards:
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active
volcano

Geography - note:
  a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into
  two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller,
  eastern Grande-Terre

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.6% (male 54,725/female 52,348)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 150,934/female 153,094)
  65 years and over: 9.2% (male 17,353/female 24,322) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 32.2 years
  male: 31.3 years
  female: 33.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.06 years
  male: 74.91 years
  female: 81.37 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less
than 5%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90%
  male: 90%
  female: 90% (1982 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
  conventional short form: Guadeloupe
  local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
  local short form: Guadeloupe

Capital:
  name: Basse-Terre
  geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 61 44 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 12 June 2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT
  (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Victorin
  LUREL (since 2 April 2004)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and
  Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
  election results: NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the
  unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held March 2004 (next to be held
  by in 2010); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be
  held in March 2008 to elect half of the body)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6,
  right-wing candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council (second
  round) - percent of vote by party - PS 58.4%, UMP 41.6%; seats by
  party - PS 29, UMP 12
  note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate;
  elections last held September 2004 (next to be held September 2013);
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA, Guadeloupe
  elects four representatives to the French National Assembly;
  elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007);
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1,
  different right parties 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe,
French Guiana, and Martinique

Political parties and leaders:
  Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS [Dominique
  LARIFLA]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Flavien FERRANT]; Progressive
  Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Socialist Party or PS
  [Jules OTTO]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Claudine LACAVE];
  Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including Rassemblement pour la
  Republique or RPR) [Gabrielle LOUIS-CARABIN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG;
  General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of
  Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or
  MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement

Flag description:
  unofficial, local flag based upon the arms of the city of
  Pointe-a-Pitre; the field is divided horizontally with a narrow,
  blue stripe along the top edge charged with three gold
  fleurs-de-lis; the wider, lower portion of the field is black and
  charged with green sugar cane leaves - representing one of
  Guadeloupe's main crops - surmounted by a gold radiant sun
  representing the tropical climate; the only official flag is the
  national flag of France

Economy - overview:
  This Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light
  industry, and services. It also depends on France for large
  subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists
  from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the
  islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by
  other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export
  earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops
  are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still
  dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry
  features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel
  are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
  Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15% industry: 17% services: 68% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 15% industry: 20% services: 65% (2002)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $637.7 million
  expenditures: $680.1 million; including capital expenditures of
  $112.5 million (2002)

Agriculture - products: bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

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

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods,
construction materials

Imports - partners:
France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2%
(2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies (2004)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 590; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and
  Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

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

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 3,364 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the Japanese
  in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The military
  installation on the island is one of the most strategically
  important US bases in the Pacific.

Location:
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of
the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Climate:
  tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast
  trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to
  December); little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
  volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
  coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
  coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
  center, mountains in south

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m

Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Natural hazards:
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but
potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)

Environment - current issues:
extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of
the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species

Geography - note:
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago;
strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 29% (male 25,703/female 23,903)
  15-64 years: 64.3% (male 56,020/female 53,894)
  65 years and over: 6.7% (male 5,391/female 6,108) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.6 years
  male: 28.3 years
  female: 28.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.58 years
  male: 75.52 years
  female: 81.83 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Chamorro 37.1%, Filipino 26.3%, other Pacific islander 11.3%, white
  6.9%, other Asian 6.3%, other ethnic origin or race 2.3%, mixed 9.8%
  (2000 census)

Languages:
  English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%, other
  Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages 7%, other languages
  3.5% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (1990 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Territory of Guam
  conventional short form: Guam
  local long form: Guahan
  local short form: Guahan

Dependency status:
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations
  between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of
  Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Capital:
  name: Hagatna (Agana)
  geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 45 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US
presidential elections

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
  January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
  2001)
  head of government: Governor Felix P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003)
  and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo MOYLAN (since 6 January 2003)
  cabinet: heads of executive departments; appointed by the governor
  with the consent of the Guam legislature
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president
  and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the
  same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (can serve two
  consecutive terms, then must wait a full term before running again);
  election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
  election results: Felix P. CAMACHO reelected governor; Dr. Michael
  W. CRUZ elected lieutenant governor; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7
  note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of
  Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
  November 2008); results - Madeleine BORDALLO (Democratic Party) was
  reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
  - Democratic Party 1

Judicial branch:
  Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president);
  Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by
  the governor)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican Party
(controls the legislature) [leader Philip J. FLORES]

Flag description:
  territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four
  sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse
  containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree
  with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the
  national flag

Economy - overview:
  The economy depends largely on US military spending and tourism.
  Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays amounted to
  $1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the tourist industry
  has grown to become the largest income source following national
  defense. The Guam economy continues to experience expansion in both
  its tourism and military sectors.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 26% industry: 10% services: 64% (2004 est.)

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

Industries:
US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services,
concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

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

Exports - commodities:
mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction
materials, fish, food and beverage products

Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Singapore 50%, South Korea 21.4%, Japan 14%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
  Guam receives large transfer payments from the US Federal Treasury
  ($143 million in 1997) into which Guamanians pay no income or excise
  taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guam
  Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes
  paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam
  (2001 est.)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system, integrated with US facilities
  for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
  domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
  and local access to the Internet
  international: country code - 1-671; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is
  a trans-Pacific communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and
  GTE, linking the US and Asia)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Background:
  The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding
  regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three
  centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in
  1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a
  variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year
  guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement
  formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000
  people dead and had created some 1 million refugees.

Location:
  Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El
  Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean
  Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,687 km
  border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256
  km, Mexico 962 km

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

Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone
plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural hazards:
  numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent
  earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and
  other tropical storms

Environment - current issues:
deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.1% (male 2,573,359/female 2,479,098)
  15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,353,630/female 3,468,184)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 194,784/female 224,490) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.5 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.38 years
  male: 67.65 years
  female: 71.18 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino)
  and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi
  6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001
  census)

Languages:
  Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized
  Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam,
  Garifuna, and Xinca)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 70.6%
  male: 78%
  female: 63.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
  conventional short form: Guatemala
  local long form: Republica de Guatemala
  local short form: Guatemala

Capital:
  name: Guatemala
  geographic coordinates: 14 38 N, 90 31 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last
  Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009

Administrative divisions:
  22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta
  Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso,
  Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten,
  Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa
  Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa

Constitution:
  31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May
  1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993
  following ouster of president; amended November 1993

Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces
may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since
  14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14
  January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
  (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas
  (since 14 January 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 November
  2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
  election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of
  vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica
  (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
  note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional
  seats increased from 113 to 158

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's
  highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year
  terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the
  Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the
  Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the president, one
  elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala,
  and one by Colegio de Abogados); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte
  Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and
  elect a president of the Court each year from among their number;
  the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial
  judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
  Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Grand
  National Alliance or GANA (an alliance of smaller parties) [Alfredo
  VILA Giron, secretary general]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES
  Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO
  Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Alba
  ESTELA Maldonado, secretary general]; Guatemalan Republican Front or
  FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan Unity or MGU
  [Jacobo ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principals and Values or
  MPV [Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel
  LOPEZ Rodas, secretary general]; National Unity for Hope or UNE
  [Alvarado COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN (formed by
  an alliance of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of whom
  subsequently defected) [led by three co-equal partners - Nineth
  Varenca MONTENEGRO Cottom, Rodolfo BAUER Paiz, and Jorge Antonio
  BALSELLS TUT]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina];
  Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina];
  Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general];
  Unionista Party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI;
  Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of
  Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or
  CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO
  chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New York, Providence, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James M. DERHAM embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City mailing address: APO AA 34024 telephone: [502] 2326-4000 FAX: [502] 2326-4654

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and
  light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the
  coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird)
  and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE
  1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed
  on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed
  by a wreath

Economy - overview:
  Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American
  countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil,
  Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about
  one-fourth of GDP, two-thirds of exports, and half of the labor
  force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996
  signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed
  a major obstacle to foreign investment, but widespread political
  violence and corruption scandals continue to dampen investor
  confidence. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with
  perhaps 75% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing
  challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating
  further assistance from international donors, upgrading both
  government and private financial operations, curtailing drug
  trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22.7% industry: 18.8% services: 58.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 50% industry: 15% services: 35% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 46% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.374 billion
  expenditures: $4.041 billion; including capital expenditures of $750
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep,
pigs, chickens

Industries:
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum,
metals, rubber, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.9% hydro: 35.2% nuclear: 0% other: 12.9% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables,
cardamom

Exports - partners:
US 50.1%, El Salvador 12.1%, Honduras 7.3%, Mexico 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials,
grain, fertilizers, electricity

Imports - partners:
US 38.1%, Mexico 7.6%, El Salvador 4.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Panama
4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
quetzales per US dollar - 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409
(2003), 7.8217 (2002), 7.8586 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of
  Guatemala
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 502; connected to Central American
  Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
  Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 11
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 439
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 111
  under 914 m: 319 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 14,095 km
  paved: 4,863 km (including 75 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,232 km (1999)

Waterways:
  990 km
  note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable
  during high-water season (2004)

Military service age and obligation: all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24 months (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,429,033
females age 18-49: 2,503,482 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,911,412
females age 18-49: 2,070,806 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 134,032
females age 18-49: 130,641 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain forests of
  Belize's border region; Organization of American States (OAS) is
  attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a
  small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in
  Caribbean, a joint ecological park for the disputed Sapodilla Cays,
  and a substantial US-UK financial package; Guatemalans enter Mexico
  illegally seeking work or transit to the US

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 250,000 (government's scorched-earth offensive in 1980s
  against indigenous people) 30,000 (Hurricane "Stan" October 2005)
  (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2004, reemerged as
  a potential source of opium, growing 330 hectares of opium poppy,
  with potential pure heroin production of 1.4 metric tons; 76% of
  opium poppy cultivation in western highlands along Mexican border;
  marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to
  Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly
  for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a
  major problem

Background:
  The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the
  last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway
  in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil
  occupied by German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British
  crown dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Area:
  total: 78 sq km
  land: 78 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other
  smaller islands

Climate:
temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are
overcast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170)
  65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 41.3 years
  male: 40.4 years
  female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.42 years
  male: 77.41 years
  female: 83.53 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other
European countries

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational,
Methodist

Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey

Capital:
  name: Saint Peter Port
  geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint
  Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint
  Saviour, Torteval, Vale

Legal system:
English law and local statutes; justice is administered by the
Royal Court

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28
  October 2005)
  head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
  cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
  by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion
  election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of
  vote of the States of Deliberation NA

Legislative branch:
  unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have their
  own parliaments
  elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Flag description:
  white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England)
  extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of
  William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross

Economy - overview:
  Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account
  for about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel
  Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly
  tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death
  duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic
  integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under
  which Guernsey operates.

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

Budget:
  revenues: $539.2 million
  expenditures: $448.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2002)

Agriculture - products:
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit;
Guernsey cattle

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Exports - commodities:
tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other
vegetables

Exchange rates:
  Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
  (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: 1 submarine cable

Background:
  Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence
  from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the
  military seized the government after the death of the first
  president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections
  until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was
  elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in
  1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has
  spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade,
  threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Land boundaries: total: 3,399 km border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Climate:
  generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to
  November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May)
  with northeasterly harmattan winds

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water;
  desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing,
  overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to
  environmental damage

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

Geography - note:
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources
in the Guinean highlands

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,171,733/female 2,128,027)
  15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,541,140/female 2,542,847)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 134,239/female 172,236) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.7 years
  male: 17.4 years
  female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is
  host to approximately 141,500 refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia,
  and Sierra Leone (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 90 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 95.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 84.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 49.5 years
  male: 48.34 years
  female: 50.7 years (2006 est.)

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 35.9%
  male: 49.9%
  female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
  conventional short form: Guinea
  local long form: Republique de Guinee
  local short form: Guinee
  former: French Guinea

Capital:
  name: Conakry
  geographic coordinates: 9 31 N, 13 43 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*; Beyla, Boffa,
  Boke, Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah,
  Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia,
  Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma, Lola,
  Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele,
  Tougue, Yomou

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal
  codes currently being revised; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
  with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military
  government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)
  head of government: vacant; note - Prime Minister Cellou Dalein
  DIALLO was dismissed on 5 April 2006
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); candidate must receive a majority of the votes
  cast to be elected president; election last held 21 December 2003
  (next to be held December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by
  the president
  election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote
  - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
  Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%,
  other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El
  Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or
  UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP
  [Lansana CONTE] (the governing party); People's Party of Guinea or
  PPG [Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha
  CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou BA];
  Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for Progress
  of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for
  Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ibrihama
  Sory TRAORE
  chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300
  FAX: [1] (202) 478-3800

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson C. MCDONALD embassy: Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle mailing address: B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry telephone: [224] 30-42-08-61 FAX: [224] 30-42-08-73

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural
  resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country
  possesses almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the
  second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for
  over 70% of exports in 2004. Long-run improvements in government
  fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if
  the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra
  Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have
  caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in investor
  confidence. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation
  and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving
  multilateral aid; the IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in
  2003. Growth rose slightly in 2005, primarily due to increases in
  global demand and commodity prices on world markets.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.7% industry: 36.2% services: 40.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 32% (1994)

Budget:
  revenues: $305.6 million
  expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas,
sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber

Industries:
bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and
agricultural processing industries

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 45.5% hydro: 54.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural
products

Exports - partners:
Russia 14.6%, South Korea 11.3%, Spain 10.2%, Ukraine 7.9%, US
6.1%, Ireland 6%, France 5.7%, Germany 5%, Belgium 4.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment,
textiles, grain and other foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
China 8.5%, US 7.3%, France 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Italy 4.7%,
Belgium 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9
(2003), 1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small
  radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay
  system
  domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication
  international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave
3 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 5
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 11
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 837 km
  standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 24 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,852,534
females age 18-49: 1,827,560 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,034,006
females age 18-49: 1,032,885 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in
  neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in
  domestic instability; Sierra Leone has pressured Guinea to remove
  its forces from the town of Yenga, occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 127,256 (Liberia) 7,165 (Sierra
  Leone) 7,064 (Cote d'Ivoire)
  IDPs: 82,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone,
  Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)

Background:
  Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has
  experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a
  military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo
  'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market
  economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by
  the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political
  rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s
  failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the
  country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting
  civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In
  February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to
  opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected president in
  transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in
  office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and
  businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In
  August 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president in the
  second round of presidential polling. Since formally assuming office
  in October 2005, Vieira has pledged to pursue economic development
  and national reconciliation.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea
and Senegal

Climate:
  tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season
  (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to
  May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the
  country 300 m

Natural resources:
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone,
unexploited deposits of petroleum

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season; brush fires

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

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

Geography - note:
this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying
further inland

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.4% (male 297,623/female 298,942)
  15-64 years: 55.6% (male 384,559/female 417,811)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 18,048/female 25,046) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19 years
  male: 18.4 years
  female: 19.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 105.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 115.53 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 46.87 years
  male: 45.05 years
  female: 48.75 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga
13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 42.4%
  male: 58.1%
  female: 27.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
  conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
  local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
  local short form: Guine-Bissau
  former: Portuguese Guinea

Capital:
  name: Bissau
  geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau,
  Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have
  been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Independence:
24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10
September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

Constitution:
16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993,
9 June 1993, NA 1996

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA (since 1
  October 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Aristides GOMES (since 2 November
  2005)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 24 July 2005 (next to be held
  in 2010); prime minister appointed by the president after
  consultation with party leaders in the legislature
  election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of
  vote, second ballot - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52.4%, Malan Bacai SANHA
  47.6%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional
  Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve a
  maximum of four years)
  elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%,
  PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by
  party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine
  justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final
  court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one
  in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court
  decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over
  $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained
  lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal
  cases)

Political parties and leaders:
  African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde
  or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Democratic Social Front or FDS;
  Electoral Union or UE; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD
  [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Alberto NAMBEIA];
  Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president, Dr. Anne SAAD,
  secretary general]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD,
  FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United
  Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco Jose FADUL]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF,
  OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional),
  WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note - Guinea-Bissau does
  not have official representation in Washington, DC; Guinea-Bissau's
  representative in Washington is Henrique Adriano DA SILVA, P.O. Box
  33813, Washington, DC 20033, telephone: (301)947-3958

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of
  violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and
  military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to
  Guinea-Bissau

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a
  vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed
  star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors
  of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends
  mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased
  remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in
  cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with
  small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the
  major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between
  Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed
  much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to
  the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that
  year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade
  reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the
  country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The
  tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private
  sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high
  costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral
  resources is not a near-term prospect. However, offshore oil
  prospecting has begun and could lead to much-needed revenue in the
  long run. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most
  extreme in the world. The government and international donors
  continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a
  lamentably low base. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP
  were forced to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the
  amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total
  national budget. Government drift and indecision, however, have
  resulted in continued low growth in 2002-05.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 62% industry: 12% services: 26% (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 82% industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm
kernels, cotton; timber; fish

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

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Italy 25.3%, Senegal 18.6%, Portugal 15.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.3%
(2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
  (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
  note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the
  euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Telephone system:
  general assessment: small system
  domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
  radiotelephone, and cellular communications
  international: country code - 245

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 25
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Waterways:
four largest rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets
and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2006)

Military branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and
Air Force), paramilitary force

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 287,542
females age 18-49: 297,295 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 152,681
females age 18-49: 161,033 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling,
  and political instability from a separatist movement in Senegal's
  Casamance region

Background:
  Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had
  become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black
  settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants
  from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide
  has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved
  independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled
  mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was
  elected president in what is considered the country's first free and
  fair election since independence. After his death five years later,
  his wife, Jane JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to
  poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Suriname and Venezuela

Land boundaries: total: 2,462 km border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
  margin

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy
seasons (May to August, November to January)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial
chemicals; deforestation

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

Geography - note:
  the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and
  Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories
  are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

Population:
  767,245
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.2% (male 102,551/female 98,772)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 265,193/female 260,892)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 17,043/female 22,794) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.4 years
  male: 26.9 years
  female: 27.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 32.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 35.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.86 years
  male: 63.21 years
  female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and
mixed 7%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
  conventional short form: Guyana
  former: British Guiana

Capital:
  name: Georgetown
  geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East
  Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice,
  Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper
  Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Legal system:
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999);
  note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN
  and reelected in 2001, and again in 2006
  head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992,
  except for a period as chief of state after the death of President
  Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
  responsible to the legislature
  elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party
  list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every
  five years (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006
  (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of
  vote 54.6%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (65 members elected by popular vote,
  also not more than four non-elected non-voting ministers and two
  non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the
  president; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%,
  AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5,
  other 2

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the
  Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the
  Caribbean Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN];
  Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N.
  SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman
  Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat
  JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United
  Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision
  Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert
  ROOPNARAINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana
  Bar Association; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public
  Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union
  Congress

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC,
  OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
  chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David M. ROBINSON embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170 telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497

Flag description:
  green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side)
  superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black
  border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border
  between the yellow and the green

Economy - overview:
  The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02,
  based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more
  favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic
  exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of
  international organizations. Growth slowed in 2003 and came back
  gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings; it
  slowed again in 2005. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled
  labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a
  sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public
  investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near
  term from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings
  from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import
  bill has risen, driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance
  into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006
  might broaden the country's export market, primarily in the raw
  materials sector.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 37% industry: 20.3% services: 42.7% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $320.1 million
  expenditures: $362.6 million; including capital expenditures of
  $93.4 million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber

Exports - partners:
Canada 18.9%, US 18.9%, UK 11.7%, Portugal 8.1%, Jamaica 5.3%,
Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2005)

Imports - partners:
US 26.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 23.9%, Cuba 6.6%, UK 5%, China 4.1%
(2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)
$253 million (1997)

Exchange rates:
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004),
193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
  domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
  international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
  satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 81
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 14
  under 914 m: 65 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 187 km
  standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
  note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)

Waterways:
Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing
vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,461 GRT/15,155 DWT
  by type: cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  3, unknown 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps (2006)

Disputes - international:
  all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by
  Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana
  has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims
  before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with
  Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of
  land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute
  over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration
  under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
  to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of
  the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily
  Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money
  laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling

Background:
  The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of
  Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were
  virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the
  early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola,
  and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the
  island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on
  forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest
  in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African
  slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th
  century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint
  L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first
  black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The poorest
  country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by
  political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion
  led to the departure of President Jean-Betrand ARISTIDE in February
  2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections
  under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in
  Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays have
  prompted repeated postponements, and Haiti missed the
  constitutionally-mandated presidential inauguration date of 7
  February 2006.

Location:
  Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between
  the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
  Dominican Republic

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Land use:
  arable land: 28.11%
  permanent crops: 11.53%
  other: 60.36% (2005)

Natural hazards:
  lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
  storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
  periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
  extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is
  being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion;
  inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes

Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western
one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Population:
  8,308,504
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
  15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.2 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 18.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 71.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 53.23 years
  male: 51.89 years
  female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%,
  Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
  note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 52.9%
  male: 54.8%
  female: 51.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
  conventional short form: Haiti
  local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
  local short form: Haiti/Ayiti

Capital:
  name: Port-au-Prince
  geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite,
  Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud,
  Sud-Est

Constitution:
  approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles
  reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a
  military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991, military
  government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to
  constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution remains
  technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's
  departure in 2004

Legal system:
based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since 30
  May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
  the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 7 February
  2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the
  president, ratified by the National Assembly
  election results: Rene PREVAL elected president; percent of vote -
  Rene PREVAL 51%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the
  Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year
  terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
  Deputies (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate, the candidate
  in each department receiving the most votes in the last election
  serves six years, the candidate with the second most votes serves
  four years, and the candidate with the third most votes serves two
  years
  elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be
  determined (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be
  held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006,
  run-off elections to be determined (next regular election to be held
  in 2010)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS
  1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to run-off election; Chamber of Deputies
  - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION
  15, ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 3,KONBA 3,
  FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1, Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1,
  PLH 1, 13 seats subject to run-off election

Political parties and leaders:
  Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly of
  Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention
  for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action to
  Build Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance or
  ALYANS (coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL]; Effort and
  Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph
  JASME]; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]; Front for Hope or
  L'ESPWA (alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations
  Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central Plateau Peasants'
  Group, and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL]; Grand Center Right Front
  coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY];
  Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and
  Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic and Reform Movement or
  MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together or
  Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent Movement for National
  Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]; Justice for Peace and
  National Development or JPDN [Rigaud DUPLAN]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL
  [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL];
  Merging of Haitian Social Democratic Parties or FUSION or FPSDH
  (merged Ayiti Capable, Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and
  National Congress of Democratic Movements) [Serge GILLES];
  Mobilization for Haiti's Development or MPH [Samir MOURRA];
  Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY];
  Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean Henold BUTEAU];
  Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc
  BAZIN]; National Christian Union for the Reconstruction of Haiti or
  UNCRH [Marie Claude GERMAIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction
  of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; New Christian Movement for a New
  Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Anes
  LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude
  ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL
  [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition of MIDH and FL)
  [Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE
  [Edouard FRANCISQUE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole
  ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of
  Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or
  KOREGA; Group of 184 Civil Society Organizations, or G-184 [Andy
  APAID]; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement
  or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering
  Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church; Protestant Federation of Haiti

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of October 2005) chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090 FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 222-0200 FAX: [509] 223-9038

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered
  white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree
  flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto
  L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)

Economy - overview:
  In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the
  population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians
  depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence
  farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural
  disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
  The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth rate since 1999.
  Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a
  severe trade deficit. In early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the
  World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The
  government is reliant on formal international economic assistance
  for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of
  foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28% industry: 20% services: 52% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 3.6 million note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)

Unemployment rate:
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds
of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $400 million
  expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly
industries based on imported parts

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.3% hydro: 39.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels,
raw materials

Exchange rates:
gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367
(2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
  international facilities slightly better
  domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
  international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Military branches:
  the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force
  - have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless they are
  constitutionally abolished

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,626,491
females age 18-49: 1,637,657 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 948,320
females age 18-49: 931,972 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 98,554
females age 18-49: 97,690 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization
  Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite
  efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic
  privation and civil unrest continue to cross into the Dominican
  Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims
  US-administered Navassa Island

Illicit drugs:
  Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and
  Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
  traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions;
  pervasive corruption

Background:
  These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred
  from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal
  and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.

Location:
islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from
Madagascar to Antarctica

Terrain:
  Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by
  a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak);
  McDonald Islands - small and rocky

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m

Country name:
  conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
  Islands
  conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  abbreviation: HIMI

Dependency status:
  territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
  Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment
  and Heritage

Economy - overview:
No indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government
allows limited fishing around the islands.

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts
fisheries patrols

Background:
  Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula
  for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many
  of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of
  Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when
  Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner"
  popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties,
  which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted
  Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat
  between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier
  treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the
  Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include
  religious freedom, international development, the Middle East,
  terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the
  application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and
  globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic
  faith.

Climate:
temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry
summers (May to September)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location 19 m highest point: unnamed location 75 m

Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
  landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond
  the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929
  grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome
  and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel
  Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence)

Country name:
  conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)
  conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
  local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
  local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)

Capital:
  name: Vatican City
  geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Independence:
  11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed
  with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the
  full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial
  extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the
  years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the
  8th century

Constitution:
  new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November
  2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law
  of 1929)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
  head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE
  (since 15 September 2006)
  cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope
  elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals;
  election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of
  the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope
  election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI

Judicial branch:
  there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal
  matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues
  pertaining to the Holy See
  note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope
  PIUS XII on 1 May 1946

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)

International organization participation:
  CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS
  (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO,
  WToO (observer), WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francis ROONEY embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346

Flag description:
  two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms
  of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter
  surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white
  band

Economy - overview:
  This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an
  annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the
  world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale of postage stamps,
  coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to
  museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real
  estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The
  incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those
  of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.

Labor force - by occupation:
  note: essentially services with a small amount of industry;
  dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live
  outside the Vatican

Budget:
  revenues: $245.2 million
  expenditures: $260.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2002)

Industries:
  printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small
  amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and
  financial activities

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: automatic digital exchange
  domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
  international: country code - 39; uses Italian system

Military branches:
Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited
security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard

Background:
  Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became
  an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of
  mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to
  power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for
  anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government
  and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist
  guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998,
  which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion
  in damage.

Location:
  Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and
  Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean),
  between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,520 km
  border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua
  922 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Natural resources:
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal,
fish, hydropower

Natural hazards:
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to
damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Environment - current issues:
  urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and
  the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land
  degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development
  and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands;
  mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest
  source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with
  heavy metals

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline,
including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Population:
  7,326,496
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.9% (male 1,491,170/female 1,429,816)
  15-64 years: 56.7% (male 2,076,727/female 2,077,975)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 113,747/female 137,061) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.5 years
  male: 19.1 years
  female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 25.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.33 years
  male: 67.75 years
  female: 70.98 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black
2%, white 1%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 76.2%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 76.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
  conventional short form: Honduras
  local long form: Republica de Honduras
  local short form: Honduras

Capital:
  name: Tegucigalpa
  geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
  2007

Administrative divisions:
  18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida,
  Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco
  Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz,
  Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Legal system:
  rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of
  English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning
  Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system;
  accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January
  2006); First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27
  January 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); Third Vice President
  (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
  of government
  head of government: President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27
  January 2006); First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez
  (since 27 January 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); Third Vice
  President (vacant)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
  election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (PL) elected president -
  49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa (PN) 46.1%, other 4.1%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats;
  members are elected proportionally to the number of votes their
  party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL
  62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are
elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Saul ESCOBAR Andrade];
  Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Matias FUNES]; Liberal Party or
  PL [Patricia RODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU
  [Olban F. VALLADARES]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Gilberto
  GOLDSTEIN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH;
  Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of
  Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT;
  Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National
  Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of
  Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of
  Honduran Workers or CUTH

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
  (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS,
  OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermudez chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. FORD embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 236-9320, 238-5114 FAX: [504] 236-9037

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
  five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in
  the white band; the stars represent the members of the former
  Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador,
  Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El
  Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words
  REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white
  band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a
  triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
  AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere
  with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive
  unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the US-Central
  America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the
  Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The country has
  met most of its macroeconomic targets, and began a three-year IMF
  Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PGRF) program in February
  2004. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest
  trading partner, on continued exports of non-traditional
  agricultural products (such as melons, chiles, tilapia, and shrimp),
  and on reduction of the high crime rate.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.9% industry: 31.2% services: 54.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 34% industry: 21% services: 45% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.6% highest 10%: 42.7% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.693 billion
  expenditures: $1.938 billion; including capital expenditures of $106
  million (2005 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 50.2% hydro: 49.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials,
chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs (2000)

Exchange rates:
lempiras per US dollar - 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345
(2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 504; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
  System

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

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 105 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 84 (2006)

Railways: total: 699 km narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 136 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,984 GRT/557,179 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 61, chemical tanker 5, container 1,
  liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo
  9, petroleum tanker 29, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 4,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 43 (Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 4, Greece 3, Hong Kong
  2, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Qatar 1,
  Singapore 11, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, US 1, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary two-three year military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,537,232
females age 18-49: 1,515,120 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,100,991
females age 18-49: 1,121,649 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 82,105
females age 18-49: 78,971 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 1992, International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the
  delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El
  Salvador-Honduras border, but despite Organization of American
  States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full
  demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling
  advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf
  of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El
  Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the
  ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims
  Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize, but agreed to creation of a
  joint ecological park and Guatemalan corridor in the Caribbean in
  the failed 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum, which the OAS is
  attempting to revive; Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in
  1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over a complex dispute
  over islands and maritime boundaries in the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of
  cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local
  consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering
  activity

Background:
  Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China
  the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the
  19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on
  19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special
  Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this
  agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two
  systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be
  imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of
  autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the
  next 50 years.

Climate:
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from
spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 13.5% (male 488,607/female 445,593)
  15-64 years: 73.7% (male 2,495,679/female 2,620,336)
  65 years and over: 12.8% (male 413,031/female 477,186) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.7 years
  male: 40.4 years
  female: 40.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 2.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.13 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 81.59 years
  male: 78.9 years
  female: 84.5 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 93.5%
  male: 96.9%
  female: 89.6% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  conventional short form: Hong Kong
  local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
  local short form: Xianggang
  abbreviation: HK

National holiday:
  National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic
  of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as
  Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's
Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Suffrage:
  direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents
  living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years;
  indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional
  constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad
  regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government
  bodies

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
  head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of 14 official members and 15
  non-official members
  elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to
  second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee
  dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005;
  Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25
  May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005
  and 24 June 2005; TSANG was elected on 16 June 2005 to fill final
  two years of TUNG's term (next election to be held in March 2007)

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats
  indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by
  popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September
  2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group
  62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,
  independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11,
  Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1;
  non-voting LEGCO president 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:
  Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL
  [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung];
  Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or
  DAB [MA Lik]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat]; Frontier Party [Emily
  LAU Wai-hing]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun]
  note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic
  Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Article 45 Concern Group (pro-democracy); Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598

Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Economy - overview:
  Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on
  international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw
  materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e.,
  including reexports to and from third countries) each exceed GDP in
  dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese
  administration on 1 July 1997, it had extensive trade and investment
  ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy
  with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has
  made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong Kong's
  reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per
  capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of
  Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2005,
  but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past eight years
  because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998 and the global
  downturn in 2001-2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory
  Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also battered Hong Kong's economy,
  a solid rise in exports, a boom in tourism from the mainland because
  of China's easing of travel restrictions, and a return of consumer
  confidence resulted in the resumption of strong growth from late
  2003 through 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 9.2% services: 90.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade,
  restaurants, and hotels 43.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate
  19.6%, transport and communications 7.1%, community and social
  services 18.8%
  note: above data exclude public sector (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $31.31 billion
  expenditures: $32.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.9
  billion (2005 est.)

Industries:
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics,
plastics, toys, watches, clocks

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

Exports - commodities:
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear,
watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material

Imports - commodities:
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)

Imports - partners:
China 45%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7.2%, Singapore 5.8%, US 5.1%, South
Korea 4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004),
7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic
  and international services
  domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
  network
  international: country code - 852; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to
  Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables
  providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan,
  Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Television broadcast stations: 55 low power stations note: two TV networks, each one broadcasting on two channels (2006)

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

Merchant marine:
  total: 924 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,838,025 GRT/51,957,682 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 495, cargo 121, chemical
  tanker 44, container 133, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6,
  passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 76, roll on/roll off 3,
  specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 8
  foreign-owned: 562 (Australia 1, Belgium 3, Canada 28, China 274,
  Denmark 6, Germany 6, Greece 27, Indonesia 4, Japan 67, South Korea
  6, Norway 26, Philippines 16, Portugal 1, Singapore 24, Syria 1,
  Taiwan 6, UAE 2, UK 43, US 21)
  registered in other countries: 417 (Bahamas 8, Belize 8, Bermuda 10,
  Cambodia 15, China 7, Cyprus 1, France 1, French Southern and
  Antarctic Lands 2, Greece 1, Honduras 2, India 1, Liberia 37,
  Malaysia 14, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 7, Norway 55, Panama 169,
  Philippines 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 50,
  Taiwan 3, Tuvalu 8, unknown 7) (2006)

Military branches:
  no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of
  China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA
  Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under
  the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing
  and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military
  Region

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,743,972
females age 18-49: 1,904,967 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,403,088
females age 18-49: 1,527,278 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 40,343
females age 18-49: 38,234 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA

Illicit drugs:
  makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces difficult
  challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to
  regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit
  for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs,
  especially among young people

Background:
  Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which
  collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule
  following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal
  from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention
  by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary
  began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash
  Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and
  initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU
  in 2004.

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,171 km
  border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km,
  Serbia 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the
Slovakian border

Environment - current issues: the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between
  Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and
  Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza
  Rivers divide the country into three large regions

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.6% (male 799,163/female 755,389)
  15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,403,375/female 3,505,640)
  65 years and over: 15.2% (male 550,297/female 967,470) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.7 years
  male: 36.3 years
  female: 41.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.66 years
  male: 68.45 years
  female: 77.14 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic
  2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated
  14.5% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.4%
  male: 99.5%
  female: 99.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
  conventional short form: Hungary
  local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
  local short form: Magyarorszag

Capital:
  name: Budapest
  geographic coordinates: 47 30 N, 19 05 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 22 urban counties (singular
  - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros)
  counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen,
  Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves,
  Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy,
  Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
  urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Gyor,
  Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa,
  Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar,
  Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg
  capital city: Budapest

Constitution:
  18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18
  October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and
  constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and
  also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997
  amendment streamlined the judicial system

Legal system:
rule of law based on Western model; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29
  September 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on
  the recommendation of the president
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6-7
  June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by
  the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president;
  election last held 29 September 2004
  election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple
  majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY
  elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12
  note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of
  legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the
  third round

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and
  direct representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held April 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote
  required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP
  43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by
  party - MSzP 190, Fidesz 141, KDNP 23, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent
  1

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly
for nine-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE]; Christian
  Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian Civic
  Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic
  Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP
  [Istvan HILLER, chairman]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
  EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest),
  NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE,
  PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400 FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764

Economy - overview:
  Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a
  market economy, with a per capita income about 60% of the EU-25
  average. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and
  acceded to the EU in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over
  80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms
  are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling
  more than $34 billion between 1990 and 2003. Several private sector
  analysts and sovereign ratings agencies have expressed concerns over
  Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits.
  Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 3.5% in 2005.
  Unemployment in 2005 rose to 7.1%, its highest point since 1999;
  Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest
  in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
  Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy
  challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by
  2008, from about 6.1% in 2005, and orchestrating an orderly interest
  rate reduction without sparking capital outflows.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.7% industry: 31.2% services: 65.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5.5% industry: 33.3% services: 61.2% (2003)

Population below poverty line:
At-risk-of poverty rate after social transfers: 12% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 22.2% (2002)

Budget:
  revenues: $51.4 billion
  expenditures: $58.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle,
poultry, dairy products

Industries:
mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods,
textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.1% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 39% other: 0.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food
products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)

Exports - partners:
Germany 29.4%, Austria 5.9%, Italy 5.6%, France 5%, UK 4.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and
electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Germany 27.2%, Russia 7.5%, China 7.2%, Austria 6.7%, Italy 4.9%,
France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient: $3.4 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
forints per US dollar - 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31
(2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is
  capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service
  domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk
  services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave
  radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
  initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones
  international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable
  connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch
  is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
  Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture
  terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 7,937 km
  broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
  standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 159,568 km
  paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of
  expressways)
  unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)

Ports and terminals:
Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in June 2004 (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,303,116
females age 18-49: 2,265,463 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,780,513
females age 18-49: 1,864,580 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 63,847
females age 18-49: 61,037 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social
  and cultural benefits - and voted down a referendum to extend dual
  citizenship - to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states,
  which have objected to such measures; consultations continue between
  Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the
  Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a
  member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary
  must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for
  South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer
  of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and
  methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money
  laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking

Background:
  Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants
  during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the
  world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing,
  established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was
  subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja
  volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused
  widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the
  island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited
  home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence
  attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion
  are first-rate by world standards.

Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
winters; damp, cool summers

Terrain:
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast
deeply indented by bays and fiords

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater
treatment

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
  Conservation

Geography - note:
  strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost
  European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in
  the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
  Europe

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 21.7% (male 33,021/female 32,021)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 100,944/female 98,239)
  65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,876/female 19,287) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.2 years
  male: 33.8 years
  female: 34.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.31 years
  male: 78.23 years
  female: 82.48 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%,
population of foreign origin 6%

Religions:
  Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman
  Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian
  2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
  conventional short form: Iceland
  local long form: Lydveldid Island
  local short form: Island

Capital:
  name: Reykjavik
  geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W
  time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra,
Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence:
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown);
17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

Legal system:
civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August
  1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Geir H. HAARDE (since 7 June 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president, largely a ceremonial post, is elected by
  popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last
  held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually the prime minister
  election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON
  12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party
  33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31%, Progressive Party 17.7%,
  Left-Green Movement 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -
  Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive
  Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by
  the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are
  appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:
  Independence Party or IP [Geir HAARDE]; Left-Green Movement or LGM
  [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON];
  Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON - will step down in
  August 2006]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance
  or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA
  [Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR]

International organization participation:
  Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
  FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO,
  NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO,
  WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON
  chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118

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

Economy - overview:
  Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet
  with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing
  subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of
  income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for
  abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the
  fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs
  4% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining
  fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main
  exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon.
  Government policies include reducing the current account deficit,
  limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising
  agricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the economy. The
  government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of
  Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing
  resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into
  manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new
  developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial
  services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding,
  with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had
  been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be
  sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth
  resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007,
  slowly dropping until the end of the decade.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.6% industry: 15% services: 76.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10.3% industry: 18.3% services: 71.4% (2003)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $6.995 billion
  expenditures: $6.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $467
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, green vegetables; mutton, dairy products; fish

Industries:
fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production;
geothermal power, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 82.5% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (geothermal) (2001)

Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products,
ferrosilicon, diatomite

Exports - partners:
UK 17.9%, Germany 16.4%, Netherlands 13%, US 8.1%, Spain 7.7%,
Denmark 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.4%, US 9.1%, Sweden 8.6%, Denmark 7.3%, Norway 7.2%, UK
5.9%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004),
76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: extensive domestic service
  domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
  cables and microwave radio relay links
  international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
  regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
  other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 93
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 61 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 13,028 km
  paved/oiled gravel: 4,241 km (does not include urban roads)
  unpaved: 8,787 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 3,354 GRT/480 DWT
  by type: passenger/cargo 1
  registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Bahamas 1,
  Belize 2, Faroe Islands 4, Gibraltar 1, Malta 4, Norway 4, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 10) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Hornafjordhur, Reykjavik,
Seydhisfjordhur

Military branches:
  no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police, Icelandic Coast
  Guard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan) subordinate to Ministry of
  Justice, Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (2006)

Military - note:
  under a 1951 bilateral agreement, Iceland's defense was provided by
  a US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered in Keflavik;
  in October 2006, all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn;
  nonetheless, the US and Iceland signed a Joint Understanding to
  strengthen their bilateral defense relationship, including regular
  security consultations, military communications in the event of
  national emergencies, annual bilateral exercises on Icelandic
  territory, and future bilateral and NATO support to four Iceland Air
  Defense System (IADS) radar sites

Disputes - international:
  Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands'
  fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute
  Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends
  beyond 200 nm

Background:
  The Iles Eparses, or scattered islands, are a group of five French
  entities - Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de
  Nova Island, and Tromelin Island - which on 1 April 1960 came under
  the authority of the Minister in charge of overseas possessions. On
  19 September 1960 by decree, the islands were transferred to the
  charge of the Prefet of Reunion where they remained until 3 January
  2005 when they were transferred by another decree to the Senior
  Administrator of the Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands (TAAF).
  Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a
  volcanic seamount surrounded by reefs and awash at high tide.
  Europa Island: A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily
  wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a
  weather station.
  Glorioso Islands: A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso
  Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile
  Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison
  operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.
  Juan de Nova Island: Named after a famous 15th century Spanish
  navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession
  since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.
  Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological
  station.
  Tromelin Island: First explored by the French in 1776, the island
  came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it
  serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important
  meteorological station.

Location:
  Southern Africa, in the Indian Ocean
  Bassas da India: atoll in the southern Mozambique Channel, about
  half way from Madagascar to Mozambique
  Europa Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way
  between southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique
  Glorioso Islands: group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of
  Madagascar
  Juan de Nova Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about
  one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
  Tromelin Island: island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
  Bassas da India: 21 30 S, 39 50 E
  Europa Island: 22 20 S, 40 22 E
  Glorioso Islands: 11 30 S, 47 20 E
  Juan de Nova Island: 17 03 S, 42 45 E
  Tromelin Island: 15 52 S, 54 25 E

Area:
  Bassas da India: total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8
  sq km (lagoon)
  Europa Island: total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq km
  Glorioso Islands: total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq km
  Juan de Nova Island: total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0
  sq km
  Tromelin Island: total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
  Bassas da India: land area about one-third the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Europa Island: about one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
  Glorioso Islands: about eight times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Juan de Nova Island: about seven times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Tromelin Island: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
  DC

Coastline:
  Bassas da India: 35.2 km
  Europa Island: 22.2 km
  Glorioso Islands: 35.2 km
  Juan de Nova Island: 24.1 km
  Tromelin Island: 3.7 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; note - Juan de Nova Island and
  Tromelin Island claim a continental shelf of 200-m depth or to the
  depth of exploitation

Terrain:
  Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoon
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and
  sandy
  Tromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Bassas da India 2.4 m; Europa Island 24 m; Glorioso
  Islands 12 m; Juan de Nova Island 10 m; Tromelin Island 7 m (all
  unnamed locations)

Natural resources:
  Bassas da India and Europa Island: none
  Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island: guano, phosphates; coconuts
  Tromelin Island: fish

Land use:
  Bassas da India - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand; Europa Island -
  100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso Islands - 100% lush
  vegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova Island - 90% forest, 10%
  other; Tromelin Island - 100% grasses and scattered brush

Natural hazards:
  all islands subject to periodic cyclones
  Bassas da India: maritime hazard since it is under water for a
  period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and
  surrounded by reefs

Geography - note:
  Bassas da India: the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a
  long-extinct, submerged volcano
  Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island: wildlife sanctuary for
  seabirds and sea turtles
  Glorioso Islands: the islands and rocks are surrounded by an
  extensive reef system
  Tromelin Island: climatologically important location for forecasting
  cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds,
  tortoises)

Population:
  Bassas da India: uninhabitable
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: a small French
  military garrison and a few meteorologists on each possession;
  visited by scientists
  Tromelin Island: uninhabited, except for visits by scientists

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
  Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin Island
  local long form: none
  local short form: Bassas da India, Ile Europa, Iles Glorieuses, Ile
  Juan de Nova, Ile Tromelin

Dependency status:
  possessions of France; administered by the Senior Administrator of
  the Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF),
  resident in Reunion

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON

Communications - note:
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin
  Island: 1 meteorological station on each possession; note -
  meteorological station on Tromelin Island is important for
  forecasting cyclones

Transportation - note:
aids to navigation - lighthouses: Europa Island 18m; Juan de Nova
Island (W side) 37m; Tromelin Island (NW point) 11m

Disputes - international:
  Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
  Island: claimed by Madagascar
  Tromelin Island: claimed by Mauritius

Background:
  The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,
  dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest
  infiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the
  earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture.
  Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th
  were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late
  15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political
  control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the
  British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent
  resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and
  Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was
  divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state
  of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted
  in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite
  impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces
  pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over
  Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation,
  extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.

Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
between Burma and Pakistan

Land boundaries:
  total: 14,103 km
  border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463
  km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along
the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Natural resources:
  coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese,
  mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,
  petroleum, limestone, arable land

Natural hazards:
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive
flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air
  pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water
  pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap
  water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing
  population is overstraining natural resources

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

Geography - note:
  dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean
  trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world,
  lies on the border with Nepal

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.8% (male 173,478,760/female 163,852,827)
  15-64 years: 64.3% (male 363,876,219/female 340,181,764)
  65 years and over: 4.9% (male 27,258,020/female 26,704,405) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 54.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 55.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 54.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.71 years
  male: 63.9 years
  female: 65.57 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
  and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese
  encephalitis are high risks in some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Religions:
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%,
unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Languages:
  English enjoys associate status but is the most important language
  for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the
  national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are
  14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu,
  Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri,
  Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu
  spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official
  language

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 59.5%
  male: 70.2%
  female: 48.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of India
  conventional short form: India
  local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya
  local short form: India/Bharat

Capital:
  name: New Delhi
  geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E
  time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*,
  Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*,
  Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa,
  Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,
  Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
  Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry*, Punjab,
  Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
  West Bengal

Legal system:
  based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative
  acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations;
  separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President A.P.J. Abdul KALAM (since 25 July 2002);
  Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
  elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
  the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held
  July 2002 (next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected by
  both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held
  12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen
  by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative
  elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May
  2009)
  election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of
  electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice
  president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or
  Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to
  12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen
  by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;
  members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha
  (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the
  president; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May
  2004 (next must be held before May 2009)
  election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24, BSP 19,
  DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5,
  TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are
  appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the
  age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")

Political parties and leaders:
  note - India has dozens of national and regional political parties;
  only parties with four or more seats in the People's Assembly are
  listed; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata
  Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen
  PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan
  BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) [Prakash
  KARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian
  National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United) or
  JD(U) [Sharad YADEV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu SOREN];
  Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN]; Marumalarchi
  Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKU]; Nationalist Congress
  Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [S.
  RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV];
  Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or
  SAD [Prakash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];
  Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrasekhar RAO]; Telugu
  Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]

Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the Northeast

International organization participation: AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN
  chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -
  Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
  DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD
  embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000
  FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017
  consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai
  (Bombay)

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),
  white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
  the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small
  orange disk centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming,
  modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries,
  and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of
  economic growth, accounting for half of India's output with less
  than one quarter of its labor force. About three-fifths of the
  work-force is in agriculture, leading the UPA government to
  articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic
  infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost
  economic performance. Government controls on foreign trade and
  investment have been reduced in some areas, but high tariffs
  (averaging 20% on non-agricultural items in 2004) and limits on
  foreign direct investment are still in place. The government in 2005
  liberalized investment in the civil aviation, telecom, and
  construction sectors. Privatization of government-owned industries
  essentially came to a halt in 2005, and continues to generate
  political debate; continued social, political, and economic
  rigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted an
  average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1994,
  reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 7.6%
  GDP growth in 2005, significantly expanding manufacturing. India is
  capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in
  the English language to become a major exporter of software services
  and software workers. Despite strong growth, the World Bank and
  others worry about the combined state and federal budget deficit,
  running at approximately 9% of GDP; government borrowing has kept
  interest rates high. Economic deregulation would help attract
  additional foreign capital and lower interest rates. The huge and
  growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and
  environmental problem.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18.6% industry: 27.6% services: 53.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 60% industry: 17% services: 23% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $111.2 billion
  expenditures: $135.8 billion; including capital expenditures of $15
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Industries:
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation
equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,
leather manufactures

Exports - partners:
US 16.7%, UAE 8.5%, China 6.6%, Singapore 5.3%, UK 4.9%, Hong Kong
4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Indian rupees per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583
(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of
  telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;
  local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of
  the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban
  areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission
  of private and private-public investors, but telephone density
  remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only
  one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of
  over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest
  growth in fixed lines
  domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in
  rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic
  reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile
  cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and
  organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom
  circles each with about three private service providers and one
  state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk
  capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the
  world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National
  Satellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000
  very small aperture terminals (VSAT)
  international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine
  gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata
  (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar,
  Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3
  with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link
  Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South
  Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking
  to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai
  (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),
  provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both
  voice and data traffic (2004)

Television broadcast stations: 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 243 over 3,047 m: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 81 under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 98 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 48 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 8 km; gas 5,184 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,993 km;
oil 6,500 km; refined products 6,152 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 63,230 km
  broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge (16,528 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,106 km
  0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 3,851,440 km
  paved: 2,411,001 km
  unpaved: 1,440,439 km (2002)

Waterways:
  14,500 km
  note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for
  mechanized vessels (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 316 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,772,313 GRT/13,310,858 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 96, cargo 72, chemical tanker 13, container 8,
  liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker
  96, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 10 (China 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 6, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 46 (Bahamas 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 5,
  North Korea 1, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Mauritius 2, Panama 19, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 5, Venezuela 1, unknown 1)
  (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Military branches:
  Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,
  various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security
  Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border
  Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,
  Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and
  Defense Security Corps)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 287,551,111
females age 16-49: 268,524,835 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 219,471,999
females age 16-49: 209,917,553 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 11,446,452
females age 16-49: 10,665,877 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  since China and India launched a security and foreign policy
  dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute
  over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear
  proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to
  Pakistan, and other matters continue; various talks and
  confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse
  tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005
  earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of
  the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with
  portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin),
  India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern
  Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in
  Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly
  militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the
  impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar Dam on the
  Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration;
  UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has
  maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not
  recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964;
  disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to
  defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary,
  in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed
  boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch;
  Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat
  State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small
  section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in
  both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
  cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists
  through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to
  fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with
  Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay
  of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks
  cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam
  separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint
  Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed
  boundary sections; India maintains a strict border regime to keep
  out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities
  from Nepal

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 57,274 (Sri
  Lanka) 9,761 (Afghanistan)
  IDPs: 600,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami); 500,000
  (Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri Hindus) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: India is a source, destination, and transit
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
  forced or bonded labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the large
  population of men, women, and children - numbering in the millions -
  in debt bondage face involuntary servitude in brick kilns, rice
  mills, and embroidery factories, while some children endure
  involuntary servitude as domestic servants; internal trafficking of
  women and girls for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation
  and forced marriage also occurs; the government estimates that 90
  percent of India's sex trafficking is internal; India is also a
  destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked
  for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; boys from
  Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are trafficked through India
  to the Gulf states for involuntary servitude as child camel jockeys;
  Indian men and women migrate willingly to the Persian Gulf region
  for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers, but some
  later find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude
  including extended working hours, nonpayment of wages, restrictions
  on their movement by withholding of their passports or confinement
  to the home, and physical or sexual abuse
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India has been on the Tier 2 Watch
  List since 2004 for its failure to show evidence of increasing
  efforts to address trafficking in persons

Illicit drugs:
  world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical
  trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit
  international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics
  produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;
  vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system

Background:
  The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans
  (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the
  Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access
  waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb
  (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of
  Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International
  Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
  ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean
  south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Area:
  total: 68.556 million sq km
  note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,
  Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,
  Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of
  Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Climate:
  northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to
  October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and
  October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February
  in the southern Indian Ocean

Terrain:
  surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system
  of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of
  surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric
  pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in
  the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents,
  while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter
  air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest
  winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean
  Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest
  Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates,
placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Natural hazards:
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches

Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and
whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Geography - note:
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait
of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait

Economy - overview:
  The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle
  East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries
  a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products
  from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are
  of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for
  domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan,
  South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for
  shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in
  the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western
  Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production
  comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and
  offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering
  countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
  and Thailand.

Ports and terminals:
  Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South
  Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne
  (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)

Background:
  The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century;
  the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia
  declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required
  four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and
  UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony.
  Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and home to the
  world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include:
  alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy
  after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial
  sector reforms, stemming corruption, and holding the military and
  police accountable for human rights violations. Indonesia was the
  nation worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami, which particularly
  affected Aceh province causing over 100,000 deaths and over $4
  billion in damage. An additional earthquake in March 2005 created
  heavy destruction on the island of Nias. Reconstruction in these
  areas may take up to a decade. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic
  peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, but it continues to
  face a low intensity separatist guerilla movement in Papua.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the
Pacific Ocean

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,830 km
  border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New
  Guinea 820 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper,
fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Natural hazards:
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes, forest fires

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air
pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires

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

Geography - note:
  archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator;
  strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian
  Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 28.8% (male 35,995,919/female 34,749,582)
  15-64 years: 65.8% (male 80,796,794/female 80,754,238)
  65 years and over: 5.4% (male 5,737,473/female 7,418,733) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.8 years
  male: 26.4 years
  female: 27.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 34.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 39.36 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 29.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.87 years
  male: 67.42 years
  female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are
  high risks in some locations
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%,
other 26%

Religions:
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist
1%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English,
Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.9%
  male: 92.5%
  female: 83.4% (2002 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
  conventional short form: Indonesia
  local long form: Republik Indonesia
  local short form: Indonesia
  former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies

Capital:
  name: Jakarta
  geographic coordinates: 6 10 S, 106 48 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Indonesia is divided into three time zones

Administrative divisions:
  30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special
  regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1
  special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*,
  Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**,
  Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat,
  Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan
  Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa
  Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat,
  Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi
  Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta*
  note: following the implementation of decentralization beginning on
  1 January 2001, the 440 districts or regencies have become the key
  administrative units responsible for providing most government
  services

Independence:
17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949
(Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)

Constitution:
  August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
  Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of
  amemdments concluded in 2002

Legal system:
  based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous
  concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
  October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
  October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
  October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
  October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year
  terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry;
  last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president
  receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%

Legislative branch:
  House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550
  seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of Regional
  Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally
  mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues
  affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis
  Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and
  impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of
  popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate
  national policy
  elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P
  18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others
  19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN
  53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
  note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not
  always follow the percentage of votes received by parties

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
  president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a
  separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested by
  the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court
  assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
  court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor
  Court under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in
  January 2006

Political parties and leaders:
  Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA];
  Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO]; Functional Groups Party
  or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or
  PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening Party or PKB [Alwi
  SHIHAB]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno BACHIR]; Prosperous
  Justice Party or PKS [Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United Development Party
  or PPP [Hamzah HAZ]

International organization participation:
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
  NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador SUDJADNAN Parnohadiningrat chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200 FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110 mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520 telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000 FAX: [62] (21) 3435-9922 consulate(s) general: Surabaya consulate(s): Medan; Denpasar (consular agency)

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the
  flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of
  Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy - overview:
  Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to overcome the
  Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with high unemployment, a
  fragile banking sector, endemic corruption, inadequate
  infrastructure, a poor investment climate, and unequal resource
  distribution among regions. Indonesia became a net oil importer in
  2004 because of declining production and lack of new exploration
  investment. In late December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami took
  131,000 lives with another 37,000 missing, left some 570,000
  displaced persons, and caused an estimated $4.5 billion in damages
  and losses. The cost of subsidizing domestic fuel placed increasing
  strain on the budget in 2005, and combined with indecisive monetary
  policy, contributed to a run on the currency in August 2005,
  prompting the government to enact a 126% average fuel price hike in
  October. The resulting inflation and interest rate hikes dampened
  growth prospects in 2006. However, in October 2006, Jakarta paid off
  its outstanding IMF debt, incurred during the 1997-98 Asian
  financial crisis, four years ahead of schedule. Keys to future
  growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence of
  international and domestic investors, and strong global economic
  growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.4% industry: 45.8% services: 40.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 46.5% industry: 11.8% services: 41.7% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)

Budget:
  revenues: $54.3 billion
  expenditures: $57.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil,
copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining,
cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 86.9% hydro: 10.5% nuclear: 0% other: 2.6% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber

Exports - partners:
Japan 21.1%, US 11.5%, Singapore 9.2%, South Korea 8.3%, China
7.8%, Malaysia 4% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Singapore 16.4%, Japan 12%, China 10.1%, US 6.7%, Thailand 6%,
South Korea 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Australia 4.4% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $43 billion
  note: Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003 but still
  receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia
  (CGI), which pledged $2.8 billion in grants and loans for 2004 and
  again in 2005; nearly $5 billion in aid money pledged by a variety
  bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental organization (NGO)
  donors following the 2004 tsunami; money is slated for use in relief
  and rebuilding efforts in Aceh (2002)

Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004),
8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002), 10,260.9 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March, but
starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic service fair, international service
  good
  domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
  domestic satellite communications system
  international: country code - 62; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Television broadcast stations: 54 local TV stations note: 11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local, often low power, transmitters (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 159 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 49 914 to 1,523 m: 49 under 914 m: 42 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 503 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 471 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 944 km; condensate/gas 135 km; gas 9,175 km; oil 7,684
km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 6,458 km
  narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
  0.750-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 824 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,773,771 GRT/4,887,614 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 451, chemical tanker 21, container
  50, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41,
  passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 132, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
  on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2
  foreign-owned: 30 (France 1, Germany 1, Japan 3, South Korea 1,
  Norway 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 17, Switzerland 3, UK 2)
  registered in other countries: 122 (Bahamas 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 1,
  Cambodia 1, Georgia 1, Hong Kong 4, Liberia 1, Panama 50, Singapore
  56, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang,
Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Military branches:
  Indonesia Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army
  (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes marines, naval air arm), Air Force
  (TNI-AU)
  note: the TNI is directly subordinate to the president but the
  government is making efforts to incorporate it into the Department
  of Defense

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 60,543,028
females age 18-49: 59,981,730 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 48,687,234
females age 18-49: 50,252,911 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,201,047
females age 18-49: 2,139,573 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey,
  and delimit land boundary, but several sections of the boundary
  remain unresolved; many East Timorese refugees who left in 2003
  still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Indonesia and
  East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island
  of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which hinders a decision on a northern
  maritime boundary; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and Australia
  settled some parts of their maritime boundary but outstanding issues
  remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in
  2002 left maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in
  dispute, culminating in hostile confrontations in March 2005 over
  concessions to the Ambalat oil block; the ICJ decision has prompted
  Indonesia to assert claims to and to establish a presence on its
  smaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to
  finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining
  unresolved areas north of Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists,
  squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for
  Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 570,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami) 500,000
  (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh,
  Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi Provinces); (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes of
  sexual exploitation and forced labor; Indonesian victims are
  trafficked to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Hong Kong,
  Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore; a significant number of
  Indonesian women who go overseas each year to work as domestic
  servants or "cultural performers" are subjected to conditions of
  involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; to a
  minimal extent, Indonesia is a destination for women from East Asia,
  Europe, and South America who are trafficked for sexual
  exploitation; there is extensive trafficking within Indonesia from
  rural to urban metropolitan areas particularly for sexual
  exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Indonesia is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
  to combat trafficking

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of
methamphetamine and ecstasy

Background:
  Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
  after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced
  into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic
  system of government with ultimate political authority nominally
  vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have
  been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US
  Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January
  1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq
  that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes
  between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran
  has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities
  in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US
  economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued
  involvement. Following the elections of a reformist president and
  Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in
  response to popular dissatisfaction floundered as conservative
  politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased
  repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers.
  Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of
  a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation
  of conservative power in Iran's government.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the
Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Area:
  total: 1.648 million sq km
  land: 1.636 million sq km
  water: 12,000 sq km

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,440 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
  Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq
  1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
  Persian Gulf
  continental shelf: natural prolongation

Terrain:
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
manganese, zinc, sulfur

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions,
  refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation;
  overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf;
  wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination);
  inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw
  sewage and industrial waste; urbanization

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

Geography - note:
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which
are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,204,785/female 8,731,429)
  15-64 years: 69% (male 24,133,919/female 23,245,255)
  65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,653,827/female 1,719,218) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.8 years
  male: 24.6 years
  female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 40.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.26 years
  male: 68.86 years
  female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab
3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian,
and Baha'i 2%

Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%,
Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79.4%
  male: 85.6%
  female: 73% (2003 est.)

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

Capital:
  name: Tehran
  geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 26 E
  time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e
  Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
  Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
  Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e
  Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan,
  Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan,
  Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

National holiday:
  Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
  note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include
  Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21
  March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925); and various
  Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based
  hejira calendar

Constitution:
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency
and eliminate the prime ministership

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June
  1989)
  head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August
  2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
  legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
  appointments to the more sensitive ministries
  note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are
  three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly elected
  body of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged with
  determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his
  performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency
  Council or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policy
  advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent and
  temporary members representing all major government factions, some
  of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exerts
  supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative
  branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the
  Council of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council of
  Guardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics and
  jurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposed
  legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; the
  Council also vets candidates for suitability and supervises national
  elections
  elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of
  Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with a
  two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of
  vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
  Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004
  (by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to
  be held in February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party -
  conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43,
  religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary
court, and a special administrative court

Political parties and leaders:
  formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran
  and most conservatives still prefer to work through political
  pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalition
  called the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties as
  well as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achieved
  considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000;
  groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front
  (IIPF), Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran), Solidarity
  Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic
  Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society
  (Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles
  elections in early 2004; following his defeat in the 2005
  presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBI
  formed the National Trust Party; a new apparently conservative
  group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the
  new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders: political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political activities; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active pro-reform student groups include the Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA,
  SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
  national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the
  shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the
  white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
  repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
  times along the top edge of the red band

Economy - overview:
  Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector,
  over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create
  major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled
  by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale -
  workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD has
  continued to follow the market reform plans of former President
  RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in
  recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $40 billion in foreign
  exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as
  high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of the economy
  devoted to the development of weapons of mass destruction remains a
  contentious issue with leading Western nations.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.6% industry: 42.4% services: 46% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 25% services: 45% (2001 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $48.82 billion
  expenditures: $60.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy
products, wool; caviar

Industries:
  petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction
  materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and
  vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments

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

Exports - commodities:
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and
nuts, carpets

Exports - partners:
Japan 16.6%, China 11%, Italy 5.8%, South Korea 5.7%, South Africa
5.7%, Turkey 5.6%, Netherlands 4.5%, France 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
  foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military
  supplies

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%, South
Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  rials per US dollar - 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003),
  6,907 (2002), 1,753.6 (2001)
  note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime
  since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate, but currently being modernized and
  expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
  increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
  telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
  connected
  domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
  since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
  radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
  brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
  has approximately doubled; thousands of mobile cellular subscribers
  are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has
  been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
  international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay
  to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,
  Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to
  UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
  Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
  through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
  to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
  4 Inmarsat

Airports - with paved runways: total: 129 over 3,047 m: 41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 192 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 140 under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 17,099 km; liquid
petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 7,256 km
  broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
  standard gauge: 7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 178,152 km
  paved: 118,115 km (including 751 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 60,037 km (2002)

Waterways:
850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia)
(2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,086,702 GRT/8,878,829 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12,
  liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker
  30, roll on/roll off 3
  foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 22 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 14,
  Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces,
  Navy, Air Force (Niruye Havayi Jomhuriye Islamiye Iran; includes air
  defense); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e
  Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Qods Force
  (special operations), and Basij Force (Popular Mobilization Army);
  Law Enforcement Forces (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited extensively during the Iran-Iraq War; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,319,545
females age 18-49: 17,541,037 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,665,725
females age 18-49: 15,005,597 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 862,056
females age 18-49: 808,044 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed tributaries to
  the Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a maritime
  boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of
  the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb
  Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Iran stands
  alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the
  Caspian Sea into five equal sectors

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 952,802 (Afghanistan) 93,173 (Iraq)
(2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Iran is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and involuntary servitude; according to foreign
  observers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, the
  Persian Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation, while boys from
  Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran en
  route to Persian Gulf states where they are ultimately forced to
  work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers; Afghan women and girls
  are trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexual
  exploitation; women and children are also trafficked internally for
  the purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and
  involuntary servitude
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent,
  credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims of
  trafficking with beatings, imprisonment, and execution

Illicit drugs:
  despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic
  narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and according to
  official Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug users
  in the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws

Background:
  Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain
  during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League
  of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next
  dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A
  "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of
  military strongmen ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM Husayn.
  Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly
  eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but
  was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of
  January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN
  Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass
  destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification
  inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions
  over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in
  March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition
  forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure
  and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government,
  while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition
  Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the
  invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004,
  to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG), which governed under the
  Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL,
  elections for a 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were
  held in Iraq on 30 January 2005. Following these elections, the
  Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was
  charged with drafting Iraq's permanent constitution, which was
  approved in a 15 October 2005 constitutional referendum. An election
  under the constitution for a 275-member Council of Representatives
  (CoR) was held in December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection
  of most of the cabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the
  transition from the ITG to Iraq's full-term government.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,650 km
  border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi
  Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km

Climate:
  mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
  summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
  borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
  melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
  central and southern Iraq

Terrain:
  mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south
  with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and
  Turkey

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
  highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah
  Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

Environment - current issues:
  government water control projects have drained most of the
  inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting
  the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh
  Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
  displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
  serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
  supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
  rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
  Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
  erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
  15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.7 years
  male: 19.6 years
  female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.01 years
  male: 67.76 years
  female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 40.4%
  male: 55.9%
  female: 24.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
  conventional short form: Iraq
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
  local short form: Al Iraq

Capital:
  name: Baghdad
  geographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October

Administrative divisions:
  18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al
  Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah,
  At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
  Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit

Independence:
  3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
  administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional
  Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

National holiday:
  Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated
  under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has
  yet to declare a new national holiday

Legal system:
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice
  Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April
  2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the
  Presidency Council)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May
  2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since
  20 May 2006)
  cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
  Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham
  SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
  elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
  Representatives

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Council of Representatives or Mejlis Watani (consisting
  of 275 members elected by a closed-list, proportional-representation
  system)
  elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
  Representatives that will finalize a permanent constitution
  election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - NA; number of seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the
Presidency Council

Political parties and leaders:
  Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Assyrian Democratic Movement
  [Yunadim KANNA]; Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI];
  Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN];
  Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA
  [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid al-MUSA]; Iraqi
  Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats
  or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP
  [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi National Accord or
  INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI];
  Iraqi National Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan
  al-Khalifawi al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM
  [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO
  [Ayatollah Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF
  [Ayatollah Muhammad Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or
  KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman
  al-DARI, secretary general]; National Iraqi Front [Salih al-MUTLAQ];
  National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
  Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Supreme
  Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz
  al-HAKIM]
  note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Iraqi Consensus
  Front, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and United Iraqi Alliance
  were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from
  the various Iraqi political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: an insurgency against the Iraqi Transitional Government and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas west and north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is led principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
  chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
  embassy: Baghdad
  mailing address: APO AE 09316
  telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular
  Section
  FAX: NA

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
  three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the
  white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic
  script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the
  left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
  Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two
  stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that
  of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white
  band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors

Economy - overview:
  Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has
  traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.
  Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international
  economic sanctions, and damage from military action by an
  international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically
  reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting
  large military and internal security forces and allocating resources
  to key supporters of the regime hurt the economy, implementation of
  the UN's oil-for-food program, which began in December 1996, helped
  improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed
  to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and
  some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN Security
  Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as
  required to meet humanitarian needs. Per capita food imports
  increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care
  services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards
  were still well below the pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a
  wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in
  March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central
  economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small
  amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities, looting,
  insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild
  the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil
  pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching
  projected export volumes, but total government revenues have been
  higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political
  uncertainty, Iraq has established the institutions needed to
  implement economic policy, has successfully concluded a three-stage
  debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and is working toward
  a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would
  clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.3% industry: 66.6% services: 26.1% (2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $19.3 billion
  expenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5
  billion (2005 budget)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep,
poultry

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials,
food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.4% hydro: 1.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:
2.093 million bbl/day; note - prewar production (in 2002) was 2.03
million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil (83.9%), crude materials excluding fuels (8.0%), food and
live animals (5.0%)

Economic aid - recipient:
more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004)

Exchange rates:
New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half,
2003), 0.3109 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the 2003 war severely disrupted
  telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
  connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capability
  and the construction of mobile and satellite communication facilities
  domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during the 2003
  war continue, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching
  capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and
  centered on three regional GSM networks, improving country-wide
  connectivity
  international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable
  and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;
  despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside of
  Baghdad remain problematic

Radio broadcast stations: after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 77
  over 3,047 m: 20
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 33
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refined
products 1,637 km (2006)

Waterways:
  5,279 km
  note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third
  River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)

Military branches:
  Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Regular Army (includes Iraqi Special
  Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (former
  Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army Air
  Corps) (2005)

Military service age and obligation: all volunteer force; the Iraqi Government is creating a new professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,870,640
females age 18-49: 5,642,073 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,930,074
females age 18-49: 4,771,105 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 198,518
females age 18-49: 289,879 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security;
  Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction
  disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf;
  Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 22,711 (Palestinian Territories) IDPs: 1 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return) (2005)

Background:
  Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions
  by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended
  when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions
  began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of
  Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh
  repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off
  several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in
  independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern
  (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrew
  from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in
  1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of
  Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A
  peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday
  Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some
  difficulties.

Location:
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Climate:
  temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
  winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the
  time

Terrain:
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills
and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum,
limestone, dolomite

Environment - current issues:
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff

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

Geography - note:
  strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
  America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
  within 100 km of Dublin

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774)
  15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452)
  65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34 years
  male: 33.2 years
  female: 34.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.73 years
  male: 75.11 years
  female: 80.52 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish

Religions:
Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%,
other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)

Languages:
  English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official)
  (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western
  seaboard

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland local long form: none local short form: Eire

Capital:
  name: Dublin
  geographic coordinates: 53 20 N, 6 15 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,
  Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
  Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,
  Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
  note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province

Legal system:
  based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous
  concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
  head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
  by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 31 October 1997
  (next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to
  a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004
  presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by the
  House of Representatives and appointed by the president
  election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -
  Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
  note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
  Democrats

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad
  Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from
  candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated
  by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House
  of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected
  by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held
  by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002
  (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive
  Democrats 4, independents and other 6; House of Representatives -
  percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor
  Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party
  3.8%, other 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,
  Labor Party 21, Sinn Fein 5, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6,
  other 14

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister and cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
  Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party
  [Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats
  [Michael McDOWELL]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe
  HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]

International organization participation:
  AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU,
  WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY
  chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. FOLEY
  embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777
  FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
  orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and
  has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green;
  also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors
  of green (hoist side), white, and red

Economy - overview:
  Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth
  averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the most
  important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry
  accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the labor
  force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's
  growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumer
  spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is
  10% above that of the four big European economies and the second
  highest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish
  Government has implemented a series of national economic programs
  designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce government
  spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign
  investment. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002
  along with 11 other EU nations.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 8% industry: 29% services: 64% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $70.46 billion
  expenditures: $69.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.5
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products

Industries:
  steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining
  processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
  pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger
  and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass
  and crystal; software, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 95.9% hydro: 2.3% nuclear: 0% other: 1.7% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
live animals, animal products

Exports - partners:
US 18.7%, UK 17.4%, Belgium 15.2%, Germany 7.4%, France 6.4%,
Netherlands 4.8% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave
  radio relay
  domestic: microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 3,312 km
  broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
  Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
  (2005)

Roadways: total: 95,736 km paved: 95,736 km (including 125 km of expressways) (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 103,589 GRT/145,044 DWT
  by type: cargo 19, chemical tanker 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 4 (Germany 2, US 2)
  registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 1, Cyprus 3,
  Gibraltar 1, Netherlands 10, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 1, UK 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army (includes Naval
Service and Air Corps) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees under the
age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 977,092
females age 17-49: 978,465 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 814,768
females age 17-49: 813,981 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,327
females age 17-49: 28,139 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe
Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa
  to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
  minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
  Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money
  laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies
  involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern

Background:
  Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th
  century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the
  British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost
  extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown
  dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Location:
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and
Ireland

Climate:
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third
of the time

Land use:
  arable land: 9%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)
  (2002)

Environment - current issues:
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air
pollution

Geography - note:
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a
bird sanctuary

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,669/female 6,350)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 24,884/female 24,678)
  65 years and over: 17% (male 5,197/female 7,663) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.6 years
  male: 38.4 years
  female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.49 years
  male: 75.14 years
  female: 82.02 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society
of Friends

Capital:
  name: Douglas
  geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 28 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
  by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with
  its own elections

Constitution:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not
embody the unwritten Manx Constitution

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS
  (since 17 October 2005)
  head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
  by the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is elected
  by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held
  December 2006)
  election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the
  Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member
  body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor
  and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight others named by the
  House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected
  by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be
  held November 2006)
  election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man
  Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats
  by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,
  independents 19

Judicial branch:
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord
Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Progressive Government; Man Labor Party; Man
  Nationalist Party (branch of the British National Party)
  note: most members sit as independents

Flag description:
  red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center;
  the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in
  order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag,
  a two-sided emblem is used

Economy - overview:
  Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the
  economy. The government offers incentives to high-technology
  companies and financial institutions to locate on the island; this
  has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income
  industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays
  of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is
  mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%,
  construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and
  retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%,
  public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%,
  entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%

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

Budget:
  revenues: $485 million
  expenditures: $463 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY00/01 est.)

Exchange rates:
Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
  international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
  earth station, submarine cable

Television broadcast stations:
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)

Railways:
  total: 65 km
  standard guage: 7 km 1.067-m guage (7 km electrified)
  narrow guage: 58 km 0.914-m guage (29 km electrified)
  note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 305 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,266,229 GRT/13,792,927 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 65, chemical tanker 53, container
  16, liquefied gas 38, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74,
  refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 1,
  vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 213 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 53, Estonia 2, France 2,
  Germany 56, Greece 45, Italy 5, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1,
  Norway 27, Singapore 7, Sweden 1, Turkey 3, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 9 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Liberia 5,
  Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1) (2006)

Background:
  Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of
  Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish
  states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the
  Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the
  deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
  Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country
  profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew
  from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
  Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a
  Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding
  an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial
  and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994
  Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel
  withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied
  since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid
  Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted
  between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve
  a permanent settlement. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in
  conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the
  lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict
  by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two
  states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward
  a permanent status agreement was undermined by Palestinian-Israeli
  violence between September 2000 and February 2005. An agreement
  reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly reduced
  the violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the
  new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir
  ARAFAT, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism
  coalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israeli
  disengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presented
  an opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israeli
  political events between October and December 2005 have destabilized
  the political situation and forced early elections, scheduled for
  March 2006.

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

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,017 km
  border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
  Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m

Natural resources:
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium
bromide, clays, sand

Natural hazards:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic
earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
  limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious
  constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and
  vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and
  domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

Geography - note:
  there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in
  the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the
  Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of
  Galilee is an important freshwater source

Population:
  6,352,117
  note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
  about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than
  177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619)
  15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647)
  65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 29.6 years
  male: 28.8 years
  female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.46 years
  male: 77.33 years
  female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born
  22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly
  Arab) (2004)

Religions:
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian
0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)

Languages:
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,
English most commonly used foreign language

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 95.4%
  male: 97.3%
  female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: State of Israel
  conventional short form: Israel
  local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
  local short form: Yisra'el

Capital:
  name: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital
  in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its
  Embassy in Tel Aviv
  geographic coordinates: 32 05 N, 34 48 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the
  Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

Administrative divisions:
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,
Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Independence:
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared
  independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and
  the holiday may occur in April or May

Constitution:
  no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are
  filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of
  the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law

Legal system:
  mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in
  personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in
  December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no
  longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006);
  Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the
  Knesset
  elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by
  the Knesset for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last
  held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007); following legislative
  elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally
  the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing
  coalition
  election results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member
  Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,
  received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON
  continued as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January
  2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition
  government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the
  National Union; controversy surrounding SHARON's disengagement plan
  ultimately led to the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah
  Judaism (UTJ) coalition government in January 2005

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 29 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in
  2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP
  9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab
  List 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee -
  made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory
  retirement age is 70)

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA];
  GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party
  [Amir PERETZ]; Likud Party [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-YAHAD [Yossi
  BEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA];
  National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP) [Binyamin ELON];
  SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN];
  United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSOUR]; Yisrael Beiteinu [Avigdor
  LIEBERMAN]; Yisrael Ba'Aliya (merged with Likud)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank
  and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the
  West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler
  interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors
  human rights abuses

International organization participation:
  BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory),
  OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Salai MERIDOR chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903 mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: [972] (3) 519-7575 FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government

Flag description:
  white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the
  Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal
  blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

Economy - overview:
  Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with
  substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude
  oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited
  natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural
  and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports
  substantial quantities of grain, but is largely self-sufficient in
  other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology
  equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the
  leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account
  deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad
  and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt
  is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and
  military aid. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties
  in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and
  fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small
  declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy rebounded in 2003 and
  2004, growing at a 4% rate each year, as the government tightened
  fiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boost
  competition and efficiency in the markets. In 2005, rising consumer
  confidence, tourism, and foreign direct investment - as well as
  higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 4.7%.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.6% industry: 31.7% services: 65.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $43.82 billion
  expenditures: $58.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products

Industries:
  high-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
  computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber
  optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food,
  beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals
  products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles,
  footwear

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural
products, chemicals, textiles and apparel

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough
diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
US 13.4%, Belgium 10.1%, Germany 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Switzerland 5.5%,
China 4.2% (2005)

Currency (code):
  new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation;
  ILS is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code
  for the NIS

Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004),
4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East
  although not the largest
  domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
  all systems are digital
  international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 30 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 17,364 km
paved: 17,364 km (including 126 km of expressways) (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,382 GRT/845,053 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, container 16
  registered in other countries: 51 (Bahamas 1, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 3,
  Honduras 1, Liberia 5, Malta 23, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 2, Slovakia 7) (2006)

Military branches:
  Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Army Headquarters, Israel Navy,
  Israeli Air and Space Force (ISAF, includes air defense forces);
  historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
  (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  17 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary
  (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are
  eligible for military service; conscript service obligation - 36
  months for men, 21 months for women (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,492,125
females age 17-49: 1,443,916 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,255,902
females age 17-49: 1,212,394 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 53,760
females: 51,293 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
  subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
  status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel
  continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along
  parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew
  its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four
  settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is
  Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan
  Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce
  Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor
  ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
  incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
  region

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 276,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern
Israel) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Israel is a destination country for low-skilled
  workers from Eastern Europe and Asia who migrate voluntarily for
  contract labor in the construction, agriculture, and health care
  industries, some of whom are subsequently subjected to conditions of
  involuntary servitude; many labor recruitment agencies in source
  countries and in Israel require workers to pay large up-front fees
  that often lead to debt bondage and vulnerability to forced labor;
  Israel is also a destination country for women trafficked from
  Eastern Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Israel is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
  to address trafficking, namely the conditions of involuntary
  servitude allegedly facing thousands of foreign migrant workers

Illicit drugs:
  increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive
  in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan;
  money-laundering center

Background:
  Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the
  peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King
  Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a
  close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist
  dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to
  Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the
  monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter
  member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has
  been at the forefront of European economic and political
  unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
  Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime,
  corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low
  incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the
  prosperous north.

Location:
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Area:
  total: 301,230 sq km
  land: 294,020 sq km
  water: 7,210 sq km
  note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,932.2 km
  border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican
  City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
  highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a
  secondary peak of Mont Blanc)

Natural resources:
  coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice,
  fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil
  reserves, fish, arable land

Natural hazards:
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities

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

Geography - note:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 13.8% (male 4,147,149/female 3,899,980)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 19,530,512/female 19,105,841)
  65 years and over: 19.7% (male 4,771,858/female 6,678,169) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.81 years
  male: 76.88 years
  female: 82.94 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
  Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
  Greek-Italians in the south)

Religions:
  approximately 90% Roman Catholic (about one-third regularly attend
  services); mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing
  Muslim immigrant community

Languages:
  Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are
  predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking
  minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking
  minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99%
  female: 98.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Italian Republic
  conventional short form: Italy
  local long form: Repubblica Italiana
  local short form: Italia
  former: Kingdom of Italy

Capital:
  name: Rome
  geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions*
  (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); Abruzzo,
  Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia
  Giulia*, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte,
  Puglia, Sardegna*, Sicilia*, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige*, Umbria,
  Valle d'Aosta*, Veneto

Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally
unified until 1870)

Constitution:
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many
times

Legal system:
  based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial
  review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where
minimum age is 25)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
  president of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 17 May
  2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  approved by the president
  elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
  both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a
  seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006
  (next to be held May 2013); prime minister appointed by the
  president and confirmed by parliament
  election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the fourth
  round of voting; electoral college vote - 543

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato
  della Repubblica (315 seats; elected by proportional vote with the
  winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that
  region; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies
  or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; elected by popular vote with the
  winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; members
  serve five-year terms); note - electoral vote reform passed in
  December 2005
  elections: Senate - last held 10 April 2006 (next to be held in
  2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 April 2006 (next to be
  held May 2011)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - The Union 158 (DS 62, DL 39, RC 27, Together with the Union
  11, other 19), House of Freedoms 154 (FI 79, AN 41, UDC 21, LEGA
  13), other 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - The Union 348 (DS 220, RC 41, Rose in the Fist 18,
  Italy of Values 17, PdCI 16, Greens Federation 15, UDEUR 10, other
  11), House of Freedoms 276 (FI 140, AN 71, Union of Christian and
  Center Democrats 39, LEGA 26), other 6

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15
  judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by
  parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative
  Supreme Courts)

Political parties and leaders:
  Center-Left Union Coalition [Romano PRODI]: Ulivo Alliance
  (including Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO];
  Daisy-Democracy is Freedom or DL [Francesco RUTELLI]); Rose in the
  Fist (including Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI];
  Italian Radical Party [Emma BONINO]); Italian Communist Party or
  PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Green Federation [Alfonso PECORARO
  SCANIO]; Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Italy of
  Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]; Union of Democrats for Europe or
  UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; Republican European Movement or MRE
  [Luciana SBARBATI]
  Center-Right Freedom House Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]: Forza
  Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National Alliance or AN
  [Gianfranco FINI]; Union of Christian Democrats of the Center or UDC
  [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]; Northern League or LEGA [Umberto BOSSI];
  Christian Democracy (Per la Autonomie) [Publio FIORI]
  other non-allied parties: New Italian Socialist Party or New PSI
  [Gianni DE MICHELIS]; Italian Republican Party or PRI [Giorgio LA
  MALFA]; Social Alternative [Alessandra MUSSOLINI]; Social
  Movement-Tricolor Flame or MSI-Fiamma [Luca ROMAGNOLI]; Social Idea
  Movement with Rauti or MIS [Pino RAUTI]; South Tyrol People's Party
  or SVP (German speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE]; Union of Valley
  Aosta Region or UV [Guido CESAL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
  Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,
  Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union
  confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL
  [Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing, Confederazione Italiana dei
  Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Savino PEZZOTTA], which is Roman
  Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi
  ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

International organization participation:
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer),
  CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8,
  G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG,
  OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400 FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco consulate(s): Detroit

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 46741 FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
  similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist
  side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote
  d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side),
  white, and green
  note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in
  1797

Economy - overview:
  Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same
  total and per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic
  economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated
  by private companies, and a less-developed, welfare-dependent,
  agricultural south, with 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed
  by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported.
  Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in
  order to meet the requirements of the Economic and Monetary Unions
  and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. The
  current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at
  improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Italy has moved
  slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as
  lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor
  market and over-generous pension system, because of the current
  economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions. But the
  leadership faces a severe economic constraint: the budget deficit
  has breached the 3% EU ceiling. The economy experienced almost no
  growth in 2005, and unemployment remained at a high level.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 29.1% services: 68.8% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $785.7 billion
  expenditures: $861.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain,
olives; beef, dairy products; fish

Industries:
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing,
textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 78.6% hydro: 18.4% nuclear: 0% other: 3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery,
  motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and
  tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals

Exports - partners:
Germany 13.1%, France 12.3%, US 8.1%, Spain 7.4%, UK 6.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy
  products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing;
  food, beverages, and tobacco

Imports - partners:
Germany 17.2%, France 9.9%, Netherlands 5.7%, China 4.6%, Belgium
4.5%, Spain 4.2% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated
  telephone, telex, and data services
  domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
  international: country code - 39; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2
  for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA
  Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables

Airports - with paved runways: total: 98 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 14 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 19,459 km
  standard gauge: 18,037 km 1.435-m gauge (11,354 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,299 km
  0.950-m gauge (161 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 479,688 km
paved: 479,688 km (including 6,478 km of expressways) (2004)

Waterways:
  2,400 km
  note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared
  to road and rail (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 591 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,737,175 GRT/12,573,225 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 52, cargo 45, chemical tanker 136, container
  25, liquefied gas 37, livestock carrier 3, passenger 16,
  passenger/cargo 150, petroleum tanker 49, refrigerated cargo 4, roll
  on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 28
  foreign-owned: 36 (France 1, Greece 6, Spain 1, Taiwan 10, UK 3, US
  15)
  registered in other countries: 152 (Bahamas 5, Belize 4, Cayman
  Islands 12, Cyprus 2, France 2, Germany 1, Gibraltar 6, Isle of Man
  5, Jamaica 1, Liberia 16, Malta 29, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 4,
  Panama 15, Portugal 12, Romania 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  18, Singapore 2, Spain 2, Sweden 7, Turkey 3, UK 4) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto,
Trieste, Venice

Military branches:
  Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI),
  Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps
  (Corpo dei Carabinieri, CC) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2005
(2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 13,491,260
females age 18-49: 12,886,033 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 10,963,513
females age 18-49: 10,452,189 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 286,344
females age 18-49: 270,099 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of
  thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and
  northern Africa

Illicit drugs:
  important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and
  Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money
  laundering by organized crime and from smuggling

Background:
  The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was
  settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino
  Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually
  exterminated, replaced by African slaves. England siezed the island
  in 1655 and a plantation economy - based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee
  - was established. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter
  million slaves, many of which became small farmers. Jamaica
  gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958
  it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation
  of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it
  withdrew from the federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic
  conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs
  created by the major political parties evolved into powerful
  organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling
  and money laundering. The cycle of violence, drugs, and poverty has
  served to impoverish large sectors of the populace. Nonetheless,
  many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute
  substantially to the economy.

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Land use:
  arable land: 15.83%
  permanent crops: 10.01%
  other: 74.16% (2005)

Environment - current issues: heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions

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

Geography - note:
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the
main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 33.1% (male 464,297/female 449,181)
  15-64 years: 59.6% (male 808,718/female 835,394)
  65 years and over: 7.3% (male 90,100/female 110,434) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23 years
  male: 22.4 years
  female: 23.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 15.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 15.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.24 years
  male: 71.54 years
  female: 75.03 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed
7.3%, other 0.1%

Religions:
  Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%,
  Baptist 8.8%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 5.5%, Methodist 2.7%,
  United Church 2.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Brethren 1.1%, Moravian
  1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 87.9%
  male: 84.1%
  female: 91.6% (2003 est.)

Capital:
  name: Kingston
  geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland,
  Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint
  James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
  note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were
  amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as
  the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation

Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February
  2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 30
  March 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime
  minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House
  of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor
  general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime
  minister

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body
  appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the
  prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is
  allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and
  the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held no later than
  October 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%;
  seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the
advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
  Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; National Democratic
  Movement or NDM [Hyacinth BENNETT]; People's National Party or PNP
  [Percival James PATTERSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY
  chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
  FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON
  embassy: Mutual Life Building, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
  FAX: [1] (876) 935-6001

Flag description:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

Economy - overview:
  The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now
  account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its
  foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, and bauxite/alumina. The
  global economic slowdown, particularly after the terrorist attacks
  in the US on 11 September 2001, stunted economic growth; the economy
  rebounded moderately in 2003-04, with brisk tourist seasons. But the
  economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest rates,
  increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable
  merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and
  underemployment, and a growing stock of internal debt - the result
  of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most
  notably the financial sector in the mid-1990s. The ratio of debt to
  GDP is 135%. Inflation, previously a bright spot, is expected to
  remain in the double digits. Uncertain economic conditions have led
  to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the
  drug trade. In 2004, the government faced the difficult prospect of
  having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt
  payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime
  problem that is hampering economic growth. Attempts at deficit
  control were derailed by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, which
  required substantial government spending to repair the damage.
  Despite the hurricane, tourism looks set to enjoy solid growth for
  the foreseeable future.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.9% industry: 33.7% services: 61.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 19.3% industry: 16.6% services: 64.1% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.8 billion
  expenditures: $3.21 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $180.4 million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables;
poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks

Industries:
tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum,
cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 96.8% hydro: 1.8% nuclear: 0% other: 1.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages,
chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:
US 25.8%, Canada 19.3%, UK 10.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China 7%,
Norway 6.4%, Germany 5.6% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and
  accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment,
  construction materials

Imports - partners:
US 41.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 14%, Venezuela 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004),
57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002), 45.996 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-876; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 272 km
  standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge
  note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation
  had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer
  operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and
  used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 124,323 GRT/184,247 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll
  off 2
  foreign-owned: 10 (Germany 3, Greece 6, Italy 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Kingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, Rocky Point

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits
may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 592,018
females age 18-49: 616,500 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 478,761
females age 18-49: 504,541 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 27,923
females age 18-49: 27,889 (2005 est.)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Jamaica is a source country for men, women, and
  children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and
  labor; information suggests that women from the Dominican Republic
  and Eastern Europe are also trafficked to Jamaica for sexual
  exploitation; women and children are trafficked internally from
  rural to urban and tourist areas for sexual exploitation; there may
  also be trafficking for domestic servitude and forced labor
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Jamaica is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List based on the determination that it is making significant
  efforts to undertake future action

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America
  and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an
  active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major
  concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
  traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions

Background:
  This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling
  captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are
  inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and
  trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
  Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
  Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the
  northernmost active volcano on earth.

Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 4 nm contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m

Natural hazards:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic
activity resumed in 1970

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
  the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2006 est.)

Dependency status:
  territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo
  through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however,
  authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian
  Defense Communication Service

Economy - overview:
  Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural
  resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for
  employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the
  island.

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)

Background:
  In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a
  long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure
  its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy
  stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the
  Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and
  began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late
  19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that
  was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied
  Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32
  Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale
  invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering
  America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East
  and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan
  recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US.
  While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity,
  actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats,
  and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown
  starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented
  growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia
  and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a
  non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Area:
  total: 377,835 sq km
  land: 374,744 sq km
  water: 3,091 sq km
  note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
  Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
  Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international
  straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and
  Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
  acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
  threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of
  fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these
  resources in Asia and elsewhere

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.2% (male 9,309,524/female 8,849,476)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 42,158,122/female 41,611,754)
  65 years and over: 20% (male 10,762,585/female 14,772,150) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 81.25 years
  male: 77.96 years
  female: 84.7 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian
  182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914)
  note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan
  in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil
  (2004)

Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Japan
  local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
  local short form: Nihon/Nippon

Capital:
  name: Tokyo
  geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 139 46 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
  Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
  Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
  Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
  Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
  Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
  Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Legal system:
  modeled after European civil law system with English-American
  influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
  head of government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 September
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires
  that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following
  legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of
  majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime
  minister; monarch is hereditary
  election results: ABE was elected prime minister with 339 of 476
  votes cast in the House of Representatives and 136 of 240 votes cast
  in the House of Councilors.

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or
  Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half
  reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat
  constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House
  of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for
  four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by
  proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)
  elections: House of Councillors - last held 11 July 2004 (next to be
  held in July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 11
  September 2005 (next election by September 2009)
  election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5,
  others 7; distribution of seats as of January 2006 - LDP 112, DPJ
  83, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 8
  : House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 47.8%,
  DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito
  31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24; distribution of seats as of January
  2006 - LDP 294, DPJ 112, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 27 (2006)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after
  designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the
  cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan Communist
  Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihoro OTA]; Liberal Democratic
  Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho
  FUKUSHIMA]

International organization participation:
  AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
  Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-5,
  G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE
  (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI
  (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
  chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
  consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,
  Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
  Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER
  embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
  mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004
  telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
  FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862
  consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
  consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya

Flag description:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in
the center

Economy - overview:
  Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of
  high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of
  GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of
  second most technologically powerful economy in the world after the
  US and the third-largest economy in the world after the US and
  China, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. One
  notable characteristic of the economy is how manufacturers,
  suppliers, and distributors work together in closely-knit groups
  called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
  lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
  force. Both features are now eroding. Japan's industrial sector is
  heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The tiny
  agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop
  yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in
  rice, Japan must import about 60% of its food on a caloric basis.
  Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and
  accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades,
  overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in
  the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s.
  Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely
  because of the after effects of overinvestment during the late 1980s
  and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative
  excesses from the stock and real estate markets and to force a
  restructuring of the economy. From 2000 to 2003, government efforts
  to revive economic growth met with little success and were further
  hampered by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. In
  2004 and 2005, growth improved and the lingering fears of deflation
  in prices and economic activity lessened. Japan's huge government
  debt, which totals 170% of GDP, and the aging of the population are
  two major long-run problems. Some fear that a rise in taxes could
  endanger the current economic recovery. Internal conflict over the
  proper way to reform the financial system will continue as Japan
  Post's banking, insurance, and delivery services undergo
  privatization between 2007 and 2017.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.7% industry: 25.8% services: 72.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.6% industry: 27.8% services: 67.7% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.8% highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.429 trillion
  expenditures: $1.775 trillion; including capital expenditures
  (public works only) of about $71 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs; fish

Industries:
  among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of
  motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
  nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60% hydro: 8.4% nuclear: 29.8% other: 1.8% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical
machinery, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 22.9%, China 13.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.3%, Hong Kong
6.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
raw materials (2001)

Imports - partners:
China 21%, US 12.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, UAE 4.9%, Australia 4.7%,
South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003),
125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
  domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
  every kind
  international: country code - 81; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
  regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US
  (via Guam) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21
(2001)

Television broadcast stations: 211 plus 7,341 repeaters note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 145 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 41 1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 30 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 30 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 23,556 km
  standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,264 km
  1.067-m gauge (13,280 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km
  electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 1.183 million km
  paved: 925,000 km (including 6,946 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 258,000 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 683 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,415,892 GRT/11,765,038 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 134, cargo 30, chemical tanker 20, container
  11, liquefied gas 59, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 149, petroleum
  tanker 156, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle
  carrier 56
  registered in other countries: 2,459 (Australia 1, Bahamas 51,
  Belize 2, Burma 4, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 1, China 3, Cyprus 17,
  French Southern and Antarctic Lands 4, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 67,
  Indonesia 3, Isle of Man 4, South Korea 1, Liberia 102, Malaysia 4,
  Malta 1, Marshall Islands 7, Mongolia 1, Norway 1, Panama 2007,
  Philippines 26, Portugal 9, Singapore 100, Sweden 2, Thailand 4,
  Vanuatu 28, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya, Osaka,
Tokyo, Yohohama

Military branches:
  Japanese Defense Agency (JDA): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou
  Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jietai, MSDF),
  Air Self-Defense Force (Nihon Koku-Jieitai, ASDF) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 27,003,112
females age 18-49: 26,153,482 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 22,234,663
females age 18-49: 21,494,947 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 683,147
females age 18-49: 650,157 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and
  Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern
  Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied
  by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed
  by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace
  treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South
  Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South
  Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to
  the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and
  Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East
  China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting

Background:
  Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of
  the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and
  England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German
  troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency, but is
  not part of the UK.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 143 m

Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.2% (male 8,139/female 7,552)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,407/female 30,691)
  65 years and over: 15.7% (male 6,299/female 7,996) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 41.4 years
  male: 40.7 years
  female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.38 years
  male: 76.89 years
  female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%,
Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey

Capital:
  name: Saint Helier
  geographic coordinates: 49 12 N, 2 07 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14
  June 2006); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
  cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
  bailiff appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators
  (elected for six-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes
  (elected for three-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for three-year
  terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and three non-voting
  members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the
  Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch)
  elections: last held NA (next to be held NA); note - on 23 November
  2005, 29 deputies, independents, were elected
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Flag description:
  white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the
  flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red
  shield with the three lions of England in yellow

Economy - overview:
  Jersey's economy is based on international financial services,
  agriculture, and tourism. In 1996, the finance sector accounted for
  about 60% of the island's output. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes,
  and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to
  the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and
  represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to
  the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts for 24% of GDP. In
  recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate
  in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has
  developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All
  raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a
  large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties
  make the island a popular tax haven. Living standards come close to
  those of the UK.

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

Budget:
  revenues: $601 million
  expenditures: $588 million; including capital expenditures of $98
  million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs,
mineral fuels, chemicals

Exchange rates:
  Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
  (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: 3 submarine cables

Background:
  Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire,
  the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain
  separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine
  in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it
  adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler
  was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he successfully
  navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and
  UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian
  population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he
  reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political
  liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King
  ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the throne following
  his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated
  his power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program.
  Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to
  participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a
  two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in
  the summer of 2003. The prime minister appointed in November 2005
  stated the government would focus on political reforms, improving
  conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption.

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,635 km
  border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
  Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift
Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

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

Geography - note:
  strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab
  country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied
  West Bank

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,018,070/female 976,442)
  15-64 years: 62.4% (male 1,966,794/female 1,716,255)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 111,636/female 117,563) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23 years
  male: 23.7 years
  female: 22.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 16.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.4 years
  male: 75.9 years
  female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some
  Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
  Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
  small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle
classes

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.3%
  male: 95.9%
  female: 86.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
  conventional short form: Jordan
  local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
  local short form: Al Urdun
  former: Transjordan

Capital:
  name: Amman
  geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last
  Friday in September

Administrative divisions:
  12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al
  'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az
  Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba

Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

Constitution:
1 January 1952; amended 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1973, 1974,
1976, 1984

Legal system:
  based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
  legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince
  HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line
  to inherit the throne
  head of government: Prime Minister Marouf al-BAKHIT (since 24
  November 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ziad FARIZ (since 24 November
  2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
  with the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
  by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the
  Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55
  seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories
  of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
  al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
  of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six
  seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special
  electoral panel if no women are elected
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next
  to be held in 2007)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - independents and other 89.6%, IAF 10.4%; seats by party -
  independents and other 92, IAF 18; note - one of the six quota seats
  was given to a female IAF candidate
  note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
  by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first
  parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties
  were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001
  elections until 2003

Political parties and leaders:
  al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR,
  president]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN, secretary
  general]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary
  general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR, secretary
  general]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action Front or IAF
  [Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID, secretary general]; Islamic Center Party
  [Marwan al-FAURI, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab Ansar Party;
  Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party; Jordanian
  Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir
  HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Jordanian Communist Workers Party;
  Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary general];
  Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA,
  secretary general]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad KHALAYLEH,
  secretary general]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH,
  secretary general]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin Sulayman Jiryis
  HANNA, secretary general]; Jordanian Peace Party; Jordanian People's
  Committees Movement; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (Hashd)
  [Ahmad YUSUF, secretary general]; Jordanian Rafah Party; Jordanian
  Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH,
  secretary general]; National Action Party (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI,
  secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi
  MAJALI, secretary general]; National Popular Democratic Movement
  [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz
  al-ZUBI, secretary general]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice
  chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman];
  Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim
  Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, secretary general]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB,
  OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David M. HALE embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000 FAX: [962] (6) 592-0121

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the
  Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and
  green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle
  on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and
  bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
  verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
  points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national
  spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is
  based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

Economy - overview:
  Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water
  and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and
  unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since
  assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic
  reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in
  the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced
  careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with
  privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime
  sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTO (2000), a free
  trade accord with the US (2001), and an association agreement with
  the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and
  have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Jordan imported most
  of its oil from Iraq, but the US-led war in Iraq in 2003 made Jordan
  more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations, forcing the Jordanian
  Government to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales
  tax base. Jordan's export market, which is heavily dependent on
  exports to Iraq, was also affected by the war but recovered quickly
  while contributing to the Iraq recovery effort. The main challenges
  facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants, reducing
  the budget deficit, and creating investment incentives to promote
  job creation.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3% industry: 28.7% services: 68% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5% industry: 12.5% services: 82.5% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2004
est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.8 billion
  expenditures: $4.688 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $1.092 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats,
poultry

Industries:
  textiles, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, petroleum
  refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing,
  tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables,
manufactures, pharmaceuticals

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment,
manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 20.9%, China 8%, Germany 7.1%, US 6.2%, South Korea
4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004), 0.709
(2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: service has improved recently with increased
  use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the
  telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to
  pay telephones is needed by the urban public
  domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
  fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of
  mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
  international: country code - 962; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals;
  fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link
  with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable
  FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL;
  international links total about 4,000

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 25 ships (1000 GRT or over) 346,698 GRT/501,060 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6,
  petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 11 (UAE 11)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 2, Panama 13) (2006)

Military branches:
  Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal
  Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
  al-Malakiya al-Urduniya), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public
  Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but
  comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are required to register; women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,573,995
females age 17-49: 1,346,642 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,348,076
females age 17-49: 1,158,011 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 60,625
females age 17-49: 58,218 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 1,827,877 (Palestinian Refugees
  (UNRWA))
  IDPs: 168,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2005)

Background:
  Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who
  migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as
  a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
  century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
  1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
  were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
  This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
  deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
  non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many
  of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
  cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
  country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
  achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
  mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
  and other foreign powers.

Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural
River in eastern-most Europe

Land boundaries:
  total: 12,012 km
  border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
  km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now
  split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea
  (1,894 km)

Terrain:
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains
in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

Natural resources:
  major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
  manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
  zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Environment - current issues:
  radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense
  industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose
  health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe
  in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the
  Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and
  leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural
  salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown
  into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil
  pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from
  poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory
  enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and
  Russia extended the lease to 2050

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23% (male 1,792,685/female 1,717,294)
  15-64 years: 68.8% (male 5,122,027/female 5,357,819)
  65 years and over: 8.2% (male 438,541/female 804,878) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.8 years
  male: 27.2 years
  female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.55 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.88 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 23.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 66.89 years
  male: 61.56 years
  female: 72.52 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%,
German 2.4%, Tatar 1.7%, Uygur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999 census)

Languages:
  Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in
  everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic
  communication") 95% (2001 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.4%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 97.7% (1999 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
  conventional short form: Kazakhstan
  local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
  local short form: Qazaqstan
  former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch

Capital:
  name: Astana
  geographic coordinates: 51 10 N, 71 30 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Kazakhstan is divided into three time zones

Administrative divisions:
  14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qala,
  singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy
  (Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
  Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
  (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
  Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
  Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
  (Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses); in 1995, the Governments of
  Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
  lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
  Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
  (Baykonur, formerly Leninsk); in 2004, a new agreement extended the
  lease to 2050

Constitution:
first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January 1993; new
constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the
  Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December
  1991)
  head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June
  2003); Deputy Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 19 January 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 4 December 2005 (next to be
  held in 2012); prime minister and first deputy prime minister
  appointed by the president
  election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
  percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 91.1%, Zharmakhan A.
  TUYAKBAI 6.6%, Alikhan M. BAIMENOV 1.6%
  note: President NAZARBAYEV arranged a referendum in 1995 that
  extended his term of office and expanded his presidential powers:
  only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss
  the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his
  discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats; 7 senators
  are appointed by the president; other members are elected by local
  government bodies, 2 from each of the 14 oblasts, the capital of
  Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms; note -
  formerly composed of 47 seats) and the Mazhilis (77 seats; 10 out of
  the 77 Mazhilis members are elected from the winning party's lists;
  members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - (indirect) last held December 2005; next to be
  held in 2011; Mazhilis - last held 19 September and 3 October 2004
  (next to be held in September 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - NA; candidates nominated by local councils; Mazhilis -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11,
  ASAR (All Together) 4, Aq Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party 1
  (party refused to take the seat due to criticism of the election and
  seat remained unoccupied), independent 18; note - most independent
  candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises and other
  pro-government institutions

Political parties and leaders:
  Adilet (Justice) [Maksut NARIKBAYEV, co-chair, Zeynulla
  ALSHIMBAYEV, co-chair, Bakhytbek AKHMETZHAN, co-chair, Yerkin
  ONGARBAYEV, co-chair, Tolegan SYDYKOV, co-chair] (formerly
  Democratic Party of Kazakhstan); Aq Zhol Party (Bright Path)
  [Alikhan BAIMENOV, chairman]; AUL (Village) [Gani KALIYEV,
  chairman]; Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn
  ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan
  [Vladislav KOSAREV, first secretary]; Otan [Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV,
  acting chairman] (the Agrarian, Asar, and Civic parties merged with
  Otan); Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV, chairman]; Rukhaniyat
  (Spirituality) [Altynshash ZHAGANOVA, chairwoman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA];
  Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; For a Just
  Kazakhstan [Bolat ABILOV, Altynbek SARSENBAYEV]; For Fair Elections
  [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash
  NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights
  [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pensioners Movement or
  Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of
  International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International
  [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
  chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
  consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
  embassy: Ak Bulak 4, Str. 23-22, Building #3, Astana 010010
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [7] (3172) 70-21-00
  FAX: [7] (3172) 34-08-90

Flag description:
  sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun
  with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on
  the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold

Economy - overview:
  Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in
  territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves
  and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has a
  large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain.
  Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and
  processing of these natural resources and also on a growing
  machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment,
  tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The
  breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for
  Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a
  short-term contraction of the economy, with the steepest annual
  decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97, the pace of the government
  program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in
  a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan
  enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - 9% or more per year in
  2002-05 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to
  economic reform, good harvests, and foreign investment. The opening
  of the Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western
  Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised
  export capacity. Kazakhstan also has begun work on an ambitious
  cooperative construction effort with China to build an oil pipeline
  that will extend from the country's Caspian coast eastward to the
  Chinese border. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy
  designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the
  oil sector by developing light industry. The policy aims to reduce
  the influence of foreign investment and foreign personnel. The
  government has engaged in several disputes with foreign oil
  companies over the terms of production agreements; tensions
  continue. Upward pressure on the local currency continued in 2005
  due to massive oil-related foreign-exchange inflows.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6.7% industry: 38.6% services: 54.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: 30% services: 50% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 26.5% (2004 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $12.19 billion
  expenditures: $12.44 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
  oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper,
  titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel;
  tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors,
  construction materials

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 84.3% hydro: 15.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%,
machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)

Exports - partners:
Bermuda 12.5%, Russia 11.1%, Germany 10.7%, China 10%, Italy 7.9%,
France 7.7%, Romania 4.5%, US 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8%
(2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
$74.2 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000 (FY2004)

Exchange rates:
tenge per US dollar - 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004), 149.58 (2003),
153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated
  domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile
  cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan
  international: country code - 7; international traffic with other
  former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave
  radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the
  Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations
  - 2 Intelsat

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (with their own international channels) (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 67
  over 3,047 m: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 83
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
  914 to 1,523 m: 10
  under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 658 km; gas 11,019 km; oil 10,338 km; refined products
1,095 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2005)

Waterways:
4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya)
rivers) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 27,173 GRT/43,475 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Oman 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk),
Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force, Republican
Guard

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - two years; minimum age for volunteers NA (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,758,255
females age 18-49: 3,822,845 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,473,529
females age 18-49: 3,168,048 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 173,129
females age 18-49: 168,697 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

Disputes - international:
  in 2005, Kazakhstan agreed with Russia, Turkmenistan, and
  Uzbekistan to commence demarcating their boundaries; delimitation
  with Kyrgyzstan is complete; creation of a seabed boundary with
  Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains unresolved; equidistant
  seabed treaties have been ratified with Azerbaijan and Russia in the
  Caspian Sea, but no resolution has been made on dividing the water
  column among any of the littoral states

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 13,684 (Russia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as
  well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug
  ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
  point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
  Europe

Background:
  Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led
  Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when
  President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional
  succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969
  until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made
  itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and
  external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The
  ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power
  in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and
  fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the
  Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following
  fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate
  of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow
  Coalition, defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the
  presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption
  platform.

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and
Tanzania

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,477 km
  border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
  Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

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

Terrain:
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley;
fertile plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m

Natural resources:
limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite,
gypsum, wildlife, hydropower

Environment - current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching

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

Geography - note:
  the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
  agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on
  Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography
  supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic
  value

Population:
  34,707,817
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.6% (male 7,454,765/female 7,322,130)
  15-64 years: 55.1% (male 9,631,488/female 9,508,068)
  65 years and over: 2.3% (male 359,354/female 432,012) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.2 years
  male: 18.1 years
  female: 18.3 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2005 Kenya was host to
  233,778 refugees from neighboring countries, including Somalia
  153,627, Sudan 67,556, Ethiopia 12,595 (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 59.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 56.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 48.93 years
  male: 49.78 years
  female: 48.07 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%,
  Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab)
  1%

Religions:
  Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim
  10%, other 2%
  note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for
  the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous
  beliefs vary widely

Languages:
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous
languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.1%
  male: 90.6%
  female: 79.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
  conventional short form: Kenya
  local long form: Republic of Kenya/Jamhuri y Kenya
  local short form: Kenya
  former: British East Africa

Capital:
  name: Nairobi
  geographic coordinates: 1 17 S, 36 49 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*,
North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Constitution:
12 December 1963; amended as a republic 1964; reissued with
amendments 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2001

Legal system:
  based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law,
  tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional
  amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in
  1991

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002);
  Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002);
  Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); in addition to receiving the largest
  number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must
  also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven
  provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 27
  December 2002 (next to be held December 2007); vice president
  appointed by the president
  election results: President Mwai KIBAKI elected; percent of vote -
  Mwai KIBAKI 63%, Uhuru KENYATTA 30%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (224 seats; 210 members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called
  "nominated" members who are appointed by the president but selected
  by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2
  ex-officio members)
  elections: last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held by early 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NARC 125, KANU 64, FORD-P 14, other 7; ex-officio 2; seats appointed
  by the president - NARC 7, KANU 4, FORD-P 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president); High
Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People
  [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU
  [Uhuru KENYATTA]; National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Mwai KIBAKI]
  (the governing party)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; National
  Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of
  political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA];
  Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava
  MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme
  Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EADB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, ONUB,
  OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard NGAITHE
  chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William M. BELLAMY embassy: US Embassy, United Nations Ave., Gigiri; P. O. Box 606 Village Market Nairobi mailing address: Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (20) 537-800 FAX: [254] (20) 537-810

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the
  red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering
  crossed spears is superimposed at the center

Economy - overview:
  The regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, Kenya has
  been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary
  goods whose prices have remained low. In 1997, the IMF suspended
  Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the
  government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A
  severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems,
  causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output.
  As a result, GDP contracted by 0.2% in 2000. The IMF, which had
  resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again
  halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute
  several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains
  in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low
  investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1.2%. Growth lagged at
  1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence,
  meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections.
  In the key December 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old
  reign ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable
  economic problems facing the nation. In 2003, progress was made in
  rooting out corruption and encouraging donor support. GDP grew more
  than 5% in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.3% industry: 18.8% services: 65.1% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 75% industry and services: 25% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.715 billion
  expenditures: $3.88 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy
products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs

Industries:
  small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries,
  textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, oil
  refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair,
  tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 17.7% hydro: 71% nuclear: 0% other: 11.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish,
cement

Exports - partners:
Uganda 13.9%, UK 10.5%, US 9.5%, Netherlands 8.2%, Egypt 5.1%,
Tanzania 4.7%, Pakistan 4.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor
vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics

Imports - partners:
UAE 13.6%, Saudi Arabia 9.9%, US 9.8%, India 8.3%, South Africa
7.9%, China 7.1%, UK 5.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 75.554 (2005), 79.174 (2004),
75.936 (2003), 78.749 (2002), 78.563 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize except
  for service to business
  domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data
  commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
  international: country code - 254; satellite earth stations - 4
  Intelsat

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 210 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 115 under 914 m: 84 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 63,000 km (interurban roads)
  paved: 7,623 km
  unpaved: 55,377 km
  note: there also are 100,000 km of rural roads and 14,500 km of
  urban roads for a national total of 177,500 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,049 GRT/7,082 DWT
  by type: passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1
  registered in other countries: 6 (Bahamas 1, Comoros 1, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Tuvalu 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,303,153
females age 18-49: 7,083,726 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,963,532
females age 18-49: 3,471,926 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Kenya served as an important mediator in brokering Sudan's
  north-south separation in February 2005; Kenya provides shelter to
  approximately a quarter of a million refugees including Ugandans who
  flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord's
  Resistance Army (LRA) rebels; the Kenya-Somalia border is open to
  pastoralists and is susceptible to cross-border clan insurgencies;
  Kenya's administrative limits extend beyond the treaty border into
  the Sudan, creating the Ilemi Triangle

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 153,627 (Somalia) 12,595 (Ethiopia)
  67,556 (Sudan)
  IDPs: 360,000 (KANU attacks on opposition tribal groups in 1990s)
  (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Kenya is a source, transit, and destination
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and
  sexual exploitation; children are trafficked within the country for
  domestic servitude, street vending, agricultural labor, and sexual
  exploitation; men, women, and girls are trafficked to the Middle
  East, other African nations, Western Europe, and North America for
  domestic servitude, enslavement in massage parlors and brothels, and
  manual labor; Chinese women trafficked for sexual exploitation
  reportedly transit Nairobi and Bangladeshis may transit Kenya for
  forced labor in other countries
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Kenya is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List due to a lack of evidence of increasing efforts to combat
  severe forms of trafficking

Illicit drugs:
  widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country
  for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian
  methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant
  potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status
  as a regional financial center; massive corruption, and relatively
  high levels of narcotics-associated activities

Background:
  The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and
  complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US
  relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line
  Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.

Location:
  Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling
  the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the way from
  Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed
  that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert
  Islands group (GMT +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line
  Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the
  International Date Line

Area:
  total: 811 sq km
  land: 811 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands,
  Phoenix Islands

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

Natural hazards:
  typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
  occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them
  very sensitive to changes in sea level

Environment - current issues:
  heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy
  migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines
  and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk

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

Geography - note:
  21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in
  Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
  Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.6% (male 20,608/female 20,060)
  15-64 years: 58.1% (male 30,216/female 31,004)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 1,517/female 2,027) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.2 years
  male: 19.8 years
  female: 20.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 47.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 41.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.08 years
  male: 59.06 years
  female: 65.24 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some
  Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of
  God (1999)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
  conventional short form: Kiribati
  local long form: Republic of Kiribati
  local short form: Kiribati
  note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
  former: Gilbert Islands

Capital:
  name: Tarawa
  geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - in
  addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line
  Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island
  councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama,
  Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati,
  Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea,
  Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
  President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
  President Teima ONORIO
  cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the
  members of the House of Parliament
  elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential
  candidates from among its members and then those candidates compete
  in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a
  four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 4
  July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2007); vice president
  appointed by the president
  election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA
  9.1%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42 seats;
  39 elected by popular vote, 1 ex officio member - the attorney
  general, 1 appointed to represent Banaba, and 1 other; members serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first
  round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003 (next to be
  held by November 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  BTK 17, MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all
levels are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders:
  Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te
  Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP;
  National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG]
  note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties
  in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
  because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
  structures

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary
consulate in Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji
is accredited to Kiribati

Flag description:
  the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a
  yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal
  wavy white stripes to represent the ocean

Economy - overview:
  A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few
  natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were
  exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and
  fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy
  has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is
  constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure,
  and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more
  than one-fifth of GDP. The financial sector is at an early stage of
  development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives.
  Foreign financial aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and
  China equals about 20% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant
  ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati
  receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from
  an Australian trust fund.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $142.9 million
  note: supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources
  (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 8.9%
  industry: 24.2%
  services: 66.8% (1998 est.)

Labor force:
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001
est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $55.52 million
  expenditures: $59.71 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY05)

Agriculture - products:
copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish

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

Exports - partners:
US 22.8%, Belgium 21.5%, Japan 14.3%, Samoa 7.8%, Australia 7.5%,
Malaysia 6.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Denmark 4.6% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured
goods, fuel

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: generally good quality national and
  international service
  domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati
  (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF
  radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999
  international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the
  Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should
  improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,749 GRT/3,911 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law
  enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts
  are on all islands)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,128 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is
provided by Australia and NZ

Background: An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il-so'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a 1994 agreement with the US to freeze and ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." Since August 2003, North Korea has participated in the Six-Party Talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US designed to resolve the stalemate over its nuclear programs. The fourth round of Six-Party Talks were held in Beijing during July-September 2005. All parties agreed to a Joint Statement of Principles in which, among other things, the six parties unanimously reaffirmed the goal of verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. In the Joint Statement, the DPRK committed to "abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and returning, at an early date, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards." The Joint Statement also commits the US and other parties to certain actions as the DPRK denuclearizes. The US offered a security assurance, specifying that it had no nuclear weapons on ROK territory and no intention to attack or invade the DPRK with nuclear or other weapons. The US and DPRK will take steps to normalize relations, subject to the DPRK's implementing its denuclearization pledge and resolving other longstanding concerns. While the Joint Statement provides a vision of the end-point of the Six-Party process, much work lies ahead to implement the elements of the agreement.

Location:
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea

Land boundaries: total: 1,673 km border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  note: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the
  exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign
  vessels and aircraft without permission are banned

Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys;
coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

Natural resources:
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper,
gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional
typhoons during the early fall

Environment - current issues:
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne
disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia;
mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.8% (male 2,788,944/female 2,708,331)
  15-64 years: 68% (male 7,762,442/female 7,955,522)
  65 years and over: 8.2% (male 667,792/female 1,229,988) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 32 years
  male: 30.7 years
  female: 33.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.65 years
  male: 68.92 years
  female: 74.51 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few
ethnic Japanese

Religions:
  traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and
  syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
  note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;
  government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of
  religious freedom

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99%

Country name:
  conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  conventional short form: North Korea
  local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
  local short form: Choson
  abbreviation: DPRK

Capital:
  name: Pyongyang
  geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si,
  singular and plural)
  provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong),
  Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae),
  Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon),
  P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan),
  Yanggang-do (Yanggang)
  municipalites: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin),
  Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)

National holiday:
Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9
September (1948)

Constitution:
adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in
April 1992, and September 1998

Legal system:
  based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and
  Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3
  September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA)
  reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a
  position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA
  reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also with
  responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic
  credentials; SPA appointed PAK Pong Ju premier
  head of government: Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 3 September 2003);
  Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun
  (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
  cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's
  Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
  elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September
  2008)
  election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees
  for positions and ran unopposed

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected
  without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties

Judicial branch:
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)

International organization participation:
ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO,
ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as
consular protecting power

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue;
  the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is
  a white disk with a red five-pointed star

Economy - overview:
  North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated
  economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital
  stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of
  underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power
  output have declined in parallel. Despite an increased harvest in
  2005 because of more stable weather conditions, fertilizer
  assistance from South Korea, and an extraordinary mobilization of
  the population to help with agricultural production, the nation has
  suffered its 11th year of food shortages because of on-going
  systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective
  farming practices, and chronic shortages of tractors and fuel.
  Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of
  North Korea to escape mass starvation since famine threatened in
  1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged
  malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale military
  spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian
  consumption. In 2004, the regime formalized an arrangement whereby
  private "farmers markets" were allowed to begin selling a wider
  range of goods. It also permitted some private farming on an
  experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In
  October 2005, the regime reversed some of these policies by
  forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized
  food rationing system. In December 2005, the regime confirmed that
  it intended to carry out earlier threats to terminate all
  international humanitarian assistance operations in the DPRK
  (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and to restrict
  the activities of international and non-governmental aid
  organizations such as the World Food Program. Firm political control
  remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will
  likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $40 billion
  note: North Korea does not publish any reliable National Income
  Accounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing power
  parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus
  Maddison in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was
  extrapolated to 2005 using estimated real growth rates for North
  Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator;
  the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30% industry: 34% services: 36% (2002 est.)

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

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Industries:
  military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals;
  mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and
  precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29% hydro: 71% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including
armaments), textiles, fishery products

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food aid, worth
  approximately $118 million, through the World Food Program appeal in
  2004, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental
  organizations

Exchange rates:
  official: North Korean won per US dollar - 170 (December 2004), 150
  (December 2002), 2.15 (December 2001); market: North Korean won per
  US dollar - 300-600 (December 2002)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other
  international connections through Moscow and Beijing

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting
Station), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2003)

Television broadcast stations:
  4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean
  Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting
  South Korea) (2003)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Railways: total: 5,214 km standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 232 ships (1000 GRT or over) 983,182 GRT/1,370,104 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 176, chemical tanker 1, container 4,
  livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 17,
  refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 60 (British Virgin Islands 1, China 1, Denmark 1,
  Egypt 2, Greece 1, India 1, Lebanon 6, Lithuania 1, Marshall Islands
  1, Pakistan 3, Romania 11, Russia 1, Singapore 1, Syria 14, Turkey
  4, UAE 6, US 3, Yemen 2)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Belize 2, Mongolia 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,
Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan

Military branches:
North Korean People's Army: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force; civil
security forces (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 5,851,801
females age 17-49: 5,850,733 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 4,810,831
females age 17-49: 4,853,270 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 194,605
females age 17-49: 187,846 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North
  Koreans escaping famine, economic privation, and political
  oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain
  islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers and a section of boundary around
  Paektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; Military Demarcation Line
  within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from
  South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with South over
  the Northern Limit Line; North Korea supports South Korea in
  rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women,
  and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
  exploitation; North Korea's own system of political repression
  includes forced labor in a network of prison camps where an
  estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons are incarcerated; the illegal
  status of North Koreans in China and other countries increases their
  vulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual and physical abuse;
  North Koreans forcibly returned from China may be subject to hard
  labor in prison camps operated by the government
  tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the
  Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them
  diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad
  while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December
  2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have
  linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and
  methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant
  ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003

Background:
  Korea was an independent kingdom for much of its millennia-long
  history. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905,
  Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally annexed the
  entire peninsula. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was
  set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a
  Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK).
  During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought
  alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK
  attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was
  signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone
  at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid
  economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times
  the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South
  Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military
  rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In
  June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between
  the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong
  Il.

Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: not specified

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic
activity common in southwest

Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the
discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)
  15-64 years: 71.9% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)
  65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35.2 years
  male: 34.2 years
  female: 36.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.04 years
  male: 73.61 years
  female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%,
other 1%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.9%
  male: 99.2%
  female: 96.6% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Korea
  conventional short form: South Korea
  local long form: Taehan-min'guk
  local short form: Han'guk
  abbreviation: ROK

Capital:
  name: Seoul
  geographic coordinates: 37 34 N, 127 00 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities
  (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
  provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo
  (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong),
  Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do,
  Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)
  metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on),
  Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan),
  Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi
  (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)

Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook (since 20 April
  2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006);
  KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September
  2006)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
  minister's recommendation
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
  term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in
  December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent
  of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
  on prime minister's recommendation
  election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote -
  ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats - members elected
  for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat constituencies, 56 by
  proportional representation)
  elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008;
  byelections held on 30 April 2005 and on 26 October 2005)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP
  3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP
  9, ULD 3, independents 5
  note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party
  reflect results of April and October 2005 byelections involving six
  and four seats respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; United
  Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006. (2006)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent of
  National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by
  president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief
  Justice of the court)

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Party
  or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup];
  People-Centered Party or PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri Party [KIM
  Geun-tae]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
  Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
  Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;
  National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of
  Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National
  Federation of Student Associations

International organization participation:
  AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
  Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Flag description:
  white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center;
  there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of
  Changes) in each corner of the white field

Economy - overview:
  Since the early 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible
  record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world
  economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels
  in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea
  joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDP
  per capita is equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This success
  through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close
  government/business ties, including directed credit, import
  restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor
  effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and
  technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings
  and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of
  1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development
  model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing,
  and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998,
  then recovered 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to
  3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports,
  and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms
  had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002
  was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and
  2005, growth moderated to about 4%. A downturn in consumer spending
  was offset by rapid export growth. In 2005, the government proposed
  labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help make
  the labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to cool
  property speculation. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an
  export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterize
  this solid economy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3% industry: 40.3% services: 56.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 6.4% industry: 26.4% services: 67.2% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $195 billion
  expenditures: $189 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs,
chickens, milk, eggs; fish

Industries:
electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals,
shipbuilding, steel

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 0.8% nuclear: 36.6% other: 0.2% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor
vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,
transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics

Imports - partners:
Japan 18.5%, China 14.8%, US 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
South Korean won per US dollar - 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004),
1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002), 1,291 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic submarine cables -
  1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China,
  1 Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1 Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1
  Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan;
  satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian
  Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)

Television broadcast stations: terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay cable operators 190 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 97,252 km
  paved: 74,641 km (including 3,060 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 22,611 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188 GRT/13,733,624 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker 98, container
  81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum
  tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specialized
  tanker 3, vehicle carrier 6
  foreign-owned: 22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7)
  registered in other countries: 365 (Belize 4, Cambodia 23, China 2,
  Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia
  3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore
  17, unknown 2) (2006)

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine
Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; women, in service since 1950, are admitted to seven service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 12,483,677
females age 20-49: 12,014,462 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 10,115,817
females age 20-49: 9,721,914 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 344,943
females age 20-49: 312,720 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone
  has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime
  disputes with North Korea over the Northern Limit Line; South Korea
  and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by
  South Korea since 1954

Background:
  Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
  Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
  Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
  several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
  ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
  days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
  damaged during 1990-91.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi
Arabia

Land boundaries: total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 m

Natural hazards:
  sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy
  rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms
  occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and
  August

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.9% (male 331,768/female 319,895)
  15-64 years: 70.3% (male 1,085,721/female 613,746)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 42,460/female 24,803) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 25.9 years
  male: 28 years
  female: 22.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  3.52%
  note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of
  expatriates (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.2 years
  male: 76.13 years
  female: 78.31 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

Religions:
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and
other 15%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83.5%
  male: 85.1%
  female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: State of Kuwait
  conventional short form: Kuwait
  local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
  local short form: Al Kuwayt

Capital:
  name: Kuwait
  geographic coordinates: 29 20 N, 47 59 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al
'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir

Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
adult males who are not in the military forces, and adult females
(as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29
  January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah
  head of government: Prime Minister NASIR al-Muhammad al-Ahmad
  al-Sabah (since 7 February 2006) First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR
  Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime
  Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February
  2006) and Ismail al-SHATTI (since 10 July 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
  approved by the amir
  elections: none; the amir is hereditary; prime minister and deputy
  prime ministers appointed by the amir

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA; note - all
  cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National
  Assembly

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several
  legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups,
  merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, and secular liberals

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
  chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
  embassy: Bayan 36302, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the
  Bayan palace), Kuwait City
  mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE
  09880-9000
  telephone: [965] 259-1001
  FAX: [965] 538-0282

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
  black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to
  1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I

Economy - overview:
  Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported
  crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels - 10% of world
  reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export
  revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits
  agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish,
  it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water
  must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with
  foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the
  country.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.4% industry: 47.9% services: 51.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 1.67 million note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $47.21 billion
  expenditures: $20.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair,
desalination, food processing, construction materials

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

Exports - partners:
Japan 19.6%, South Korea 15.3%, US 11.8%, Taiwan 11%, Singapore
9.5%, Netherlands 4.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners:
US 14%, Germany 10.7%, Japan 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.2%, UK 5.6%,
France 4.8%, China 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298
(2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
  domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
  subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
  coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
  telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
  supplied with pay telephones
  international: country code - 965; coaxial cable and microwave radio
  relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the
  Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
  (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and
  2 Arabsat

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

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

Merchant marine:
  total: 38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,424,983 GRT/3,996,755 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5,
  livestock carrier 3, petroleum tanker 21
  registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1,
  Libya 1, Panama 2, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 5, UAE 8) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd
Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Military branches:
Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 1 month annual training to age 40; women have served in police forces since 1999 (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 864,745
females age 18-49: 467,120 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 737,292
females age 18-49: 405,207 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 18,743
females age 18-49: 20,065 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime
  boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the
  Persian Gulf

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men and
  women who migrate legally from South and Southeast Asia for domestic
  or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary
  servitude by employers in Kuwait including conditions of physical
  and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and
  withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement;
  Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for South and East Asian
  workers recruited for low-skilled work in Iraq; some of these
  workers are deceived as to the true location and nature of this
  work, and others are subjected to conditions of involuntary
  servitude in Iraq; in past years, Kuwait was also a destination
  country for children exploited as camel jockeys, but this form of
  trafficking appears to have ceased
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Kuwait is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List because its efforts are based largely on pledges of
  future actions

Background:
  A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud
  nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it
  achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Nationwide
  demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of
  President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990.
  Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won
  overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV. Current
  concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises,
  expansion of democracy and political freedoms, reduction of
  corruption, improving interethnic relations, and combating terrorism.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,878 km
  border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
  km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Climate:
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in
southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain:
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass
entire nation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources:
  abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth
  metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other
  deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Land use:
  arable land: 6.55%
  permanent crops: 0.28%
  other: 93.17%
  note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut
  forest (2005)

Environment - current issues:
  water pollution; many people get their water directly from
  contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases
  are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation
  practices

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range;
many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.9% (male 821,976/female 789,687)
  15-64 years: 62.9% (male 1,607,396/female 1,669,612)
  65 years and over: 6.2% (male 126,847/female 198,380) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23.6 years
  male: 22.8 years
  female: 24.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 34.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 39.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 68.49 years
  male: 64.48 years
  female: 72.7 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian
1%, Uygur 1%, other 5.7% (1999 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.7%
  male: 99.3%
  female: 98.1% (1999 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
  conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
  local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
  local short form: Kyrgyzstan
  former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Bishkek
  geographic coordinates: 42 54 N, 74 36 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  7 provinces (oblastlar, singular - oblasty) and 1 city* (shaar);
  Batken Oblasty, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek), Jalal-Abad
  Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol Oblasty
  (Karakol)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Constitution:
  adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President Askar
  AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003
  significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of
  the legislature; following the spring 2005 demonstrations, a new
  Constitutional Council was appointed and the reform process is
  ongoing

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Kurmanbek BAKIYEV (since 14 August 2005);
  note - former President Askar AKAYEV resigned effective 11 April
  2005 following widespread protests that forced him to flee the
  country on 24 March 2005
  head of government: Prime Minister Feliks KULOV (since 1 September
  2005); First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar USENOV (since 10 May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister; note - the new constitution of
  November 2006 calls for the legislature to appoint the prime
  minister and members of the Cabinet after the elections of 2010
  elections: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 July 2005
  (next scheduled for 2010); prime minister nominated by the president
  for approval by Parliament; note - the new constitution of November
  2006 calls for the legislature to appoint the prime minister and
  members of the Cabinet after the elections of 2010
  election results: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected president; percent of
  vote - Kurmanbek BAKIYEV 88.6%, Tursunbai BAKIR-UULU 3.9%, other
  candidates 7.5%; Feliks KULOV approved as prime minister 55-8

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Supreme Council or Jorgorku Kenesh (75 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve five year terms)
  elections: elections for the new unicameral body or Jorgorku Kenesh
  were held 27 February 2005, but the vast majority of positions
  remained undecided and were contested in a runoff election on 13
  March 2005; election irregularities caused widespread protests that
  resulted in the president being forced to flee the country
  election results: Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed for 10-year terms by the
  Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president);
  Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration

Political parties and leaders:
  Adilet (Justice) Party [Toychubek KASYMOV]; Agrarian Labor Party of
  Kyrgyzstan [Uson SYDYKOV]; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan [Erkin
  ALIYEV]; Alga, Kyrgyzstan (Forward, Kyrgyzstan) [Bolot BEGALIYEV];
  Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Emil ALIYEV]; Asaba (Banner National
  Revival Party) [Azimbek BEKNAZAROV]; Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek
  TEKEBAYEV]; Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan [Klara ADZHIBEKOVA];
  Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar JEKSHEYEV]; Erkin
  Kyrgyzstan Progressive and Democratic Party [Bektur ASANOV];
  Erkindik (Freedom) Party [Topchubek TURGUNALIYEV]; Future of
  Kyrgyzstan [Balbak TULEBAYEV]; Jany Kyrgyzstan (New Kyrgyzstan)
  [Dosbol NUR UULU]; Kairan El [Dooronbek SADYKOV]; Kyrgyz National
  Party [Bakyt BESHIMOV]; Kyrgyzstan Kelechegi [Ruslan CHYNYBAYEV];
  Manas El (Party of Spiritual Restoration) [Chingiz AITMATOV]; Moya
  Strana (My Country Party of Action) [Joomart OTORBAYEV]; Party of
  Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Bakytbek BEKBOYEV]; Party of
  Justice and Progress [Muratbek IMANALIEV]; Party of Peasants
  [Esengul ISAKOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Council of Free Trade Unions; Kyrgyz Committee on Human Rights
  [Ramazan DYRYLDAYEV]; National Unity Democratic Movement; Union of
  Entrepreneurs

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zamira SYDYKOVA
  chancery: 2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 338-5141
  FAX: [1] (202) 386-7550
  consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marie L. YOVANOVITCH
  embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
  FAX: [996] (312) 551-264

Flag description:
  red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays
  representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
  counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the
  sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized
  representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

Economy - overview:
  Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a predominantly
  agricultural economy. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat are the main
  agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported
  in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium,
  natural gas, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been progressive in
  carrying out market reforms, such as an improved regulatory system
  and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS country to be accepted
  into the World Trade Organization. Much of the government's stock in
  enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe after
  the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995,
  production began to recover and exports began to increase.
  Kyrgyzstan has distinguished itself by adopting relatively liberal
  economic policies. The drop in output at the Kumtor gold mine
  sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002, but GDP growth bounced back
  in 2003-05. The government has made steady strides in controlling
  its substantial fiscal deficit and reduced the deficit to 1% of GDP
  in 2005. The government and international financial institutions
  have been engaged in a comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction
  and economic growth strategy, and in 2005 agreed to pursue
  much-needed tax reform. Progress fighting corruption, further
  restructuring of domestic industry, and success in attracting
  foreign investment are keys to future growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.3% industry: 20.8% services: 43.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 55% industry: 15% services: 30% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 23.3% (2001)

Budget:
  revenues: $516.3 million
  expenditures: $539.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries;
sheep, goats, cattle, wool

Industries:
  small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn
  logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth
  metals

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 7.6% hydro: 92.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas,
hydropower; machinery; shoes

Exports - partners:
UAE 35.6%, Russia 18.6%, China 13.4%, Kazakhstan 12.6% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
China 43.2%, Russia 19.8%, Kazakhstan 11.9%, Turkey 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
soms per US dollar - 41.012 (2005), 42.65 (2004), 43.648 (2003),
46.937 (2002), 48.378 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: development of telecommunications
  infrastructure is slow; fixed line penetration remains low and
  concentrated in Bishkek
  domestic: two wireless telephony service providers, but penetration
  remains low
  international: country code - 996; connections with other CIS
  countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other
  countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway
  switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik
  and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe
  (TAE) fiber-optic line

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
NA (repeater stations throughout the country relay programs from
Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 18 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,193,529
females age 18-49: 1,219,080 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 871,493
females age 18-49: 1,024,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 61,091
females age 18-49: 59,784 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  delimitation with Kazakhstan is complete; disputes in Isfara Valley
  delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; delimitation of
  130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes
  around enclaves and other areas

Illicit drugs:
  limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS
  markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
  point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
  Europe

Background:
  Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan
  Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three
  hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia
  and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of
  gradual decline, Laos came under the control of Siam (Thailand) from
  the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became
  part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined
  the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet
  Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy
  and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to
  Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the
  liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became
  a member of ASEAN in 1997.

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,083 km
  border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km,
  Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(December to April)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Environment - current issues: unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water

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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
  forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western
  boundary with Thailand

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454)
  15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.6 years
  female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 55.49 years
  male: 53.45 years
  female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung
  (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic
  Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions:
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian
denominations 1.5%)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 66.4%
  male: 77.4%
  female: 55.5% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
  conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos
  local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
  local short form: none

Capital:
  name: Vientiane
  geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality*
  (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone**
  (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai,
  Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang,
  Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*,
  Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Legal system:
based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures,
and socialist practice

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8
  June 2006) and Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June
  2006); Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002),
  Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit [since 8 June
  2006], Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February
  1998), and Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March
  2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
  by the National Assembly
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next
  to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and
  elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term
  election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG
  Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote -
  100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of
  National Assembly vote - 97%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  LPRP 113, independents 2

Judicial branch:
  People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court
  is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the
  National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the
  People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National
  Assembly Standing Committee)

Political parties and leaders:
Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone];
other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders:
noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders
fled the country in 1975

International organization participation:
  ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
  OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay
  chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26 7000 FAX: [856] 21-26 7074

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red
with a large white disk centered in the blue band

Economy - overview:
  The government of Laos, one of the few remaining official Communist
  states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private
  enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low
  base, were striking - growth averaged 6% in 1988-2004 except during
  the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning
  in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with
  a primitive infrastructure. It has no railroads, a rudimentary road
  system, and limited external and internal telecommunications, though
  the government is sponsoring major improvements in the road system
  with possible support from Japan. Electricity is available in only a
  few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice,
  accounts for about half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment.
  The economy will continue to benefit from aid by the IMF and other
  international sources and from new foreign investment in food
  processing and mining. Construction will be another strong economic
  driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain
  steam. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with
  the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on
  exports. This new status may help spur growth. In addition, the
  European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to the Lao
  Government for technical assistance in preparations for WTO
  membership. If the avian flu worsens and spreads in the region,
  however, prospects for tourism could dim.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 45.5% industry: 28.7% services: 25.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $319.3 million
  expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco,
cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry

Industries:
copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power,
agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.4% hydro: 98.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Thailand 29.6%, Vietnam 12%, France 6.1%, Germany 4.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003),
10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: service to general public is poor but
  improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
  communicate with remote areas
  domestic: radiotelephone communications
  international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
  Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Television broadcast stations:
7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television from
Hanoi (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 35
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Waterways:
  4,600 km
  note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are
  intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,500,625
females age 15-49: 1,521,116 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 954,816
females age 15-49: 1,006,082 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 73,167
females age 15-49: 71,432 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao
  People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively
  resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding
  to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely
  to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry
  centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics
  transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on
  the Lao-Burma border (2005)

Disputes - international:
  Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check
  the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation
  with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas along Mekong
  River and Thai squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members
  that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect
  water levels

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Laos is a source country for men and women
  trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation;
  a significant number are economic migrants who are subjected to
  commercial sexual exploitation or conditions of forced or bonded
  labor in Thailand; to a lesser extent, Laos is a transit and
  destination country for women who are trafficked for sexual
  exploitation including a small number of victims from China and
  Vietnam trafficked to work as street vendors and for sexual
  exploitation in prostitution
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Laos does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease
  from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons,
  a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)

Background:
  After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars,
  Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its
  independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
  Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the
  Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to
  Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and
Lithuania

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,368 km
  border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km,
  Russia 282 km

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m

Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land

Irrigated land:
  200 sq km
  note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not
  irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land
  has been improved by drainage (2003)

Environment - current issues:
  Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service
  industries after the country regained independence; the main
  environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality
  and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as
  well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU
  accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full
  enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010

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

Geography - note:
most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with
some hills in the east

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14% (male 162,562/female 155,091)
  15-64 years: 69.6% (male 769,004/female 815,042)
  65 years and over: 16.4% (male 121,646/female 251,390) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.4 years
  male: 36.3 years
  female: 42.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 11.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.33 years
  male: 66.08 years
  female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%,
Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)

Languages:
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3%
(2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.8%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
  conventional short form: Latvia
  local long form: Latvijas Republika
  local short form: Latvija
  former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Riga
  geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles
  Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons,
  Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons,
  Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas
  Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons,
  Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons,
  Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu
  Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*,
  Ventspils Rajons

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is
  the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4
  May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August
  1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:
  15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human
  Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented
  the constitution

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  appointed by the Parliament
  elections: president reelected by Parliament for a four-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held
  by June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president;
  parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by
  direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - TP 19.5%, ZZS 16.7%, JL
  16.4%, SC 14.4%; LPP/LC 8.6%; TB/LNNK 7%; PCTVL 6%; seats by party -
  TP 23, ZZS 18, JL 18, SC 17, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 8, PCTVL 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)

Political parties and leaders:
  First Party of Latvia or LPP [Juris LUJANS]; For Human Rights in a
  United Latvia or PCTVL [Tatjana ZDANOKA, Jakovs PLINERS]; For the
  Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or
  TB/LNNK [Janis STRAUME]; Harmony Center or SC [Sergejs DOLGOPOLOVS];
  Latvian Green Party or ZZS [Indulis EMSIS, Viesturs SILENIEKS,
  Raimonds VEJONIS]; Latvian Farmer's Union or LZS [Augusts
  BRIGMANIS]; Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Social
  Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP
  [Alfreds RUBIKS]; Latvia's Way or LC [Ivars GODMANIS]; New Democrats
  or JD [Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE]; People's
  Harmony Party or TSP [Aivars DATAVS]; People's Party or TP [Atis
  SLAKTERIS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB)
[Aleksandr KAZAKOV]

International organization participation:
  Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new
  member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
  IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent),
  ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS
  chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Catherine TODD BAILEY
  embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510
  mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE
  09723
  telephone: [371] 703-6200
  FAX: [371] 782-0047

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and
maroon

Economy - overview:
  Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian
  financial crisis, largely due to the government's budget stringency
  and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries,
  lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of
  companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the
  state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia
  officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU
  membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004. The current
  account deficit - 11.5% of GDP in 2005 - remains a major concern. A
  growing perception that many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit
  activity could damage the country's vibrant financial sector.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 26.1% services: 69.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 15% industry: 25% services: 60% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 26.1% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.673 billion
  expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs;
fish

Industries:
  buses, vans, street and railroad cars; synthetic fibers,
  agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
  electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note -
  dependent on imports for energy and raw materials

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29.1% hydro: 70.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles,
foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, UK 10.2%, Russia 7.9%,
Sweden 7.8%, Denmark 5.3%, Poland 5.3% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 13.6%, Russia 8.6%, Estonia 7.9%, Poland
6.4%, Finland 5.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Sweden 5.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003),
0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition
  to the telecommunications sector, beginning in 2003; the number of
  fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands
  domestic: two wireless service providers in addition to Lattelekom,
  the incumbent monopoly
  international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
  connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden

Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,303 km
  broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 250,559 GRT/336,136 DWT
  by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1
  registered in other countries: 105 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas
  1, Belize 6, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 4, Dominica 1, Gibraltar 2, Liberia
  14, Malta 40, Marshall Islands 7, Panama 3, Russia 2, Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines 18) (2006)

Military branches:
Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force,
Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005)

Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers; plans are to phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an all-professional force by 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 517,713
females age 19-49: 519,631 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 361,098
females age 19-49: 422,913 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 19,137
females age 19-49: 18,505 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Russia refuses to sign the 1997 boundary treaty due to Latvian
  insistence on a unilateral clarificatory declaration referencing
  Soviet occupation of Latvia and territorial losses; Russia demands
  better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; the Latvian
  parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with
  Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as
  a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia
  must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and
  Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American
  cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; despite
  improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent
  enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of
  offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime
  (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and
  prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds

Background:
  Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by
  Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this
  territory and separated out a region of Lebanon in 1920. France
  granted this area independence in 1943. A 15-year civil war
  (1976-1991) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made
  progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the
  Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the
  Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly
  by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while
  institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the
  end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections,
  most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces
  (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country.
  Hizballah, a radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State
  Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons.
  During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if
  Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly
  east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus justified its
  continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests
  and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the
  constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from
  southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese
  groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage
  of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria
  to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese
  affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's
  presence in Lebanon. The assassination of former Prime Minister
  Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive
  demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar
  Revolution"). Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its military
  forces from Lebanon in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held
  its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free
  of foreign interference, handing a two-thirds majority to the bloc
  led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and
Syria

Climate:
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers;
Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Natural resources:
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit
region, arable land

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in
  Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes;
  pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
  Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
  Conservation

Geography - note:
  Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an
  international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate,
  protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion,
  clan, and ethnicity

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.5% (male 523,220/female 502,372)
  15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,235,915/female 1,342,540)
  65 years and over: 7% (male 122,155/female 147,848) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 26.7 years
  female: 28.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.88 years
  male: 70.41 years
  female: 75.48 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
  note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but
  rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be
  called Phoenicians

Religions:
  Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri),
  Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic,
  Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian
  Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant),
  other 1.3%
  note: 17 religious sects recognized

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.4%
  male: 93.1%
  female: 82.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
  conventional short form: Lebanon
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
  local short form: Lubnan
  former: Greater Lebanon

Capital:
  name: Beirut
  geographic coordinates: 33 53 N, 35 30 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar,
  Baalbek-Hermel, Beyrouth, Beqaa, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban,
  Nabatiye

Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

Constitution:
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of
Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989

Legal system:
  mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law;
  no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at
age 21 with elementary education

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)
  head of government: Prime Minister Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June
  2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
  the president and members of the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year
  term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15
  October 1998 (next to be held in 2007 based on three-year
  extension); note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted
  96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the
  prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
  in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the
  president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni
  Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim
  election results: for 15 October 1998 election: Emile LAHUD elected
  president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against,
  10 abstentions

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or
  Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular
  vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005
  (next to be held 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group -
  Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering 15; Development and
  Resistance Bloc 15; Loyalty to the Resistance 14; Free Patriotic
  Movement 14; Lebanese Forces 6; Qornet Shewan 5; Popular Bloc 4;
  Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Syrian National Socialist Party 2;
  Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Tachnaq Party 2; Democratic Renewal
  Movement 1; Democratic Left 1; Nasserite Popular Movement 1; Ba'th
  Party 1; Kataeb Party 1; independent 5

Judicial branch:
  four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial
  cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council
  (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws);
  Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime
  minister as needed)

Political parties and leaders:
  Ba'th Party; Democratic Gathering [Walid JUMBLATT]; Democratic Left
  [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD];
  Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, Amal Movement
  leader/Speaker of the National Assembly]; Free Patriotic Movement
  [Michel AWN]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Party
  [Karim PAKRADONI]; Kataeb Reform Movement [Amine GEMAYAL]; Lebanese
  Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Loyalty to the Resistance [Mohammad RA'AD];
  Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD];
  National Bloc [Carlos EDDE]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Qornet
  Shewan Gathering [a grouping with no individual leader]; Syrian
  National Socialist Party [Ali QANSU]; Tachnaq Party; Tripoli
  Independent Bloc [a grouping with no individual leader]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
  chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-6320
  FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
  consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey D. FELTMAN embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Akwar facing the Municipality) mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070 telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600 FAX: [961] (4) 544136

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle,
  double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in
  the white band

Economy - overview:
  The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic
  infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended
  Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In
  the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical
  and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from
  domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national
  debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government began an austerity program,
  reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection,
  and privatizing state enterprises. In November 2002, the government
  met with international donors at the Paris II conference to seek
  bilateral assistance in restructuring its massive domestic debt at
  lower interest rates. Substantial receipts from donor nations
  stabilized government finances in 2003, but did little to reduce the
  debt, which stands at nearly 170% of GDP. In 2004 the HARIRI
  government issued Eurobonds in an effort to manage maturing debt.
  The downturn in economic activity that followed the assassination of
  Rafiq al-HARIRI has eased, but has yet to be reversed. Tourism
  remains below the level of 2004. The new Prime Minister, Fuad
  SINIORA, has pledged to push ahead with economic reform, including
  privatization and more efficient government. The Core Group of
  nations has announced plans to hold a Donor's Conference in early
  2006 to assist the government of Lebanon in restructuring its debt
  and increasing foreign investment.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 12%
  industry: 21%
  services: 67% (2000)

Labor force:
  2.6 million
  note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers
  (2001 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $4.953 billion
  expenditures: $6.595 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives,
tobacco; sheep, goats

Industries:
  banking, tourism, food processing, jewelry, cement, textiles,
  mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil
  refining, metal fabricating

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 97.2% hydro: 2.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer
  goods, fruit, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power
  machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper

Exports - partners:
Syria 25.3%, UAE 11.4%, Switzerland 8.1%, Turkey 6%, Saudi Arabia
6% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and
live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco

Imports - partners:
Italy 11.1%, Syria 10.7%, France 9.2%, Germany 6.5%, China 5.4%, US
5.3%, UK 4.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.3% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.2 billion received (2003), out of the $4.2 billion in soft loans
pledged at the November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference

Exchange rates:
Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004),
1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
  severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
  domestic: two commercial wireless networks provide good service;
  political instability hampers privatization and deployment of new
  technologies
  international: country code - 961; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations);
  coaxial cable to Syria; 3 submarine coaxial cables

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

Railways:
  total: 401 km
  standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
  narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
  note: rail system became unusable because of damage done during
  fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 39 ships (1000 GRT or over) 150,598 GRT/178,295 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 18, livestock carrier 10,
  refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 3
  foreign-owned: 4 (Greece 3, Syria 1)
  registered in other countries: 59 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Barbados
  1, Cambodia 6, Comoros 6, Egypt 2, Georgia 7, Honduras 1, North
  Korea 6, Liberia 2, Malta 10, Mongolia 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines 4, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Syria 7, unknown 2)
  (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 974,363
females age 18-49: 1,024,273 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 821,762
females age 18-49: 865,770 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of Israeli-occupied
  Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon
  (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 404,170 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
IDPs: 300,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in
  2002; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin
  American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way
  to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption

Background:
  Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence
  from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first
  two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to
  Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government
  was restored in 1993 after 7 years of military rule. In 1998,
  violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious
  election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African
  and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern
  African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since
  restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were
  held in 2002.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Natural resources:
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay,
building stone

Environment - current issues:
  population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in
  overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion;
  desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and
  redirects water to South Africa

Geography - note:
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous,
more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level

Population:
  2,022,331
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.8% (male 374,102/female 369,527)
  15-64 years: 58.3% (male 572,957/female 606,846)
  65 years and over: 4.9% (male 39,461/female 59,438) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.3 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 21 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 87.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 82.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 34.4 years
  male: 35.55 years
  female: 33.21 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 84.8%
  male: 74.5%
  female: 94.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
  conventional short form: Lesotho
  local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
  local short form: Lesotho
  former: Basutoland

Capital:
  name: Maseru
  geographic coordinates: 29 28 S, 27 30 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru,
Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Legal system:
  based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note -
  King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to
  February 1995, while his father was in exile
  head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May
  1998)
  cabinet: Cabinet
  elections: none - according to the constitution, the leader of the
  majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister;
  the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution,
  which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is
  a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative
  powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to
  depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession,
  or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not
  of mature age

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22
  principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party)
  and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by
  proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year
  terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120
  in the May 2002 election
  elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC
  7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18

Judicial branch:
  High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the
  advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court;
  customary or traditional court

Political parties and leaders:
  Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE];
  Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho
  National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang
  Basotho Party or KPB [MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD
  [Pakalitha MOSISILI] (the governing party); Lesotho Education Party
  or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone
  MAOPE]; Lesotho Workers Party of LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou
  Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or
  NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief
  Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho
  RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social
  Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]; United Democratic Party
  or UDP [C.D. MOFELI]; United Party or UP [Makara SEKAUTU]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI
  chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY
  embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
  mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
  telephone: [266] 22 312666
  FAX: [266] 22 310116

Flag description:
  three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the
  proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and
  prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black
  Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was
  unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Economy - overview:
  Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances
  from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the
  Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government
  revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax
  system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major
  hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to
  South Africa, also generating royalties for Lesotho. As the number
  of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a
  small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that
  support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well
  as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown
  significantly, mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade
  benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The
  economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture,
  especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural
  activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income
  remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty
  Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.3% industry: 44.3% services: 39.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence
  agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in
  South Africa
  industry and services: 14%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4%

Budget:
  revenues: $738.5 million
  expenditures: $792.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts,
construction, tourism

Electricity - production:
350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2003)

Electricity - imports:
38 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2003)

Exports - commodities:
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and
mohair, food and live animals (2000)

Imports - commodities:
food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum
products (2000)

Exchange rates:
maloti per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003),
10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: rudimentary system
  domestic: consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a
  small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone
  communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing
  international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 25
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 428,982
females age 18-49: 440,102 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 180,797
females age 18-49: 160,681 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future
  structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially
  considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening
  in political affairs

Background:
  Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia
  began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish
  a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to
  promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and
  political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and
  the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by
  Samuel DOE assassinated President William TOLBERT (1971-80) and
  ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule followed by a prolonged
  civil war, in which DOE himself was killed. In August 2003, a
  comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of intermittent
  fighting and prompted the resignation of former president Charles
  TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a
  transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought
  President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia
  (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country,
  completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004,
  but the security situation is still volatile and the process of
  rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn
  country remains sluggish.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote
d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,585 km
  border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone
  306 km

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold
nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and
low mountains in northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Natural hazards:
dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)

Environment - current issues: tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage

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

Geography - note:
  facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by
  lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland
  grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.1% (male 656,016/female 653,734)
  15-64 years: 54.2% (male 816,443/female 832,152)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 40,591/female 43,068) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.1 years
  male: 18 years
  female: 18.3 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  27.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: at least 238,500 Liberian refugees are in surrounding
  countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their
  ability to return (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 155.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 171.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 139.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 39.65 years
  male: 37.99 years
  female: 41.35 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo,
  Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo,
  and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from
  the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of
  immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

Languages:
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a
few can be written and are used in correspondence

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 57.5%
  male: 73.3%
  female: 41.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia

Capital:
  name: Monrovia
  geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 47 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount,
  Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba,
  River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe

Legal system:
  dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for
  the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal
  practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 16 January
  2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 6 January
  2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the
  Senate
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 November 2005
  (next to be held NA 2011)
  election results: Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF elected president; percent
  of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (UP) 59.6%, George
  WEAH (CDC) 40.4%
  note: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring factions and the
  Liberian Government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of
  former president, Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement,
  Chairman Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National
  Transitional Government on 14 October 2003; free elections were held
  11 October 2005, with a runoff election between the two leading
  candidates on 8 November 2005

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats -
  number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; members
  elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  six-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in
  2014); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to
  be held NA 2011)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of
  Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  CDC 15, LP 9, UP 8, COTOL 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15
  note: the current six-year term for junior senators - those who
  received the second most votes in the election - is mandated by the
  Liberian constitution to stagger Senate elections and ensure
  continuity of government

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH];
  Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL; Congress for
  Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP
  [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE];
  National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN]; Unity Party or UP
  [Charles CLARKE]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437 FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
  embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point,
  1000 Monrovia, 10
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380
  FAX: [231] 226-148

Flag description:
  11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating
  with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in
  the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag

Economy - overview:
  Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much of
  Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around
  Monrovia, while continued international sanctions on diamonds and
  timber exports will limit growth prospects for the foreseeable
  future. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and
  expertise with them. Some have returned, but many will not. Richly
  endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate
  favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter
  of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local
  manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The
  departure of the former president, Charles TAYLOR, to Nigeria in
  August 2003, the establishment of the all-inclusive Transitional
  Government, and the arrival of a UN mission have helped defuse the
  political crisis, but have done little to encourage economic
  development. Wealthy international donors, who are ready to assist
  reconstruction efforts, are withholding funding until Liberia's
  National Assembly signs onto a Governance and Economic Management
  Action Plan (GEMAP). The Plan was created in October 2005 by the
  International Contact Group for Liberia to help ensure transparent
  revenue collection and allocation - something that was lacking under
  the Transitional Government and that has limited Liberia's economic
  recovery. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of
  incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous
  financial support and technical assistance from donor countries.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 76.9%
  industry: 5.4%
  services: 17.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 70%
  industry: 8%
  services: 22% (2000 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $85.4 million
  expenditures: $90.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products: rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber

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

Exports - partners:
Belgium 41.4%, Spain 11.6%, US 9.1%, Malaysia 5.5%, Thailand 4.6%,
Poland 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured
goods; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
South Korea 37.9%, Japan 21.1%, Singapore 14.2%, Croatia 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Liberian dollars per US dollar - NA (2005), 54.906 (2004), 59.379
(2003), 61.754 (2002), 48.583 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the limited services available are found almost
  exclusively in the capital Monrovia
  domestic: fully automatic system with very low density of .23 fixed
  main lines per 100 persons; limited wireless service available
  international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 38 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 490 km
  standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
  note: railway is inoperable because of damage suffered during the
  civil war (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,687 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,522,787 GRT/96,776,521 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 322, cargo 83, chemical
  tanker 199, combination ore/oil 2, container 477, liquefied gas 75,
  passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 397, refrigerated
  cargo 76, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier
  35
  foreign-owned: 1,611 (Argentina 7, Australia 2, Austria 13, Bahamas,
  The 1, Bermuda 1, Brazil 3, Canada 2, China 35, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3,
  Denmark 8, Estonia 1, France 3, Germany 587, Greece 267, Hong Kong
  37, India 3, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 5, Italy 16, Japan
  102, South Korea 3, Kuwait 1, Latvia 14, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco
  10, Netherlands 29, Norway 38, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 77, Saudi
  Arabia 24, Singapore 28, Slovenia 2, Sweden 8, Switzerland 7, Taiwan
  69, Turkey 1, UAE 18, UK 41, Ukraine 16, Uruguay 3, US 93, unknown
  1) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 575,384
females age 18-49: 588,780 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 267,430
females age 18-49: 286,231 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  although Liberia's domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups,
  warlords, and youth gangs was declared over in 2003, civil unrest
  persists, and in 2004, 133,000 Liberian refugees remained in Guinea,
  72,000 in Cote d'Ivoire, 67,000 in Sierra Leone, and 43,000 in
  Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote
  d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone; since 2003, the UN Mission in Liberia
  (UNMIL) has maintained about 18,000 peacekeepers in Liberia; the
  Cote d'Ivoire Government accuses Liberia of supporting Ivoirian
  rebels; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 13,941 (Sierra Leone) 12,408 (Cote
  d'Ivoire)
  IDPs: 464,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in
  November 2004) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and
  South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption,
  criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide
  significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of
  well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
  major money-laundering center

Background:
  The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks from the area around
  Tripoli in 1911 and did not reliquish their hold until 1943 when
  defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and
  achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col.
  Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse his own political
  system, the Third Universal Theory. The system is a combination of
  socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is
  supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a
  unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself
  as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He used oil funds during
  the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya,
  supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of
  Marxism and capitalism. In addition, beginning in 1973, he engaged
  in military operations in northern Chad's Aozou Strip - to gain
  access to minerals and to use as a base of influence in Chadian
  politics - but was forced to retreat in 1987. UN sanctions in 1992
  isolated QADHAFI politically following the downing of Pan AM Flight
  103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libyan support for terrorism appeared
  to have decreased after the imposition of sanctions. During the
  1990s, QADHAFI also began to rebuild his relationships with Europe.
  UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in
  September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie case. In December
  2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its
  programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and QADHAFI has
  made significant strides in normalizing relations with western
  nations since then. He has received various Western European leaders
  as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made
  his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to
  Brussels in April 2004. QADHAFI also finally resolved in 2004
  several outstanding cases against his government for terrorist
  activities in the 1980s by compensating the families of victims of
  the UTA and La Belle disco bombings.

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

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,348 km
  border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km,
  Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four
days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
  desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources; the
  Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in
  the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under
  the Sahara to coastal cities

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 33.6% (male 1,012,748/female 969,978)
  15-64 years: 62.2% (male 1,891,643/female 1,778,621)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 121,566/female 126,198) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23 years
  male: 23.1 years
  female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.69 years
  male: 74.46 years
  female: 79.02 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
  during the transmission season (typically April through October)
  (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians,
Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Languages:
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major
cities

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 82.6%
  male: 92.4%
  female: 72% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab
  Jamahiriya
  conventional short form: Libya
  local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah
  al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma
  local short form: none

Government type:
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

Capital:
  name: Tripoli
  geographic coordinates: 32 54 N, 13 11 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  25 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al
  'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al
  Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi,
  Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt,
  Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note - the 25
  municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions

Legal system:
  based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate
  religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of
  legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar
  al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official title,
  but is de facto chief of state
  head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee
  (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
  cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General
  People's Congress
  elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of
  people's committees; head of government elected by the General
  People's Congress; election last held 2 March 2000 (next to be held
  NA)
  election results: NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members elected
indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible
  memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some
  Islamic elements; an anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement exists,
  primarily based in London, but has little influence

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW,
  OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ali AUJALI
  chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-9060

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad Interim
  Gregory L. BERRY
  embassy: Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel, Souq At-Tlat Al-Qadim, Tripoli
  mailing address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC
  20521-8850
  telephone: [218] 21-335-1848

Flag description:
plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state
religion)

Economy - overview:
  The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil
  sector, which contribute about 95% of export earnings, about
  one-quarter of GDP, and 60% of public sector wages. Substantial
  revenues from the energy sector coupled with a small population give
  Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of
  this income flows down to the lower orders of society. Libyan
  officials in the past four years have made progress on economic
  reforms as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate the country
  into the international fold. This effort picked up steam after UN
  sanctions were lifted in September 2003 and as Libya announced that
  it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction in
  December 2003. Almost all US unilateral sanctions against Libya were
  removed in April 2004, helping Libya attract more foreign direct
  investment, mostly in the energy sector. Libya faces a long road
  ahead in liberalizing the socialist-oriented economy, but initial
  steps - including applying for WTO membership, reducing some
  subsidies, and announcing plans for privatization - are laying the
  groundwork for a transition to a more market-based economy. The
  non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for
  about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural
  products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel,
  and aluminum. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit
  agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.6% industry: 49.9% services: 42.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 17% industry: 23% services: 59% (2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $25.34 billion
  expenditures: $15.47 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts,
soybeans; cattle

Industries:
petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts,
cement

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

Exports - partners:
Italy 37.9%, Germany 15.2%, Spain 8.7%, Turkey 6.3%, France 6.2%,
US 5.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer
products

Imports - partners:
Italy 21.5%, Germany 10.4%, Tunisia 5.6%, Turkey 4.9%, UK 4.9%,
France 4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, China 4.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.3084 (2005), 1.305 (2004), 1.2929
(2003), 1.2707 (2002), 0.6051 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telecommunications system is being modernized;
  mobile cellular telephone system became operational in 1996
  domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,
  tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth
  stations
  international: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4
  Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to
  France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt;
  tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (1999)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 60
  over 3,047 m: 23
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 81
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
  914 to 1,523 m: 41
  under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Railways:
  0 km
  note: Libya is working on seven lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m
  gauge track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 86,034 GRT/89,820 DWT
  by type: cargo 10, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
  tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1, Turkey 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
As Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf, Tripoli,
Zawiyah

Military branches:
Armed Peoples on Duty (APOD, Army), Libyan Arab Navy, Libyan Arab
Air Force (LAAF) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,505,675
females age 17-49: 1,429,152 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,291,624
females age 17-49: 1,230,824 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 62,034
females age 17-49: 59,533 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern Algeria
  and about 25,000 sq km in Niger in currently dormant disputes;
  various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Libya is a transit and destination country for
  men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked
  for forced labor and sexual exploitation; many victims willingly
  migrate to Libya en route to Europe with the help of smugglers, but
  may be forced into prostitution or work as laborers and beggars to
  pay off their $800-$1,200 smuggling debt; laborers from Egypt,
  Sudan, and Ethiopia are reportedly trafficked to Libya for the
  purpose of labor exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Libya is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its lack of evidence of increasing efforts to address
  trafficking since 2004

Background:
  The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy
  Roman Empire in 1719; it became a sovereign state in 1806. Until the
  end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic
  devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter
  into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War
  II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country's low
  taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. Shortcomings in
  banking regulatory oversight have resulted in concerns about the use
  of the financial institutions for money laundering. Liechtenstein
  has, however, implemented new anti-money-laundering legislation and
  recently concluded a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US.

Land boundaries: total: 76 km border countries: Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 km

Climate:
continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool
to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries
in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.4% (male 2,922/female 2,988)
  15-64 years: 70.2% (male 11,842/female 12,022)
  65 years and over: 12.4% (male 1,773/female 2,440) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.6 years
  male: 39.2 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.68 years
  male: 76.1 years
  female: 83.28 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2%
(June 2002)

Literacy:
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100%

Country name:
  conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
  conventional short form: Liechtenstein
  local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
  local short form: Liechtenstein

Capital:
  name: Vaduz
  geographic coordinates: 47 09 N, 9 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen,
  Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen,
  Triesenberg, Vaduz

Independence:
23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12
July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire)

Legal system:
local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989,
  assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince
  ALOIS, son of the monarch (born 11 June 1968); note - on 15 August
  2004, HANS ADAM transferred the official duties of the ruling prince
  to ALOIS, but HANS ADAM retains status of chief of state
  head of government: Head of Government Ottmar HASLER (since 5 April
  2001) and Deputy Head of Government Rita KIEBER-BECK (since 5 April
  2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag is
  usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the
  leader of the largest minority party in the Landtag is usually
  appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by
  direct, popular vote under proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by NA
  2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 48.7%, VU 38.2%, FL
  13%; seats by party - FBP 12, VU 10, FL 3

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal or
Obergericht

Political parties and leaders:
  Patriotic Union (was Fatherland Union) or VU [Adolf HEEB];
  Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Otmar HASLER]; The Free List or
  FL

International organization participation:
CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Claudia FRITSCHE chancery: 888 17th Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0590 FAX: [1] (202) 331-3221

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein, but the US
Ambassador to Switzerland is also accredited to Liechtenstein

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown
on the hoist side of the blue band

Economy - overview:
  Despite its small size and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein
  has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized,
  free-enterprise economy with a vital financial service sector and
  living standards on a par with its large European neighbors. The
  Liechtenstein economy is widely diversified with a large number of
  small businesses. Low business taxes - the maximum tax rate is 20% -
  and easy incorporation rules have induced many holding or so-called
  letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein,
  providing 30% of state revenues. The country participates in a
  customs union with Switzerland and uses the Swiss franc as its
  national currency. It imports more than 90% of its energy
  requirements. Liechtenstein has been a member of the European
  Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between the
  European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the EU) since May 1995.
  The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with
  those of an integrated Europe.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 6% NA%
  industry: 39%
  services: 55% NA% (1999)

Labor force:
29,500 of whom 13,900 commute from Austria, Switzerland, and
Germany to work each day (31 December 2001)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2% industry: 47% services: 51% (31 December 2001)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $424.2 million
  expenditures: $414.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1998 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Industries:
  electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics,
  pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism,
  optical instruments

Exports - commodities:
  small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts
  for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs,
  electronic equipment, optical products

Exports - partners:
EU 62.6% (Germany 24.3%, Austria 9.5%, France 8.9%, Italy 6.6%, UK
4.6%), US 18.9%, Switzerland 15.7% (2004)

Imports - commodities:
agricultural products, raw materials, machinery, metal goods,
textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles

Exchange rates:
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467
(2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: automatic telephone system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable
  and microwave radio relay

Railways:
  9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
  note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and
  Switzerland (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 208 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the restitution of
  Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech Republic
  confiscated in 1945 as German property

Illicit drugs:
  has strengthened money-laundering controls, but money laundering
  remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore
  financial services sector

Background:
  Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by
  the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of
  the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not
  recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the
  abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993.
  Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into
  Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the
  spring of 2004.

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,613 km
  border countries: Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 103.7 km,
  Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 km

Climate:
transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate
winters and summers

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Juozapines Kalnas 293.6 m

Environment - current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are
ancient glacial deposits

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.5% (male 284,888/female 270,458)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 1,210,557/female 1,265,542)
  65 years and over: 15.5% (male 190,496/female 363,965) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.2 years
  male: 35.7 years
  female: 40.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.2 years
  male: 69.2 years
  female: 79.49 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified
3.6% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including
  Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or
  unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)

Languages:
Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and
unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
  conventional short form: Lithuania
  local long form: Lietuvos Respublika
  local short form: Lietuva
  former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Vilnius
  geographic coordinates: 54 41 N, 25 19 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno,
  Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu,
  Utenos, Vilniaus

Independence:
11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6
September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is
  the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and
  established its statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it declared its
  independence from the Soviet Union

Legal system:
based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the
constitutional court

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July
  2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  nomination of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004
  (next to be held June 2009); prime minister appointed by the
  president on the approval of the Parliament
  election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote
  - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas
  KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13, with 5 abstentions

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly
  elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional
  representation; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October
  2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working
  for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS
  14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian
  People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and
  New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29,
  Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from
  Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11,
  National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union)
  11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center
  Political Group 8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for
all courts appointed by the President

Political parties and leaders:
  Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman]; Electoral
  Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman];
  National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; Homeland
  Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor
  Party; Liberal and Center Political Group [Arturas ZUOKAS,
  chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Valentinas MAZURONIS,
  chairman]; Liberal Movement; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD
  [Valentinas STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair
  Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas
  BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor
  Party or LDDP and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP;
  Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Social
  Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS, chairman];
  Young Lithuania and New Nationalists

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD,
  EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW,
  OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate
  partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kornelija
  JURGAITIENE
  chancery: 4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John A. CLOUD embassy: Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106 mailing address: American Embassy, Almeny gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106 telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500 FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510

Economy - overview:
  Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with
  Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis.
  Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to about 8% in 2005. Growing
  domestic consumption and increased investment have furthered
  recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West.
  Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and
  joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the large, state-owned
  utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is nearing completion.
  Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. Foreign
  government and business support have helped in the transition from
  the old command economy to a market economy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.5% industry: 32.5% services: 62% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 15.8% industry: 28.2% services: 56% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 24.9% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $8.429 billion
  expenditures: $9.103 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs;
fish

Industries:
  metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets,
  refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small
  ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers,
  agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components,
  computers, amber jewelry

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 16.5% hydro: 5.7% nuclear: 77.7% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and
  equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs
  5% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.2%, Germany 9.4%, France 7%, Estonia 5.9%,
Poland 5.5%, Sweden 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7%, Denmark 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.6 billion in committed EU structural and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
litai per US dollar - 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003),
3.677 (2002), 4 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide
  an improved international capability and better residential access
  domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is
  nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded;
  mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet
  is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber
  applications
  international: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia
  and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and
  Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

Television broadcast stations:
  27
  note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting stations, but may
  have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 34 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 57 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 1,771 km
  broad gauge: 1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 79,497 km
  paved: 70,549 km (including 417 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 8,948 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 49 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,094 GRT/352,883 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
  passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 14, roll
  on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 10)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belize 1,
  North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  3, unknown 3) (2006)

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air Forces,
National Defense Volunteer Forces (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 830,368
females age 19-49: 830,524 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 590,606
females age 19-49: 676,102 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,689
females age 19-49: 28,543 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in
  2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by
  Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a
  simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the
  Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as
  a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, to
  strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has not
  ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily
  due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from
  Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe
  and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy;
  susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking
  legislation

Background:
  Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an
  independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of
  its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of
  autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany
  in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered
  into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following
  year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries
  of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and
  in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Land boundaries: total: 359 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Terrain:
  mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands
  to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle
  flood plain in the southeast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m

Land use: arable land: 23.94% permanent crops: 0.39% other: 75.67% (includes Belgium) (2005)

Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland

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

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.9% (male 46,118/female 43,356)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 159,498/female 156,075)
  65 years and over: 14.6% (male 28,027/female 41,339) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.7 years
  male: 37.7 years
  female: 39.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.89 years
  male: 75.6 years
  female: 82.38 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian,
  Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and
  resident workers)

Languages:
Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative
language), French (administrative language)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2000 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
  conventional short form: Luxembourg
  local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg
  local short form: Luxembourg

Capital:
  name: Luxembourg
  geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir
  Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1
  January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and
  appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following popular
  elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority
  party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed
  prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister is
  appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of
  Deputies
  note: government coalition - CSV and LSAP

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats;
  members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by June 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%,
  DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP
  14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5
  note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory
  body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members
  appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister

Judicial branch:
  judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2 district
  courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative courts and
  tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative courts and
  tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are
  appointed for life by the monarch

Political parties and leaders:
  Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast GIBERYEN];
  Christian Social People's Party or CSV (also known as Christian
  Social Party or PCS) [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP
  [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist
  Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed Communist
  Party dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other
  minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment protection); LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of ecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)

International organization participation:
  ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
  ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph WEYLAND chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171/72 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ann WAGNER embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail) telephone: [352] 46 01 23 FAX: [352] 46 14 01

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue;
  similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and
  is shorter; design was based on the flag of France

Economy - overview:
  This stable, high-income economy - benefitting from its proximity
  to France, Belgium, and Germany - features solid growth, low
  inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially
  dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include
  chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial
  sector, which now accounts for about 28% of GDP, has more than
  compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign-owned
  and have extensive foreign dealings. Agriculture is based on small
  family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border
  workers for more than 30% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg,
  like all EU members, has suffered from the global economic slump,
  the country enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP
  per capita ranks first in the world.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 1%
  industry: 13%
  services: 86% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
316,500 of whom 121,600 are foreign cross-border workers commuting
primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2004 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $9.195 billion
  expenditures: $9.573 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $975.5 million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy
products, livestock products

Industries:
  banking and financial services, iron and steel, information
  technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food
  processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass,
  aluminum, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.3% hydro: 25.2% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber
products, glass

Exports - partners:
Germany 21%, France 16.3%, Belgium 9.2%, UK 8.3%, Italy 7.5%, Spain
6.6%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Belgium 28.2%, Germany 21.8%, China 12.8%, France 9.6%, Netherlands
5.1% (2005)

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

Telephone system:
  general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and
  efficient system, mainly buried cables
  domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable
  international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on TAT-6
  coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)

Railways:
total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (262 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 5,210 km
paved: 5,210 km (including 147 km of expressways) (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 557,636 GRT/792,069 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, chemical tanker 16, container 7, liquefied
  gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 42 (Belgium 9, Finland 4, France 14, Germany 10,
  Netherlands 2, US 3) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: a 1967 law made the Army an all-volunteer force; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 110,867
females age 17-49: 108,758 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 90,279
females age 17-49: 88,638 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,775
females age 17-49: 2,703 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the
  first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement
  signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the
  Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December
  1999. China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems"
  formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in
  Macau, and that Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all
  matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m

Geography - note:
  essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring
  5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and
  Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by
  three bridges

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.2% (male 37,934/female 35,412)
  15-64 years: 75.9% (male 163,975/female 179,830)
  65 years and over: 7.9% (male 15,099/female 20,875) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 36.1 years
  male: 35.7 years
  female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 82.19 years
  male: 79.36 years
  female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%,
other 3.3% (2001 census)

Languages:
Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese
dialects 3.1%, other 3% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.5%
  male: 97.2%
  female: 92% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
  conventional short form: Macau
  local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao
  Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
  local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)

National holiday:
  National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic
  of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated
  as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's
Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"

Suffrage:
  direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents
  living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited
  to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently
  registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad
  regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government
  bodies

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
  head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20
  December 1999)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of one government secretary,
  three legislators, four businessmen, one pro-Beijing unionist, and
  one pro-Beijing educator
  elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee
  for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last
  held 29 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected received 296 votes;
  three members submitted blank ballots; one member was absent

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by popular
  vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive;
  members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - Development Union 12.8%, Macau
  Development Alliance 9%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16%, New
  Democratic Macau Association 18.2%, others NA; seats by political
  group - Development Union 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, Macau
  United Citizens' Association 2, New Democratic Macau Association 2,
  New Hope 1, United Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by
  professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief
  executive

Political parties and leaders:
  Civil Service Union [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Development
  Union [KWAN Tsui-hang]; Macau Development Alliance [Angela LEONG
  On-kei]; Macau United Citizens' Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New
  Democratic Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; United Forces

International organization participation:
IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate),
UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the
US Consulate General in Hong Kong

Flag description:
  light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water
  in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large
  in center of arc and four smaller

Economy - overview:
  Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the
  world since its reversion to China in 1999. Apparel exports and
  tourism are mainstays of the economy. Although the territory was hit
  hard by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn
  in 2001, its economy grew 10.1% in 2002, 14.2% in 2003, and 28.6% in
  2004. During the first three quarters of 2005, Macau registered
  year-on-year GDP increases of 6.2%. A rapid rise in the number of
  mainland visitors because of China's easing of travel restrictions,
  increased public works expenditures, and significant investment
  inflows associated with the liberalization of Macau's gaming
  industry drove the four-year recovery. The budget also returned to
  surplus since 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China and a
  hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70% of
  government revenue. The three companies awarded gambling licenses
  have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory, which will
  boost GDP growth. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to the
  mainland as the Multi-Fiber Agreement is phased out. The territory
  may have to rely more on gambling and trade-related services to
  generate growth. Two new casinos were opened by new foreign gambling
  licensees in 2004; development of new infrastructure and facilities
  in preparation for Macau's hosting of the 2005 East Asian Games led
  the construction sector. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement
  (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect on 1
  January 2004 offers many Macau-made products tariff-free access to
  the mainland, and the range of products covered by CEPA was expanded
  on 1 January 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 7.2% services: 92.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and communications 5.9%, wholesale and retail trade 14.6%, restaurants and hotels 10.3%, gambling 17.9%, public sector 7.8%, other services and agriculture 19.3% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $3.16 billion
  expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY05/06)

Agriculture - products:
  only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers;
  fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is
  exported to Hong Kong

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

Exports - commodities:
clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

Imports - commodities:
  raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods
  (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and
  oils

Imports - partners:
China 43.1%, Japan 10.9%, Hong Kong 10%, Singapore 5.2%, US 4.1%,
Taiwan 4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003),
8.033 (2002), 8.034 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
  maintained for domestic and international services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication
  facility; access to international communications carriers provided
  via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Indian Ocean)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Macau is a transit and destination territory for
  women trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation;
  most females in Macau's sizeable sex industry come from the interior
  regions of China or Mongolia, though a significant number also come
  from Russia, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Vietnam; the majority of
  women in Macau's prostitution trade appear to have entered Macau and
  the sex trade voluntarily, though there is evidence that some are
  deceived or coerced into sexual servitude, often through the use of
  debt bondage; organized criminal syndicates are reportedly involved
  in bringing women to Macau, and fear of reprisals from these groups
  may prevent some women from seeking help
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Macau is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to address
  trafficking since 2004

Background:
  Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in
  1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it
  considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international
  recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of the
  "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a
  20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize
  relations, although differences over Macedonia's name remain. The
  undetermined status of neighboring Kosovo, implementation of the
  Framework Agreement - which ended the 2001 ethnic Albanian armed
  insurgency - and a weak economy continue to be challenges for
  Macedonia.

Land boundaries:
  total: 766 km
  border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km,
  Serbia 221 km

Climate:
warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy
snowfall

Terrain:
  mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three
  large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by
  the Vardar River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

Natural resources:
low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese,
nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central
Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127)
  15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042)
  65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.1 years
  male: 33.2 years
  female: 35.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.97 years
  male: 71.51 years
  female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%, Serb
1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)

Religions:
Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, other Christian 0.37%, Muslim 33.3%,
other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census)

Languages:
Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian
1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.1%
  male: 98.2%
  female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
  conventional short form: Macedonia
  local long form: Republika Makedonija
  local short form: Makedonija
  note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is
  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
  former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of
  Macedonia

Capital:
  name: Skopje
  geographic coordinates: 41 59 N, 21 26 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aerodrom (Skopje),
  Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica,
  Butel (Skopje), Cair (Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa,
  Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Debartsa, Delcevo, Demir Hisar,
  Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje),
  Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden,
  Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda
  (Skopje), Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani,
  Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski
  Brod, Mavrovo i Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid,
  Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis,
  Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), Skopje, Sopiste, Staro
  Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Suto Orizari
  (Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles,
  Vevcani, Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zelino,
  Zrnovci
  note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses
  collectively constitute "greater Skopje"

Independence:
8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing
independence from Yugoslavia)

National holiday:
Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint Elijah's
Day and Ilinden

Constitution:
  adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended
  November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments
  strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to
  the judiciary

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI (since 28 August
  2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all
  the deputies in the Assembly; note - current cabinet formed by the
  government coalition parties VMRO/DPMNE, NSDP, PDSH/DPA, and several
  small parties
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); two-round election last held 14 April
  and 28 April 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); prime minister
  elected by the Assembly following legislative elections
  election results: Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president on
  second-round ballot; percent of vote - Branko CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%,
  Sasko KEDEV 37.3%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members elected by
  popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall
  vote the parties gain in each of six electoral districts; all serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 July 2006 (next to be held by July 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 32.5%, SDSM
  23.3%, DUI 12.2%, PDSH/DPA 7.5%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 44,
  SDSM 32, DUI 28, PDSH/DPA 11, other 5

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Constitutional
  Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican Judicial
  Council - the Assembly appoints the judges

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Alternative or DA
  [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI]; Democratic League of the Bosniaks [Rafet
  MUMINOVIC]; Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH/DPA [Arben
  XHAFERI]; Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic
  Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic Renewal of Macedonia
  [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic Republican Union of Macedonia or DRUM
  [Goran RAFAJLOVSKI]; Democratic Union of Vlachs for Macedonia [Mitko
  KOSTOV]; Democratic Union for Integration or DUI [Ali AHMETI];
  Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for
  Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Internal
  Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Macedonian [Boris STOJMENOV];
  Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-People's Party or
  VMRO-Narodna [Vesna JANEVSKA, acting]; League for Democracy [Gjorgi
  MARJANOVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV]; Liberal
  Party [Stojan ANDOV]; National Alternative [Harun ALIU]; National
  Democratic Party or PDK [Basri HALITI]; National Farmers' Party
  [Vejljo TANTAROV]; New Democratic Forces [Hysni SHAQIRI]; New Social
  Democratic Party or NSDP [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic
  Future [Alajdin DEMIRI]; Party for Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP
  [Abduljhadi VEJSELI]; Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or
  SDSM [Vlado BUCKOVSKI]; Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav
  IVANOV-ZINGO]; United Party for Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; World Macedonian
Congress [Todor PETROV]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ljupco JORDANOVSKI chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2131 consulate(s) general: Southfield (Michigan)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch) telephone: [389] 2 311-6180 FAX: [389] 2 311-7103

Flag description:
a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of
the red field

Economy - overview:
  At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least
  developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the
  total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of
  Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the central government and
  eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area.
  An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the downsized
  Yugoslavia, one of its largest markets, and a Greek economic embargo
  over a dispute about the country's constitutional name and flag
  hindered economic growth until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year
  through 2000. However, the leadership's commitment to economic
  reform, free trade, and regional integration was undermined by the
  ethnic Albanian insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because
  of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit
  spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely
  recovered in 2002 to 0.9%, then rose by 3.4% in 2003, 4.1% in 2004,
  and 3.7% in 2005. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability
  with low inflation, but it has lagged the region in attracting
  foreign investment and job growth has been anemic. Macedonia has an
  extensive grey market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP,
  that falls outside official statistics.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $15.94 billion note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.8% industry: 31.9% services: 56.3% (2005 est.)

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

Budget:
  revenues: $2.105 billion
  expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital expenditures of $114
  million (2005 est.)

Industries:
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel, cement,
energy, pharmaceuticals

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 83.7% hydro: 16.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food
products

Imports - partners:
Russia 13.2%, Germany 10.4%, Greece 9.2%, Bulgaria 7.3%, Italy 6%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.92 (2005), 49.41 (2004),
54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.037 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 389

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Railways: total: 699 km standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2005)

Military branches:
  Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint Operational Command,
  with subordinate Air Wing (Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV),
  Special Force Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
  conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of conscript
  duty is six months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service
  (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 498,259
females age 18-49: 481,317 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 411,156
females age 18-49: 397,839 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 16,686
females age 18-49: 15,664 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the boundary
  with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and
  Montenegro delimitation agreement; Greece continues to reject the
  use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 2,678 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish;
  minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe;
  although not a financial center and most criminal activity is
  thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a
  mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement (no arrests or
  prosecutions for money laundering to date)

Background:
  Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony
  in 1896, but regained its independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free
  presidential and National Assembly elections were held, ending 17
  years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential
  race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was
  returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was
  contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc
  RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In
  April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the
  winner.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m deep isobath

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Natural resources:
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands,
semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Environment - current issues: soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island

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

Geography - note:
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique
Channel

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.8% (male 4,171,821/female 4,158,288)
  15-64 years: 52.2% (male 4,809,173/female 4,900,675)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 249,414/female 306,098) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.5 years
  male: 17.3 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 75.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 83.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 66.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 57.34 years
  male: 54.93 years
  female: 59.82 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed
  African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka,
  Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 68.9%
  male: 75.5%
  female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
  conventional short form: Madagascar
  local long form: Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
  local short form: Madagascar/Madagasikara
  former: Malagasy Republic

Capital:
  name: Antananarivo
  geographic coordinates: 18 52 S, 47 30 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa,
Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 December 2001
  (next to be held December 2006); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: percent of vote - Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 50.5%,
  Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 37.7%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee
  Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote
  to serve four-year terms) and a Senate or Senat (100 seats;
  two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies whose members
  will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the
  seats appointed by the president; all members will serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to
  be held December 2006)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD
  5, others 3, independents 22

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute
Cour Constitutionnelle

Political parties and leaders:
  Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot
  RAJAONARIVO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National
  Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Party or
  FP [Guy-Willy RAZANAMASY]; I Love Madagascar or TIM [Marc
  RAVALOMANANA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD
  [Evariste MARSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee
  for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National Council
  of Christian Churches or FFKM

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rajaonarivony NARISOA
  chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador James D. MCGEE
  embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101
  mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
  telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56
  FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical
white band of the same width on hoist side

Economy - overview:
  Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has
  since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of
  privatization and liberalization. This strategy placed the country
  on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low level.
  Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the
  economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing
  80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent
  years primarily due to duty-free access to the United States.
  Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the
  primary source of fuel, are serious concerns. President RAVALOMANANA
  has worked aggressively to revive the economy following the 2002
  political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that year.
  Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces
  of economic policy for the next few years.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27.6% industry: 16.5% services: 55.9% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 29% (1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $703.6 million
  expenditures: $853 million; including capital expenditures of $331
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca),
beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products

Industries:
  meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles,
  glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum,
  tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.1% hydro: 63.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite,
petroleum products

Imports - partners:
France 16.6%, China 10.6%, Iran 7.9%, Mauritius 6.5%, South Africa
5.9%, Hong Kong 5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Malagasy ariary per US dollar - 2,003 (2005), 1,868.9 (2004),
1,238.3 (2003), 1,366.4 (2002), 1,317.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: system is above average for the region
  domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay,
  and tropospheric scatter links connect regions
  international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
  Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 29 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 87 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,896 GRT/18,466 DWT
by type: cargo 5, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)

Military branches:
People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and
Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie

Military service age and obligation:
18-50 years of age; conscript service obligation - 18 months
(either military or equivalent civil service) (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,542,797
females age 18-49: 3,551,447 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,218,662
females age 18-49: 2,408,810 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 187,000
females age 18-49: 184,833 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan
de Nova Island (all administered by France)

Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used
mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin

Background:
  Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became
  the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of
  one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country
  held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution
  which came into full effect the following year. Current President
  Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by
  the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another
  term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor,
  who still leads their shared political party. MUTHARIKA's
  anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests and
  one prominent conviction. Increasing corruption, population growth,
  increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of
  HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

Land boundaries: total: 2,881 km border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

Climate:
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to
November)

Terrain:
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some
mountains

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international
  boundary with Mozambique 37 m
  highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

Natural resources:
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of
uranium, coal, and bauxite

Environment - current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most
prominent physical feature

Population:
  13,013,926
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.5% (male 3,056,522/female 3,000,493)
  15-64 years: 50.8% (male 3,277,573/female 3,332,907)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 139,953/female 206,478) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.2 years
  female: 16.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 94.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 98.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 89.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 41.7 years
  male: 41.93 years
  female: 41.45 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde,
Asian, European

Languages:
  Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%,
  Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other
  3.6% (1998 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 62.7%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
  conventional short form: Malawi
  local long form: Dziko la Malawi
  local short form: Malawi
  former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland
  Protectorate, Nyasaland

Capital:
  name: Lilongwe
  geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 44 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa,
  Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe),
  Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay,
  Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

Legal system:
  based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 May 2004 (next
  to be held May 2009)
  election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of
  vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%,
  Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%,
  Justin MALEWEZI (independent) 2.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  UDF 74, MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed by the
  president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the Judicial
  Service Commission); magistrate's courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Congress for
  National Unity or CONU; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu
  wa MUTHARIKA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi
  Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and
  Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC
  [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP,
  PETRA, PPM, RP); Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE
  [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown
  MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; People's
  Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation
  Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP
  [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard Herbert SANDE
  chancery: 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
  FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David
  GILMOUR
  embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road
  mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
  telephone: [265] (1) 773 166
  FAX: [265] (1) 770 471

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a
radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band

Government - note:
the executive exerts considerable influence over the legislature

Economy - overview:
  Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed
  countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90%
  of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for
  nearly 36% of GDP and 80% of export revenues in 2005. The
  performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as
  tobacco accounts for over 60% of exports. The economy depends on
  substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World
  Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was
  approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
  program. The government faces strong challenges, including
  developing a market economy, improving educational facilities,
  facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly
  growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that
  fiscal discipline is being tightened. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA
  championed an anticorruption campaign. Malawi's recent fiscal policy
  performance has been very strong, but a serious drought in 2005 and
  2006 will heighten pressure on the government to increase spending.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 34.2% industry: 15.8% services: 49.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $844.6 million
  expenditures: $913.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 3.3% hydro: 96.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
tobacco 60%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products,
apparel

Exports - partners:
US 18%, South Africa 12.2%, Egypt 7.6%, Germany 7%, Netherlands
6.9%, Japan 4.8%, Russia 4.6%, UK 4.2%, Mozambique 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods,
transportation equipment

Imports - partners:
South Africa 37.9%, Zambia 8.7%, Mozambique 7.8%, Zimbabwe 7.3%,
India 6.4%, Tanzania 4.6% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004),
97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
  links, and radiotelephone communications stations
  international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a third
station held in standby status) (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Military branches:
Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment),
Police (includes Mobile Force Unit)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Disputes - international: disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

Background:
  During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established
  colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these
  were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled
  territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya,
  which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when
  the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian
  states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined
  the Federation. The first several years of the country's history
  were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine
  claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in
  1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad
  (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy
  from dependence on exports of raw materials, to expansion in
  manufacturing, services, and tourism.

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern
  one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and
  the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Land boundaries: total: 2,669 km border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
  specified boundary in the South China Sea

Climate:
tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast
(October to February) monsoons

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

Natural resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China
Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 4,093,859/female 3,862,730)
  15-64 years: 62.6% (male 7,660,680/female 7,613,537)
  65 years and over: 4.7% (male 509,260/female 645,792) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 23.6 years
  female: 24.8 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal
  immigrants from other countries in the region (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 17.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.5 years
  male: 69.8 years
  female: 75.38 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others
7.8% (2004 est.)

Religions:
Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in
addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Languages:
  Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin,
  Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi,
  Thai
  note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most
  widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 88.7%
  male: 92%
  female: 85.4% (2002)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Malaysia local long form: none local short form: Malaysia former: Federation of Malaysia

Government type:
  constitutional monarchy
  note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
  consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
  all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka
  and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and
  Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government;
  powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution;
  under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain
  constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own
  immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of
  Representatives; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives

Capital:
  name: Kuala Lumpur
  geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital;
  Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur

Administrative divisions:
  13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah,
  Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau
  Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and one federal
  territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala
  Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya

Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
  the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; Islamic law is applied to
  Muslims in matters of family law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin (since
  13 December 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since
  31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul
  Razak (since 7 January 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
  members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
  elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers
  of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held 3
  November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister designated
  from among the members of the House of Representatives; following
  legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins a plurality
  of seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister
  election results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan
  Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed
  by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan
  Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next
  must be held by 2009)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199,
  DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1

Judicial branch:
Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the
advice of the prime minister)

Political parties and leaders:
  ruling-coalition National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN,
  consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party
  or PGRM [LIM Keng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal
  Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese
  Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting];
  Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy
  VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti
  Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka
  Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti
  Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti
  Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's
  Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam];
  United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad
  Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization
  (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard
  DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk
  Malaysia) or PPP [M.Keyveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party
  or SPDP [William MAWANI]; opposition parties: Democratic Action
  Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic
  Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI
  Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN
  AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG];
  opposition coalition Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA -
  consists of PAS and PKR

International organization participation:
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid
  chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700
  FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAFLEUR
  embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 50440
  mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
  telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
  FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207

Flag description:
  14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white
  (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
  bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the crescent
  and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based
  on the flag of the US

Economy - overview:
  Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971
  through the late 1990s from a producer of raw materials into an
  emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost exclusively driven
  by exports - particularly of electronics. As a result, Malaysia was
  hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the
  information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002. GDP in 2001
  grew only 0.5% because of an estimated 11% contraction in exports,
  but a substantial fiscal stimulus package equal to US $1.9 billion
  mitigated the worst of the recession, and the economy rebounded in
  2002 with a 4.1% increase. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003,
  notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external pressures from
  Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Iraq War led to
  caution in the business community. Growth topped 7% in 2004 and 5%
  in 2005. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from
  higher world energy prices, although the cost of government
  subsidies for domestic gasoline and diesel fuel has risen and offset
  some of the benefit. Malaysia "unpegged" the ringgit from the US
  dollar in 2005, but so far there has been little movement in the
  exchange rate. Healthy foreign exchange reserves, low inflation, and
  a small external debt are all strengths that make it unlikely that
  Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term
  similar to the one in 1997. The economy remains dependent on
  continued growth in the US, China, and Japan - top export
  destinations and key sources of foreign investment.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.4% industry: 48% services: 43.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14.5% industry: 36% services: 49.5% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 39.2% (2003 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $30.57 billion
  expenditures: $34.62 billion; including capital expenditures of $9.4
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
  subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber,
  pepper, timber

Industries:
  Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and
  manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining
  and smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum
  production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production
  and refining, logging

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 89.5% hydro: 10.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and
wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 19.7%, Singapore 15.6%, Japan 9.3%, China 6.6%, Hong Kong 5.8%,
Thailand 5.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles,
iron and steel products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Japan 14.6%, US 13%, Singapore 11.8%, China 11.6%, Taiwan 5.6%,
Thailand 5.3%, South Korea 5%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003), 3.8
(2002), 3.8 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system; international service excellent
  domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
  mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
  relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
  satellite system with 2 earth stations
  international: country code - 60; submarine cables to India, Hong
  Kong, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
  Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2001)

Television broadcast stations: mainland Malaysia 51; Sabah 16; Sarawak 21; note - many are low power stations (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 37 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 72 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 282 km; gas 5,372 km; oil 1,715 km; oil/gas/water 19 km;
refined products 114 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 1,890 km
  standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2005)

Waterways:
  7,200 km
  note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km, Sabah 1,500 km, Sarawak 2,500 km
  (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 312 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,542,727 GRT/7,544,154 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 99, chemical tanker 38, container
  48, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 8,
  petroleum tanker 61, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 6
  foreign-owned: 66 (China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, South
  Korea 1, Singapore 44)
  registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 12, Belize 1, Cayman
  Islands 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 13, Philippines 1, Singapore 35, US 4)
  (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bintulu, Johor, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, George Town
(Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas

Military branches:
  Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian
  Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut
  Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara
  Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,584,231
females age 18-49: 5,510,345 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,574,854
females age 18-49: 4,613,321 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 244,418
females age 18-49: 231,896 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Malaysia has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together
  with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; while
  the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China
  Sea" has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is not the
  legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Malaysia
  was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil
  companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting
  marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue
  over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land
  reclamation, bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra
  Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih - but parties agree to ICJ
  arbitration on island dispute within three years; ICJ awarded
  Ligitan and Sipadan islands, also claimed by Indonesia and
  Philippines, to Malaysia but left maritime boundary in the
  hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in hostile
  confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to the Ambalat oil
  block; separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim
  southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with
  Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a now
  dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; in 2003,
  Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed
  offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated
  prompting consideration of international adjudication; Malaysia's
  land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; piracy
  remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 15,181 (Indonesia) 9,601 (Burma)
(2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser
  extent, a source and transit country for men and women trafficked
  for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; foreign
  victims, mostly women and girls from China, Indonesia, Thailand, the
  Philippines, and Vietnam, are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial
  sexual exploitation; economic migrants from countries in the region
  who work as domestic servants or laborers in the construction and
  agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that
  meet the definition of involuntary servitude; some Malaysian women,
  primarily of Chinese ethnicity, are trafficked abroad for sexual
  exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Malaysia is placed on Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
  combat trafficking, particularly its failure to provide protection
  for victims of trafficking

Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking
prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties

Background:
  The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under
  British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three years after
  independence. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM - currently
  in his sixth term in office - has dominated the islands' political
  scene. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004, the
  president and his government have pledged to embark upon democratic
  reforms, including a more representative political system and
  expanded political freedoms. Tourism and fishing are being developed
  on the archipelago.

Location:
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest
of India

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March);
rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
  highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu
  Atoll 2.4 m

Natural hazards:
low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise

Environment - current issues: depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands,
  plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic
  location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.4% (male 80,113/female 75,763)
  15-64 years: 53.5% (male 98,040/female 94,029)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,477/female 5,586) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.9 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 18 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 54.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.01 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.41 years
  male: 63.08 years
  female: 65.8 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic),
English spoken by most government officials

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.2%
  male: 97.1%
  female: 97.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
  conventional short form: Maldives
  local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
  local short form: Dhivehi Raajje

Capital:
  name: Male
  geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 31 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and the capital city*;
  Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa
  Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale* (Male), Meemu,
  Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu

Legal system:
  based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law
  primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November
  1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11
  November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then the nomination
  must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51% approval
  margin is required); president elected for a five-year term;
  election last held 17 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2008)
  election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected in
  referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon
  Abdul GAYOOM 90.3%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected by
  popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50

Political parties and leaders: political parties were allowed to register in June 2005; the first entrants are: Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Abdul Majeed Abdul BARI]; Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM]; Islamic Democratic Party or IDP [Omar NASEER]; Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]

International organization participation:
  AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed LATHEEF chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195 FAX: [1] (212) 661-6405

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to
Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there

Flag description:
  red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical
  white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side
  of the flag

Economy - overview:
  Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and
  more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90%
  of government tax revenue comes from import duties and
  tourism-related taxes. Fishing is a second leading sector. The
  Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989
  initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the
  private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to
  allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing
  continue to play a lesser role in the economy, constrained by the
  limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic
  labor. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists
  mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts,
  accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the
  impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying
  country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level. In
  late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000
  displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million. Over the past
  decade, real GDP growth averaged over 7.5% per year. As a result of
  the tsunami, the GDP contracted by about 5.5% in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20% industry: 18% services: 62% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 22% industry: 18% services: 60% (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $265 million (excluding foreign grants)
  expenditures: $362 million; including capital expenditures of $80
  million (2004 est.)

Industries:
  fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut
  processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand
  mining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Japan 22.8%, Thailand 22.7%, Sri Lanka 16.4%, UK 12.6%, Singapore
5.8%, Germany 4.8%, France 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing,
intermediate and capital goods

Imports - partners:
Singapore 24.1%, UAE 15.7%, India 11.3%, Malaysia 7.2%, Sri Lanka
5.7%, UK 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003), 12.8
(2002), 12.24 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities
  domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
  inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
  international: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 88 km
  paved roads: 88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on
  Laamu
  note: village roads are mainly compacted coral (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,149 GRT/87,220 DWT
  by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2
  registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Military branches:
National Security Service: Security Branch (ground forces), Air
Element, Coast Guard

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 71,774
females age 18-49: 69,229 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 56,687
females age 18-49: 54,454 (2005 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 11,000 (December 2004 tsunami victims) (2005)

Background:
  The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in
  1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few
  months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed
  Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a coup
  that ushered in democratic government. President Alpha KONARE won
  Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was
  reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional
  limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE.

Area:
  total: 1.24 million sq km
  land: 1.22 million sq km
  water: 20,000 sq km

Land boundaries:
  total: 7,243 km
  border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea
  858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km,
  Senegal 419 km

Climate:
subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid,
and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in
south, rugged hills in northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

Natural resources:
  gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum,
  granite, hydropower
  note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are
  known but not exploited

Natural hazards:
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring
droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies
of potable water; poaching

Geography - note:
  landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,
  cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the
  northern, arid Saharan

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 48.2% (male 2,857,670/female 2,787,506)
  15-64 years: 48.8% (male 2,804,344/female 2,910,097)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 146,458/female 210,754) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 15.8 years
  male: 15.4 years
  female: 16.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 107.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 117.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 97.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 49 years
  male: 47.05 years
  female: 51.01 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%,
Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 46.4%
  male: 53.5%
  female: 39.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Mali
  conventional short form: Mali
  local long form: Republique de Mali
  local short form: Mali
  former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic

Capital:
  name: Bamako
  geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal,
Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
  of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally
  established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi MAIGA (since 30
  April 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 May 2002 (next
  to be held April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE elected president; percent of
  vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 64.4%, Soumaila CISSE 35.6%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 and 28 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE, party
  chairman]; Hope 2002 (a coalition of CNID, MPR, RDT, and RPM);
  National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL,
  chairman]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa
  TRAORE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME,
  secretary general]; Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel
  MAIGA]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT; Rally for Mali or RPM
  [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, chairman]; Sudanese Union/African
  Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE, secretary general];
  Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY];
  Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and
Fronts of Azawad or MFUA

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF,
  ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WADB
  (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Terrence P. MCCULLEY embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako telephone: [223] 222-5470 FAX: [223] 222-3712

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its
  land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal
  distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the
  riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is
  nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and
  fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm
  commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable
  to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along
  with gold. The government has continued its successful
  implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program
  that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign
  investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50%
  devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic
  growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2005. Worker remittances and
  external trade routes for the landlocked country have been
  jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 45% industry: 17% services: 38% (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 40.4% (1994)

Budget:
  revenues: $764 million
  expenditures: $828 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products: cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 41.7% hydro: 58.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2003)

Exports - partners:
China 25.2%, Pakistan 12.8%, Thailand 8.7%, Taiwan 6.7%, Italy 4.5%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials,
foodstuffs, textiles

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
  provides only minimal service
  domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open-wire, and
  radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio
  relay in progress
  international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 28, shortwave 1 note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven frequencies and five transmitters and relays broadcasts for China Radio International (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 20 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,094,432
females age 18-49: 2,027,352 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,244,176
females age 18-49: 1,226,226 (2005 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 6,185 (Mauritania) (2005)

Background:
  Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The
  island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and
  remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A
  decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the
  island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a
  financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU
  member in May 2004.

Location:
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily
(Italy)

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)

Environment - current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on desalination

Geography - note:
  the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest
  islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being
  inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are
  discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
  between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.1% (male 35,264/female 33,368)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 139,890/female 136,767)
  65 years and over: 13.7% (male 23,554/female 31,371) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.7 years
  male: 37.2 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.01 years
  male: 76.83 years
  female: 81.31 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with
strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Literacy:
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.8%
  male: 92%
  female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Malta
  conventional short form: Malta
  local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
  local short form: Malta

Capital:
  name: Valletta
  geographic coordinates: 35 54 N, 14 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: none (administered directly from Valletta); note - local councils carry out administrative orders

Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Edward FENECH ADAMI (since 4 April 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 29
  March 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
  coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president for a
  five-year term; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the
  president on the advice of the prime minister
  election results: Eddie FENECH ADAMI elected president; House of
  Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note -
  additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular
  vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by
  popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by August 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.7%, MLP 47.6%, AD
  0.7%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders:
  Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD [Harry
  VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Alfred SANT]; Nationalist Party
  or PN [Lawrence GONZI]

International organization participation:
  Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612 FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470 consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Molly BORDONARO
  embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana,
  VLT 01
  mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, CMR01
  telephone: [356] 2561 4000
  FAX: [356] 21 243229

Flag description:
  two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the
  upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross,
  edged in red

Economy - overview:
  Major resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and
  a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food
  needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy
  sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing
  (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism. Continued
  sluggishness in the European economy is holding back exports,
  tourism, and overall growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 23% services: 74% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3% industry: 22% services: 75% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $2.503 billion
  expenditures: $2.703 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut
flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs

Industries:
tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food
and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
France 15.4%, US 14.4%, Singapore 12.3%, UK 11.3%, Germany 11.2%,
Italy 5.1%, Libya 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and
semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, tobacco

Imports - partners:
Italy 32.3%, UK 11.5%, France 9.6%, Germany 8%, US 5.5%, Singapore
4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.34578 (2005), 0.34466 (2004),
0.37723 (2003), 0.43362 (2002), 0.45004 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements
  domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
  international: country code - 356; 2 submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,220 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,917,414 GRT/38,685,924 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 434, cargo 344, chemical tanker 105,
  combination ore/oil 1, container 59, liquefied gas 7, livestock
  carrier 1, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 146,
  refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 2,
  vehicle carrier 16
  foreign-owned: 1,162 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 2, Bangladesh 3, Belgium
  10, Bulgaria 13, Canada 18, China 14, Croatia 10, Cyprus 15, Denmark
  6, Estonia 4, France 6, Germany 64, Greece 495, Hong Kong 2, Iceland
  4, India 1, Iran 14, Israel 23, Italy 29, Japan 1, South Korea 6,
  Latvia 40, Lebanon 10, Monaco 1, Netherlands 6, Norway 49, Pakistan
  1, Poland 27, Portugal 3, Romania 9, Russia 70, Slovenia 3, Spain 6,
  Sweden 3, Switzerland 21, Syria 7, Taiwan 2, Turkey 123, UAE 5, UK
  8, Ukraine 24, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, Portugal 1, Russia 4)
  (2006)

Military branches:
Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes air and maritime elements)
(2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 90,651
females age 18-49: 87,047 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 74,525
females age 18-49: 71,333 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western
Europe

Background:
  After almost four decades under US administration as the
  easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,
  the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact
  of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US
  nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The
  Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan
  Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense
  network.

Location:
  Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up
  of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific
  Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Area:
  total: 11,854.3 sq km
  land: 181.3 sq km
  water: 11,673 sq km (note - lagoon waters)
  note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro,
  Rongelap, and Utirik

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border
typhoon belt

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Land use:
  arable land: 11.11%
  permanent crops: 44.44%
  other: 44.45% (2005)

Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein,
  the famous World War II battleground, is used as a US missile test
  range; island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the
  Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most
  densely populated locations in the Pacific

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.1% (male 11,720/female 11,295)
  15-64 years: 59.2% (male 18,305/female 17,445)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 801/female 856) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.3 years
  male: 20.4 years
  female: 20.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 28.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.93 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.31 years
  male: 68.33 years
  female: 72.39 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot
  nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none
  1.5% (1999 census)

Languages:
  Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census)
  note: English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese
  and English are official languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.7%
  male: 93.6%
  female: 93.7% (1999)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
  conventional short form: Marshall Islands
  local long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
  local short form: Marshall Islands
  abbreviation: RMI
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands
  District

Government type:
  constitutional government in free association with the US; the
  Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and
  the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Capital:
  name: Majuro
  geographic coordinates: 7 05 N, 171 08 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur,
  Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo,
  Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili,
  Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik,
  Wotho, Wotje

Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature,
municipal, common, and customary laws

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of
  the legislature
  elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own
  members for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 2003
  (next to be held November 2007)
  election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of
  Parliament vote - 100%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral legislature or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held by November
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
  note: the Council of Chiefs or Ironij is a 12-member body comprised
  of tribal chiefs that advises on matters affecting customary law and
  practice

Political parties and leaders:
  traditionally there have been no formally organized political
  parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or
  interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal
  platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have
  competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Aelon Kein Ad
  Party [Michael KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa
  TOMEING]

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236 consulate(s) general: Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Greta N. MORRIS
  embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall
  Islands 96960-1379
  telephone: [692] 247-4011
  FAX: [692] 247-4012

Flag description:
  blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner -
  orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays
  and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes

Economy - overview:
  US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island
  economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is
  concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are
  coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to
  handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a
  small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the
  labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The
  islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports.
  Under the terms of the Amended Compact of Free Association, the US
  will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands
  (RMI) through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI
  contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. Government
  downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, the decline in tourism
  and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties, and
  less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held
  GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 31.7% industry: 14.9% services: 53.4% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $42 million
  expenditures: $40 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1999)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens

Industries:
copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from seashells, wood,
and pearls

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 1% (solar)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco

Imports - partners:
US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$51.1 million more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002

Telephone system:
  general assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services
  include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID,
  and leased data circuits
  domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
  seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
  high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
  and mini-satellite telephones
  international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
  system on Kwajalein (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0
  note: additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television
  Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station
  on Kwajalein (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (both are US military stations)
  note: Marshalls Broadcasting Service (cable company) operates on
  Majuro (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 10
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 64.5 km
  paved: 64.5 km
  note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise
  stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 795 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,772,611 GRT/50,987,293 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 178, cargo 53, chemical
  tanker 133, container 147, liquefied gas 25, passenger 7, petroleum
  tanker 234, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 7, specialized
  tanker 2, vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 730 (Australia 2, Bermuda 4, Brazil 1, Canada 6,
  Chile 1, Croatia 2, Cyprus 15, Denmark 1, Finland 2, Germany 194,
  Greece 199, Hong Kong 7, Isle of Man 1, Italy 1, Japan 7, South
  Korea 1, Latvia 7, Monaco 8, Netherlands 1, Norway 65, Russia 1,
  Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 6, Slovenia 3, Spain 3, Switzerland 13,
  Turkey 20, UAE 3, UK 12, US 143)
  registered in other countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 726 (2005 est.)

Background:
  The French began to settle this island in 1635, overcoming
  resistance from the local Carib inhabitants. In 1660, the suviving
  natives were rounded up and permanently expelled. The island has
  subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief
  periods of foreign occupation.

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Climate:
  tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October);
  vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on
  average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

Natural hazards:
hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one
major natural disaster every five years)

Geography - note:
  the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted
  and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000
  inhabitants

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22.1% (male 48,988/female 47,525)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 147,082/female 146,470)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 20,791/female 25,275) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.1 years
  male: 33.4 years
  female: 34.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.18 years
  male: 79.5 years
  female: 78.85 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian
and Chinese less than 5%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu 0.5%,
other 3.5% (1997)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.7%
  male: 97.4%
  female: 98.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Department of Martinique
  conventional short form: Martinique
  local long form: Departement de la Martinique
  local short form: Martinique

Capital:
  name: Fort-de-France
  geographic coordinates: 14 36 N, 61 05 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995); Prefect Yves DASSONVILLE (since 14 January 2004); note - took
  office 8 February 2004
  head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE
  (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred
  MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and
  Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils for
  six-year terms

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
  unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held March 2000 (next to be held
  in 2006); Regional Council - last held on 28 March 2004 (next to be
  held by March 2010)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing
  candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM
  won a plurality; Regional Council (second round) - percent of vote
  by party - MIM 53.8%, PPM 30.6%; seats by party - MIM 28, PPM 9,
  other 4
  note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last
  held September 2004 (next to be held September 2008); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPM 1, left-wing
  candidate 1; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National
  Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second
  round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held not later than June 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1,
  PMS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1 (candidacy of the left-wing
  candidate was found invalid by the Constitutional Council; new
  elections will be called)

Political parties and leaders:
  Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Georges ERICHOT]; Martinique
  Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique
  Progressive Party or PPM [Pierre SUEDILE]; Martinique Socialist
  Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and
  Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA];
  Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist
  Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French
  Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for
  Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle;
  League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP

Flag description:
  unofficial flag, derives from the civil ensign flown by French
  merchant ships and dates to 1766; a blue field quartered by a white
  cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white, coiled snake
  representing the venomous Fer-de-lance; the flag of France is used
  for official occasions

Economy - overview:
  The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light
  industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small
  industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most
  of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports
  are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable,
  and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic
  trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from
  France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become
  more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign
  exchange.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6% industry: 11% services: 83% (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 17% services: 73% (1997)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $317.5 million
  expenditures: $317.5 million; including capital expenditures of $140
  million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials,
vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 62%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 4%, Italy 4%, US 3% (2004)

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 596; microwave radio relay to
  Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 3,105 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and
Europe

Background:
  Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern
  third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but
  relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario
  guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould
  Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties
  were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two
  multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as
  flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were
  generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed
  President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely
  Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to
  two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic
  institutions and organized elections. For now, however, Mauritania
  remains an autocratic state, and the country continues to experience
  ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor
  (Arab-Berber) communities.

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Senegal and Western Sahara

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,074 km
  border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km,
  Western Sahara 1,561 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and
April; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
  overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought
  are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh
  water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial
  river; locust infestation

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and
  Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the
  country

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 45.6% (male 726,376/female 723,013)
  15-64 years: 52.2% (male 818,408/female 839,832)
  65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,042/female 41,717) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17 years
  male: 16.8 years
  female: 17.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 69.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 72.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 66.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 53.12 years
  male: 50.88 years
  female: 55.42 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever are high risks
  in some locations
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 41.7%
  male: 51.8%
  female: 31.9% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
  conventional short form: Mauritania
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
  local short form: Muritaniyah

Capital:
  name: Nouakchott
  geographic coordinates: 18 06 N, 15 57 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*;
  Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh
  Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris
  Zemmour, Trarza

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, whose Military Council
  for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime President Maaouya Ould
  Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup on 3 August 2005
  head of government: Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since
  8 August 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second consecutive term); note - passage of a
  constitutional reform referendum in July 2006 limits president to
  two five-year terms; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be
  held 11 March 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected
  for a third term with 60.8% of the vote

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh
  (56 seats; a portion of seats up for election every two years;
  members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and
  the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected
  by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held
  21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3
  December 2006
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
  by party - NA

Political parties and leaders:
  Action for Change or AC (no longer active) [Messoud Ould
  BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Cisse Amadou
  CHEIKHOU]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD
  [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice or PLEJ
  [Ba Mamdou ALASSANE]; Party of Democratic Convergence or PCD [Cheikh
  Ould HORMA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE];
  Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR];
  Progress Force Union or UFP (no longer active) [Mohamed Ould
  MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH];
  Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA];
  Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR (formerly ruling
  Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS) [Boullah Ould
  MOGUEYA]; Right Way or SAWAB [Cheikh Ould Sidi Ould HANANA]; Union
  for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of
  Forces of Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]
  note: the Party of Democratic Convergence was banned in October 2005
  because it was regarded as Islamist and therefore in breach of
  Mauritanian law

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of Mauritanian
  Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general];
  Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory
  Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely
  Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL KERIM
  chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven
  KOUTSIS
  embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish
  Embassy), Nouakchott
  mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
  telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663
  FAX: [222] 525-1592

Flag description:
  green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal
  crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent,
  star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy - overview:
  Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for
  a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers
  were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and
  1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account
  for nearly 40% of total exports. The decline in world demand for
  this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's
  coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but
  overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue.
  The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986.
  In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a
  buildup of foreign debt which now stands at more than three times
  the level of annual exports. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified
  for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
  initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor
  and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. A
  new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the
  opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations
  with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal
  discipline. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore
  indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices.
  Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion barrels of proved reserves.
  Substantial oil production and exports are scheduled to begin in
  early 2006 and may average 75,000 barrels per day for that year.
  Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement
  of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25% industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 50% industry: 10% services: 40% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 30.2% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $421 million
  expenditures: $378 million; including capital expenditures of $154
  million (2002 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 85.9% hydro: 14.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Italy 14.9%, Japan 12.3%, France 11.8%, Belgium 8.5%, Germany 8.3%,
Cote d'Ivoire 7.2%, Spain 6.5%, Russia 5%, Netherlands 4.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods,
foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 18.5%, UK 7.2%, US 7%, China 6%, Spain 5%, Belgium 4.3%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2005), NA (2004), 263.03 (2003),
271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines,
  minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications
  stations (improvements being made)
  domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed
  domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with
  regional capitals
  international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Military branches:
  Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne;
  includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de
  Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - two years;
  majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air
  Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 606,463
females age 18-49: 607,955 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 370,513
females age 18-49: 384,269 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent
years

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Mauritania is a source and destination country
  for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor, begging,
  and domestic servitude; adults and children are subjected to
  slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave
  relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter
  economy exists
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mauritania is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increased efforts to
  combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement

Background:
  Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th
  century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in 1505; it
  was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before
  independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular
  free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has
  attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of
  Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and
  declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some
  protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Area:
  total: 2,040 sq km
  land: 2,030 sq km
  water: 10 sq km
  note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint
  Brandon), and Rodrigues

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May
to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Terrain:
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling
central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Natural hazards:
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs
that may pose maritime hazards

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of
volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.9% (male 149,486/female 147,621)
  15-64 years: 69.5% (male 430,288/female 431,753)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 31,939/female 49,740) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 30.8 years
  male: 30 years
  female: 31.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.63 years
  male: 68.66 years
  female: 76.66 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian
2%

Religions:
Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, other Christian 8.6%, Muslim
16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)

Languages:
  Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official;
  spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified
  0.3% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.6%
  male: 88.6%
  female: 82.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
  conventional short form: Mauritius
  local long form: Republic of Mauritius
  local short form: Mauritius

Capital:
  name: Port Louis
  geographic coordinates: 20 10 S, 57 30 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River,
  Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses,
  Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system with elements of English common
  law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October
  2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February
  2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5
  July 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election
  last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister
  and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to
  the National Assembly
  election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN
  elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly -
  NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by popular vote,
  8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to
  various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS
  38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance Sociale or AS; Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH];
  Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian
  Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] (in coalition with MSM);
  Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL];
  Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] (the governing
  party); Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY];
  Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400 FAX: [230] 208-9534

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Economy - overview:
  Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a
  low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income
  diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist
  sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order
  of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more
  equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered
  infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is
  grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25%
  of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on
  expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic
  information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted
  more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India
  and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has
  reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector,
  has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and
  Opportunity Act (AGOA).

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.9% industry: 29.8% services: 64.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $1.377 billion
  expenditures: $1.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish

Industries:
  food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing,
  chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical
  machinery, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.8% hydro: 9.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
UK 32.3%, France 20.7%, US 11.7%, Madagascar 6.2%, Italy 5.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum
products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
France 12.1%, South Africa 11%, India 7.2%, Finland 6.1%, China 6%,
Germany 5.3%, Bahrain 5.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004),
27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: small system with good service
  domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
  international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF
  radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine
  cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  over 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 2,020 km
paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,386 GRT/23,214 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (India 2, Switzerland 2) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile
Force, National Coast Guard

Disputes - international:
  Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British
  Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside
  chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship but no right to
  patriation in the UK; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs:
  minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia;
  small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant
  offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering,
  but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears
  generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry

Background:
  Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the
  Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago
  that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego
  independence.

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half
of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique

Climate:
tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern
monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46% (male 46,512/female 46,067)
  15-64 years: 52.3% (male 56,899/female 48,274)
  65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,756/female 1,726) (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 66.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 54.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 61.76 years
  male: 59.57 years
  female: 64.02 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by
35% of the population

Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte

Capital:
  name: Mamoudzou
  geographic coordinates: 12 47 S, 45 14 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January 2005)
  head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI
  (since 8 April 2004)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council
  elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term;
  next election to be held in 2010

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%,
  PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP
  9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1
  note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last
  held 24 September 2001 (next to be held September 2007); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also
  elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last
  held 16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of
  vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR
  1

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement
  or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR (UMP) [Mansour
  KAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally and the Alliance for Democracy or
  FRAP; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar
  SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar SIMBA];
  Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste)
  [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri
  JEAN-BAPTISTE]

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

Flag description:
  unofficial, local flag with the coat of arms of Mayotte centered on
  a white field, above which the name of the island appears in red
  capital letters; the main elements of the coat of arms, flanked on
  either side by a seahorse, appear above a scroll with the motto RA
  HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag is the national
  flag of France

Economy - overview:
  Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector,
  including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not
  self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food
  requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development
  of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance,
  an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an
  obstacle to the development of tourism.

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $NA
  expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1991 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%

Exports - commodities:
ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee,
cinnamon

Imports - commodities:
food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals,
chemicals

Economic aid - recipient:
$208 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2004)

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: small system administered by French Department
  of Posts and Telecommunications
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 269; microwave radio relay and HF
  radiotelephone communications to Comoros

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French
forces stationed on the island

Background:
  The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under
  Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early
  in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw
  Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over
  half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery.
  Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages,
  underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable
  income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the
  largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states.
  Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the 1910
  Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in
  government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX
  of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000
  as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

Location:
  Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico,
  between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
  between Guatemala and the US

Land boundaries: total: 4,353 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m

Natural resources: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Natural hazards:
  tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive
  earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific,
  Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts

Environment - current issues:
  scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban
  migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted in
  north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme
  southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in
  urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification;
  deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in
  the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land
  subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion
  note: the government considers the lack of clean water and
  deforestation national security issues

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of
  the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in
  Mexico

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.6% (male 16,770,957/female 16,086,172)
  15-64 years: 63.6% (male 33,071,809/female 35,316,281)
  65 years and over: 5.8% (male 2,814,707/female 3,389,599) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 25.3 years
  male: 24.3 years
  female: 26.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.41 years
  male: 72.63 years
  female: 78.33 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly
Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Languages:
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous
languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.2%
  male: 94%
  female: 90.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: United Mexican States
  conventional short form: Mexico
  local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
  local short form: Mexico

Capital:
  name: Mexico (Distrito Federal)
  geographic coordinates: 19 24 N, 99 09 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Mexico is divided into four time zones

Administrative divisions:
  31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district*
  (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California
  Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima,
  Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco,
  Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca,
  Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi,
  Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave,
  Yucatan, Zacatecas

Legal system:
  mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial
  review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
  with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since
  1 December 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  head of government: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa
  (since 1 December 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of
  attorney general requires consent of the Senate
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year
  term; election last held 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012)
  election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote
  - Felipe CALDERON (PAN) 35.89%, Andres Manuel Lopez OBRADOR (PRD)
  35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO (PRI) 22.26%, other 6.54%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the
  Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 are elected by popular
  vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 are allocated on the basis of
  each party's popular vote) and the Federal Chamber of Deputies or
  Camara Federal de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are directly
  elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; remaining 200
  members are allocated on the basis of each party's popular vote,
  also for three-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of the seats (next
  to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2006
  (next to be held 5 July 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 29, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 2, PNA 1; Chamber
  of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAN
  206, PRD 127, PRI 103, PVEM 18, CD 17, PT 16, other 13; note -
  election results pending certification

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia Nacional
  (justices or ministros are appointed by the president with consent
  of the Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
  Convergence for Democracy or CD [Dante DELGADO Ranauro];
  Institutional Revolutionary Party (Institutional Revolutionary
  Party) or PRI [leader NA]; Mexican Green Ecological Party or PVEM
  [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez]; National Action Party (Partido
  Accion Nacional) or PAN [Manuel ESPINO Barrientos]; New Alliance
  Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Miguel Angel JIMENEZ Godines];
  Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion
  Democratica) or PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; Workers Party or PT
  [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX;
  Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of
  Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National Chambers of
  Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business
  Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing Goods and
  Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation Industries
  or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC; National Union
  of Workers or UNT; Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers or
  CROM; Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants or CROC;
  Roman Catholic Church

International organization participation:
  APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), CDB, CE (observer), CSN
  (observer), EBRD, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-15, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAFTA, NAM
  (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto DE ICAZA Gonzalez
  chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600
  FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas,
  Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
  Nogales (Arizona), Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio,
  San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
  consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico
  (California), Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle
  Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Indianapolis (Indiana), Kansas
  City (Missouri), Laredo (Texas), Las Vegas, McAllen (Texas), Midland
  (Texas), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon),
  Presidio (Texas), Raleigh, Saint Paul (Minnesota), Salt Lake City,
  San Bernardino, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson, Yuma
  (Arizona)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio O. GARZA, Jr.
  embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico,
  Distrito Federal
  mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000
  telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000
  FAX: [52] (55) 5511-9980
  consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana
  consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
  the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its
  beak) is centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the trillion
  dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry
  and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector.
  Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports,
  railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas
  distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of
  the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the
  US and Canada has tripled since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994.
  Mexico has 12 free trade agreements with over 40 countries
  including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade
  Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade under free trade
  agreements. The FOX administration is cognizant of the need to
  upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws, and
  allow private investment in the energy sector, but has been unable
  to win the support of the opposition-led Congress. The next
  government that takes office in December 2006 will confront the same
  challenges of boosting economic growth, improving Mexico's
  international competitiveness, and reducing poverty.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 25.9% services: 70.2% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 35.6% (2002)

Budget:
  revenues: $181 billion
  expenditures: $184 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005)

Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit,
tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Industries:
  food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum,
  mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables,
  tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 78.7% hydro: 14.2% nuclear: 4.2% other: 2.9% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits,
vegetables, coffee, cotton

Imports - commodities:
  metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery,
  electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor
  vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts

Exchange rates:
Mexican pesos per US dollar - 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004), 10.789
(2003), 9.656 (2002), 9.342 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: low telephone density with about 18 main lines
  per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening to
  competition in January 1997 improved prospects for development, but
  Telmex remains dominant
  domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
  but the population is poorly served; mobile subscribers far
  outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120
  earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network;
  considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
  international: country code - 52; satellite earth stations - 32
  Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South
  America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing
  domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth
  stations; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk
  connections; high capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable
  with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco,
  Spain, and Italy (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 228
  over 3,047 m: 12
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 82
  914 to 1,523 m: 77
  under 914 m: 29 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 1,611
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
  914 to 1,523 m: 460
  under 914 m: 1,081 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 22,705 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,875 km; oil 8,688 km;
oil/gas/water 228 km; refined products 6,520 km (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 349,038 km
  paved: 116,928 km (including 6,979 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 232,110 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 751,607 GRT/1,129,234 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas
  4, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 5 (Denmark 2, France 1, Norway 1, UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Belize 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 1,
  Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Altamira, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina Cruz, Tampico,
Topolobampo, Veracruz

Military branches:
  Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional,
  Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana,
  FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican
  Navy (Armada de Mexico, ARM, includes Naval Air Force (FAN) and
  Marines) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 24,488,008
females age 18-49: 26,128,046 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 19,058,337
females age 18-49: 21,966,796 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,063,233
females age 18-49: 1,043,816 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and
  infrastructure in the border region have strained water-sharing
  arrangements with the US; the US has stepped up efforts to stem
  nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world
  from illegally crossing the border with Mexico

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 12,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994
in eastern Chiapas Region) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Mexico is a source, transit, and destination
  country for persons trafficked for sexual exploitation and labor;
  while the vast majority of victims are Central Americans trafficked
  along Mexico's southern border, other source regions include South
  America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia; women and
  children are trafficked from rural regions to urban centers and
  tourist areas for sexual exploitation, often through fraudulent
  offers of employment or through threats of physical violence; the
  Mexican trafficking problem is often conflated with alien smuggling,
  and frequently the same criminal networks are involved; pervasive
  corruption among state and local law enforcement often impedes
  investigations
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mexico remains on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for the third consecutive year based on future commitments to
  undertake additional efforts in prosecution, protection, and
  prevention of trafficking in persons, and the failure of the
  government to provide critical law enforcement data

Illicit drugs:
  major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in 2004
  amounted to 3,500 hectares, but opium cultivation stayed within the
  range - between 3,500 and 5,500 hectares - observed in nine of the
  last 12 years; potential production of 9 metric tons of pure heroin,
  or 23 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form of
  Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation
  decreased 23% to 5,800 hectares in 2004 after decade-high
  cultivation peak in 2003; potential production of 10,400 metric tons
  of marijuana in 2004; government conducts the largest independent
  illicit-crop eradication program in the world; major supplier of
  heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine
  to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for
  US-bound cocaine from South America, accounting for about 90% of
  estimated annual cocaine movement to the US; major drug syndicates
  control majority of drug trafficking throughout the country;
  producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering
  center

Background:
  In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory
  under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986
  independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with
  the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns
  include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on
  US aid.

Location:
Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

Area:
  total: 702 sq km
  land: 702 sq km
  water: 0 sq km (fresh water only)
  note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands,
  and Kosrae (Kosaie)

Climate:
  tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern
  islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with
  occasionally severe damage

Terrain:
islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low,
coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.6% (male 20,116/female 19,391)
  15-64 years: 60.4% (male 32,620/female 32,659)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 1,413/female 1,805) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.9 years
  male: 20.5 years
  female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 29.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 26.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.05 years
  male: 68.24 years
  female: 71.95 years (2006 est.)

Nationality: noun: Micronesian(s) adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese

Languages:
English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese,
Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 89%
  male: 91%
  female: 88% (1980 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Federated States of Micronesia
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Federated States of Micronesia
  local short form: none
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ponape, Truk, and
  Yap Districts
  abbreviation: FSM

Government type:
  constitutional government in free association with the US; the
  Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and
  the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004

Capital:
  name: Palikir
  geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 08 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae (Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap

Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature,
municipal, common, and customary laws

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May 2003);
  Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003); note - the president is
  both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May
  2003); Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the
  eight executive departments
  elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from
  among the four senators at large for a four-year term (eligible for
  a second term); election last held 11 May 2003 (next to be held May
  2007); note - a proposed constitutional amendment to establish
  popular elections for president and vice president failed
  election results: Joseph J. URUSEMAL elected president; percent of
  Congress vote - NA%; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent
  of Congress vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Congress (14 seats; 4 - one elected from each state to
  serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts
  delineated by population to serve two-year terms; members elected by
  popular vote)
  elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 4 March 2003
  (next to be held March 2007); elections for two-year term seats last
  held 8 March 2005 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC,
ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU
  chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383
  FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391
  consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Tamuning (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Suzanne K. HALE
  embassy: 101 Upper Pics Road, Kolonia
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, 96941
  telephone: [691] 320-2187
  FAX: [691] 320-2186

Flag description:
light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars
are arranged in a diamond pattern

Economy - overview:
  Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and
  fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting,
  except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist
  industry exists, but the remote location, a lack of adequate
  facilities, and limited air connections hinder development. The
  Amended Compact of Free Association with the US guarantees the
  Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) millions of dollars in annual
  aid through 2023, and establishes a Trust Fund into which the US and
  the FSM make annual contributions in order to provide annual payouts
  to the FSM in perpetuity after 2023. The country's medium-term
  economic outlook appears fragile due not only to the reduction in US
  assistance but also to the slow growth of the private sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $277 million; note - supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28.9% industry: 15.2% services: 55.9% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
note: 0.9% two-thirds are government employees, 34.4%, 64.7%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $127.3 million ($69 million less grants)
  expenditures: $144.2 million; including capital expenditures of
  $17.9 million $NA (1998 est.)

Agriculture - products:
black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava
(tapioca), betel nuts, sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens; fish

Industries:
tourism, construction; fish processing, specialized aquaculture;
craft items from shell, wood, and pearls

Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages

Economic aid - recipient:
  $86.3 million under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the
  US pledged $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001;
  the level of aid has been subsequently reduced

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate system
  domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
  mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground
  stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service
  available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
  international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,423 GRT/1,551 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)

Military branches:
  no ministry of defense and no standing armed forces; the
  paramilitary Maritime Wing, a small maritime law enforcement unit,
  is responsible to the Division of Maritime Surveillance within the
  Office of the Attorney General (2003)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,305 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet
  Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the
  USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory
  east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority
  population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a
  "Transnistria" republic. The poorest nation in Europe, Moldova
  became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its
  president in 2001.

Land boundaries: total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dniester River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Environment - current issues:
  heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides
  such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil
  erosion from poor farming methods

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and
minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20% (male 455,673/female 438,934)
  15-64 years: 69.7% (male 1,498,078/female 1,613,489)
  65 years and over: 10.3% (male 170,456/female 290,076) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 32.3 years
  male: 30.3 years
  female: 34.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 38.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 41.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 35.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.65 years
  male: 61.61 years
  female: 69.88 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%,
  Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)
  note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Languages:
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language),
Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.1%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 98.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
  conventional short form: Moldova
  local long form: Republica Moldova
  local short form: Moldova
  former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic; Moldovan Soviet
  Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Chisinau (Kishinev)
  geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 50 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities
  (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala
  autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
  raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir,
  Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari,
  Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova,
  Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti,
  Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
  municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau
  autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
  territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului

Constitution:
new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994;
replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979

Legal system:
  based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of
  legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts
  many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
  (OSCE) documents

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April
  2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida GRECIANII (since 10
  October 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of
  Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next
  to be held in 2009); note - prime minister designated by the
  president, upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from
  designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of
  confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and
  entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet
  received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001
  election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president;
  parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vasile
  TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence
  - 75 of 101

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and
  electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic
  Moldova Bloc 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party -
  PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc 34, PPCD 11

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for
constitutional judicature)

Political parties and leaders:
  Braghis Faction [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Christian Democratic People's
  Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of
  Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Democratic
  Moldova Bloc (comprised of the AMN, Democratic Party, and PSL);
  Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN
  [Serafim URECHEANU]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW,
  OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
  UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambasador Michael D. KIRBY embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300 FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044

Flag description:
  same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue
  (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a
  Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons
  carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its
  right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast
  is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox
  head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow

Economy - overview:
  Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite
  recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable
  climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a
  result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring
  fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import almost
  all of its energy supplies. Energy shortages contributed to sharp
  production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in
  December 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort after
  independence, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed
  prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises,
  backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed
  interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the
  World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The
  economy returned to positive growth in 2000, and has remained at or
  above 6% every year since. Further reforms will come slowly because
  of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy
  remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather,
  and the skepticism of foreign investors.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21.3% industry: 23.3% services: 55.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 40% industry: 14% services: 46% (1998)

Unemployment rate:
8%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad
(2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 30.7% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.069 billion
  expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed,
tobacco; beef, milk

Industries:
  sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery;
  foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines;
  hosiery, shoes, textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.6% hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Russia 32.9%, Italy 12.7%, Romania 10.6%, Ukraine 9.5%, Belarus
6.7%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals,
textiles (2000)

Imports - partners:
Ukraine 20.9%, Russia 11.7%, Romania 11.2%, Germany 8.3%, Italy
6.6%, Turkey 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
lei per US dollar - 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004), 13.945 (2003),
13.571 (2002), 12.865 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside
  Chisinau; some modernization is under way
  domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile
  cellular telephone service being introduced
  international: country code - 373; service through Romania and
  Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat,
  and Intersputnik

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 1,138 km
  broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
  standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,831 GRT/15,003 DWT by type: cargo 7 foreign-owned: 3 (Ukraine 3) (2006)

Military branches:
National Army: Ground Forces, Rapid Reaction Forces, Air and Air
Defense Forces (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; national service
obligation - 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,066,459
females age 18-49: 1,117,070 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 693,913
females age 18-49: 911,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 43,729
females age 18-49: 42,354 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customs posts to monitor
  transit through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region which
  remains under OSCE supervision

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1,000 (internal secessionist uprising in Transnistrian region
in 1991) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS
  consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest
  Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the
  US; widespread crime and underground economic activity

Background:
  The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day Monaco in
  1215. The current ruling Grimaldi family secured control in the late
  13th century, and a principality was established in 1338. Economic
  development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad
  linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the
  principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling
  facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation
  center.

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern
coast of France, near the border with Italy

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Agel 140 m

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See);
almost entirely urban

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.2% (male 2,539/female 2,417)
  15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,959/female 10,266)
  65 years and over: 22.6% (male 3,015/female 4,347) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 45.4 years
  male: 43.3 years
  female: 47.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.69 years
  male: 75.85 years
  female: 83.74 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
  conventional short form: Monaco
  local long form: Principaute de Monaco
  local short form: Monaco

Capital:
  name: Monaco
  geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 25 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
  by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers,
  singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville,
  Monte-Carlo

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)
  head of government: Minister of State Jean-Paul PROUST (since 1 June
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state
  appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national
  candidates presented by the French Government

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16
  members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional
  representation; to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  UNAM 21, UND 3

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch
on the basis of nominations by the National Council)

Political parties and leaders:
National and Democratic Union or UND [Guy MAGNAN]; Union for Monaco
or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM)

International organization participation:
  ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Monaco does not have an embassy in the US
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Consul General in
  Marseille (France) under the authority of the US ambassador to
  France is accredited to Monaco

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the
  flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is
  white (top) and red

Economy - overview:
  Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular
  resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. In
  2001, a major construction project extended the pier used by cruise
  ships in the main harbor. The principality has successfully sought
  to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting
  industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and
  thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established
  residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and
  offices. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors,
  including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service.
  Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous
  French metropolitan areas.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $870 million
  note: Monaco does not publish national income figures; the estimates
  are extremely rough (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $719.2 million
  expenditures: $864.1 million; including capital expenditures of
  $283.1 million (2004)

Exports:
  $656.5 million $NA
  note: full customs integration with France, which collects and
  rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market
  system through customs union with France

Imports:
  $636.6 million $NA
  note: full customs integration with France, which collects and
  rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market
  system through customs union with France

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;
  connected by cable into the French communications system

Merchant marine:
  registered in other countries: 77 (Bahamas 17, Barbados 1, Bermuda
  2, France 1, Georgia 13, Isle of Man 3, Liberia 10, Malta 1,
  Marshall Islands 8, Norway 4, Panama 9, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Switzerland 2, unknown 1) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 148 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France; the Palace Guard performs
ceremonial duties (2003)

Background:
  The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis
  KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire. After his death the
  empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these
  broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to
  their original steppe homelands and later came under Chinese rule.
  Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A
  Communist regime was installed in 1924. The ex-Communist Mongolian
  People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992,
  but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996
  parliamentary election. Since then, parliamentary elections returned
  the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000 and produced a coalition
  government in 2004.

Land boundaries: total: 8,220 km border countries: China 4,677 km, Russia 3,543 km

Terrain:
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west
and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m

Natural resources:
oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel,
zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron

Natural hazards:
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and "zud," which
is harsh winter conditions

Environment - current issues:
  limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; the policies
  of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and
  industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the
  burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of
  environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar;
  deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to
  agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain;
  desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on
  the environment

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.9% (male 402,448/female 387,059)
  15-64 years: 68.4% (male 967,546/female 969,389)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,859/female 59,923) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.6 years
  male: 24.3 years
  female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 52.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 48.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.89 years
  male: 62.64 years
  female: 67.25 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other
(including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)

Religions:
Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim
4% (2004)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.8%
  male: 98%
  female: 97.5% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Mongolia
  local long form: none
  local short form: Mongol Uls
  former: Outer Mongolia

Capital:
  name: Ulaanbaatar
  geographic coordinates: 47 55 N, 106 53 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Saturday in March; ends last
  Saturday in September

Administrative divisions:
  21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality*
  (singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan,
  Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Govi-Altay,
  Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay,
  Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

Legal system:
  blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine "continental"
  or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution ambiguous on
  judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (since 24 June 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Miegombyn ENKHBOLD (since 25
  January 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Mendsaikhan ENKHSAIKHAN (since
  28 January 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in consultation
  with the president and confirmed by the State Great Hural
  (parliament)
  elections: presidential candidates nominated by political parties
  represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a
  four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22
  May 2005 (next to be held in May 2009); following legislative
  elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually
  elected prime minister by State Great Hural
  election results: Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR elected president; percent of
  vote - Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (MPRP) 53.44%, Mendsaikhanin ENKHSAIKHAN
  (DP) 20.05%, Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN (MRP) 13.92%, Badarchyn
  ERDENEBAT (M-MNSDP) 12.59%; Miegombyn ENKHBOLD elected prime
  minister by the State Great Hural 56 to 10

Legislative branch:
  unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms
  elections: last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MPRP 48.78%, MDC 44.8%,
  independents 3.5%, Republican Party 1.5%, others 1.42%; seats by
  party - MPRP 36, MDC 34, others 4; note - following June 2004
  election MDC collapsed; as of 1 December 2005 composition of
  legislature was MPRP 38, DP 25, M-MNSDP 6, CWRP 2, MRP 1, PP 1,
  independents 3

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and provincial
  courts but rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts; judges are
  nominated by the General Council of Courts and approved by the
  president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Citizens' Will Republican Party or CWRP (also called Civil Courage
  Republican Party or CCRP) [Sanjaasurengiin OYUN]; Democratic Party
  or DP [Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ]; Motherland-Mongolian New Socialist
  Democratic Party or M-MNSDP [Badarchyn ERDENEBAT]; Mongolian
  People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Miegombyn ENKHBOLD]; Mongolian
  Republican Party or MRP [Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN]; People's Party
  or PP [Lamjav GUNDALAI]
  note: DP and M-MNSDP formed Motherland-Democracy Coalition (MDC) in
  2003 and with CWRP contested June 2004 elections as single party;
  MDC's leadership dissolved coalition in December 2004

International organization participation:
  ARF, AsDB, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ravdan BOLD
  chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
  FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mark C. MINTON
  embassy: Big Ring Road, 11th Micro Region, Ulaanbaatar
  mailing address: PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002; P.O. Box 1021,
  Ulaanbaatar-13
  telephone: [976] (11) 329095
  FAX: [976] (11) 320776

Flag description:
  three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red;
  centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem
  ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric
  representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang
  symbol)

Economy - overview:
  Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on
  herding and agriculture. Mongolia has extensive mineral deposits.
  Copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and gold account for a large
  part of industrial production. Soviet assistance, at its height
  one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at
  the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw
  Mongolia endure both deep recession due to political inaction and
  natural disasters, as well as economic growth because of
  reform-embracing, free-market economics and extensive privatization
  of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer
  droughts in 2000-2002 resulted in massive livestock die-off and zero
  or negative GDP growth. This was compounded by falling prices for
  Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to
  privatization. Growth was 10.6% in 2004 and 5.5% in 2005, largely
  because of high copper prices and new gold production. Mongolia's
  economy continues to be heavily influenced by its neighbors. For
  example, Mongolia purchases 80% of its petroleum products and a
  substantial amount of electric power from Russia, leaving it
  vulnerable to price increases. China is Mongolia's chief export
  partner and a main source of the "shadow" or "grey" economy. The
  World Bank and other international financial institutions estimate
  the grey economy to be at least equal to that of the official
  economy, but the former's actual size is difficult to calculate
  since the money does not pass through the hands of tax authorities
  or the banking sector. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad
  both legally and illegally are sizeable, and money laundering is a
  growing concern. Mongolia settled its $11 billion debt with Russia
  at the end of 2003 on favorable terms. Mongolia, which joined the
  World Trade Organization in 1997, seeks to expand its participation
  and integration into Asian regional economic and trade regimes.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.6% industry: 21.4% services: 58% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: herding/agriculture 42%, mining 4%, manufacturing 6%, trade 14%, services 29%, public sector 5% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 37% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $702 million
  expenditures: $651 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle,
camels, horses

Industries:
  construction and construction materials; mining (coal, copper,
  molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, and gold); oil; food and
  beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber
  manufacturing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides,
fluorspar, other nonferrous metals

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, industrial
consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea

Imports - partners:
Russia 35.8%, China 25.7%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 6%, Germany 4.2%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
togrogs/tugriks per US dollar - 1,187.17 (2005), 1,185.3 (2004),
1,146.5 (2003), 1,110.3 (2002), 1,097.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: network is improving with international direct
  dialing available in many areas
  domestic: very low density of about 5.5 main lines per 100 persons;
  two wireless providers cover all but two provinces
  international: country code - 976; satellite earth station - 1
  Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Television broadcast stations: 52 (plus 21 provincial repeaters and many low power repeaters) (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 32 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Waterways:
  580 km
  note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge
  River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry
  little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May
  to September (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 319,053 GRT/479,190 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 49, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll
  off 3
  foreign-owned: 49 (China 4, Japan 1, North Korea 3, Lebanon 1,
  Malaysia 1, Russia 13, Singapore 10, Syria 1, Thailand 1, UAE 5,
  Ukraine 1, Vietnam 8) (2006)

Military branches:
Mongolian People's Army (MPA), Mongolian People's Air Force (MPAF);
there is no navy (2005)

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract soldiers (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 736,182
females age 18-49: 734,679 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 570,435
females age 18-49: 607,918 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 34,674
females age 18-49: 34,251 (2005 est.)

Background:
  The use of the name Montenegro began in the 15th century when the
  Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of Zeta;
  over subsequent centuries it was able to maintain its independence
  from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro
  became a theocratic state ruled by a series of bishop princes; in
  1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. After World
  War I, Montenegro was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and, at the
  conclusion of World War II, it became a constituent republic of the
  Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved
  in 1992, Montenegro federated with Serbia, first as the Federal
  Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, in a looser union of Serbia
  and Montenegro. Following a three-year postponement, Montenegro held
  an independence referendum in the spring of 2006 under rules set by
  the EU. The vote for severing ties with Serbia exceeded the 55%
  threshold, allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence
  on 3 June 2006.

Land boundaries:
  total: 625 km
  border countries: Albania 172 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km,
  Croatia 25 km, Serbia 203 km

Climate:
Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively
cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Terrain:
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by
rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Bobotov Kuk 2,522 m

Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor

Ethnic groups:
Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other
(Muslims, Croats, Roma) 12%

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Montenegro
  conventional short form: Montenegro
  local long form: Republika Crna Gora
  local short form: Crna Gora
  former: People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of
  Montenegro

Capital:
  name: Podgorica (administrative capital)
  geographic coordinates: 42 26 N, 19 16 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Cetinje (capital city)

Administrative divisions:
  21 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Andrijevia, Bar,
  Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi,
  Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Plav, Pluzine, Pljevlja,
  Podgornica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Ulcinj, Zabljak

Independence:
3 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro); note - a referendum on
independence was held 21 May 2006

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 11 May 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Zeljko STURANOVIC (since 10
  November 2006)
  cabinet: Ministries act as cabinet
  elections: president elected by direct vote for five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 May 2003 (next
  to be held in 2008); prime minister proposed by president, accepted
  by Assembly
  election results: Filip VUJANOVIC elected on the third round; Filip
  VUJANOVIC 63.3%, Miodrag ZIVKOVIC 30.8%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly (81 seats, elected by direct vote for four-year
  terms; changed from 74 seats at the time of the elections)
  elections: last held 10 September 2006 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  Coalition for a European Montenegro 41, SNS 12, Coalition SPP/NS/DSS
  11, PZP 11, Liberals and Bosniaks 3, Democratic League-Democratic
  Prosperity 1, Democratic Union of Albanians 1, Albanian Alternative 1

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (five judges with nine-year terms); Supreme
Court (judges have life tenure)

Political parties and leaders:
  Albanian Alternative or AA; Bosniak Party or BS [Rafet HUSOVIC];
  Coalition for a European Montenegro (Democratic Party of Socialists
  or DPS and Social Democratic Party or SDP) [Milo DJUKANOVIC];
  Coalition SPP/NS/DSS; Democratic League-Party of Democratic
  Prosperity [Mehmet BARHDI]; Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro
  or DSS; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Ferhat DINOSA];
  Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC]; Movement for
  Changes or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]; People's Party of Montenegro or
  NS [Predrag POPOVIC]; Serbian People's Party of Montenegro or SNS
  [Andrija MANDIC]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC];
  Social Democratic Party of Montenegro or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC];
  Socialist People's Party or SNP [Predrag BULATOVIC]

International organization participation:
CEI, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, ICFTU, ILO, Interpol, IPU, ITU, OSCE, UN,
UPU, WHO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Miodrag VLAHOVIC

Flag description:
a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the
Montenegrin coat of arms centered

Economy - overview:
  The republic of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control
  and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and continues to maintain
  its own central bank, uses the euro instead of the Yugoslav dinar as
  official currency, collects customs tariffs, and manages its own
  budget. The dissolution of the loose political union between Serbia
  and Montenegro in 2006 led to separate membership in several
  international financial institutions, such as the IMF, World Bank,
  and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Montenegro
  is pursuing its own membership in the World Trade Organization as
  well as negotiating a Stabilization and Association agreement with
  the European Union in anticipation of eventual membership. Severe
  unemployment remains a key political and economic problem for this
  entire region. Montenegro has privatized its large aluminum complex
  - the dominant industry - as well as most of its financial sector,
  and has begun to attract foreign direct investment in the tourism
  sector.

Agriculture - products: grains, tobacco, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, grapes; sheepherding; commercial fishing negligible

Exports - partners:
Switzerland 83.9%, Italy 6.1%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.3% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Greece 10.2%, Italy 10.2%, Germany 9.6%, Bosnia and Herzegovina
9.2% (2003)

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8089 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern telecommunications system with access to
  European satellites
  domestic: GSM wireless service, available through two providers with
  national coverage, is growing rapidly
  international: country code - 382 (the old code of 381 used by
  Serbia and Montenegro will also remain in use until Feb 2007); two
  international switches connect the national system

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Railways: total: 250 km standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 9,458 GRT/10,172 DWT
  by type: cargo 4
  registered in other countries: 4 (Bahamas 2, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 2) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
compulsory national military service abolished August 2006

Military - note:
Montenegrin plans call for the establishment of a fully
professional armed forces

Disputes - international:
  ethnic Albanians in Kosovo refuse demarcation of the boundary with
  Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and
  Montenegro delimitation agreement, which includes a section of
  boundary with Montenegro

Background:
  English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on
  Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades
  later. The British and French fought for possesion of the island for
  most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British
  possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was
  converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century. Much
  of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled
  abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that
  began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity
  since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003.

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
  highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills
  volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006)

Natural hazards:
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere
Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)

Environment - current issues:
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Geography - note:
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three
major volcanic centers of differing ages

Population:
  9,439
  note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the
  resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
  (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,125/female 1,079)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,957/female 3,245)
  65 years and over: 10.9% (male 532/female 501) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.9 years
  male: 28.6 years
  female: 29.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.85 years
  male: 76.67 years
  female: 81.14 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day
Adventist, other Christian denominations

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 97% (1970 est.)

Capital:
  name: Plymouth
  geographic coordinates: 16 44 N, 62 14 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity;
  interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in
  the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat

National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)
  head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief
  minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the
  finance secretary
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
  monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
  party usually becomes chief minister

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected;
  members serve five-year terms)
  note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney
  general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members
  elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%,
  MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP
  1, independents 1
  note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single
  constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast
  ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council

Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of
  the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
  High Court)

Political parties and leaders:
  Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for
  Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's
  Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]

International organization participation:
Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the
  flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow
  harp with her arm around a black cross

Economy - overview:
  Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a
  damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June
  1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and
  social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the
  island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited
  the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the
  lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops.
  Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation
  to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity.
  The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help
  reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain
  uninhabitable for another decade.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.4% industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.)

Labor force: 4,521 note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $31.4 million
  expenditures: $31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4
  million (1997 est.)

Agriculture - products: cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes,
live plants; cattle

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured
goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials

Economic aid - recipient:
Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending
$122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)

Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
  (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-664

Roadways:
  total: 227 km
  note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the
  road system (2003)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 84 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

Background:
  In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa,
  successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th
  century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR
  (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age.
  In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half
  century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's
  sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a
  protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle
  with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city
  of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new
  country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara
  during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the
  territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s
  resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which
  first met in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second
  time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in
  September 2003.

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,017.9 km
  border countries: Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain
  (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Terrain:
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of
bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m

Natural hazards:
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to
earthquakes; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water supplies contaminated by raw sewage; siltation of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
  Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 31.6% (male 5,343,976/female 5,145,019)
  15-64 years: 63.4% (male 10,505,018/female 10,580,599)
  65 years and over: 5% (male 725,116/female 941,531) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 23.9 years
  male: 23.4 years
  female: 24.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 40.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 36.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.94 years
  male: 68.62 years
  female: 73.37 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2005)

Languages:
Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of
business, government, and diplomacy

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 51.7%
  male: 64.1%
  female: 39.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco
  conventional short form: Morocco
  local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
  local short form: Al Maghrib

Capital:
  name: Rabat
  geographic coordinates: 34 02 N, 6 51 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda,
  Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara,
  Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz,
  Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer,
  Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al
  Hoceima-Taounate
  note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political
  status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government;
  portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia
  El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco
  claims another region, Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, which falls entirely
  within Western Sahara

National holiday:
Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMED VI to the throne), 30 July
(1999)

Constitution:
10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create
bicameral legislature) September 1996

Legal system:
  based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system;
  judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of
  Supreme Court

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Driss JETTOU (since 9 October
  2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
  by the monarch following legislative elections

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Chamber of
  Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils,
  professional organizations, and labor syndicates for nine-year
  terms; one-third of the members are renewed every three years) and a
  lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 seats; 295 by
  multi-seat constituencies and 30 from national lists of women;
  members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 6 October 2003 (next to
  be held in 2006); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27
  September 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - RNI 42, MDS 33, UC 28, MP 27, PND 21, PI 21,
  USFP 16, MNP 15, PA 13, FFD 12, other 42; Chamber of Representatives
  - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - USFP 50, PI 48,
  PJD 42, RNI 41, MP 27, MNP 18, UC 16, PND 12, PPS 11, UD 10, other 50

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed on the recommendation of the
Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
  Action Party or PA [Muhammad EL IDRISSI]; Alliance of Liberties or
  ADL [Ali BELHAJ]; Annahj Addimocrati or Annahj [Abdellah EL HARIF];
  Avant Garde Social Democratic Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN];
  Citizen Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI]; Citizen's Initiatives
  for Development [Mohamed BENHAMOU]; Constitutional Union or UC
  [Mohamed ABIED (interim)]; Democratic and Independence Party or PDI
  [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud
  ARCHANE]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI];
  Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development
  Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Front of Democratic Forces or FFD
  [Thami EL KHYARI]; Istiqlal Party (Independence Party) or PI [Abbas
  El FASSI]; Justice and Development Party or PJD [Saad Eddine
  OTHMANI]; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE]; National
  Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI]; National Ittihadi
  Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA]; National Popular
  Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]; National Rally of Independents
  or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP
  [Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Parti Al Ahd or Al Ahd [Najib EL OUAZZANI,
  chairman]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI];
  Party of Renewal and Equity or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]; Party of the
  Unified Socialist Left or GSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]; Popular
  Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Reform and Development Party or
  PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen
  MADIH]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Mohammed
  El-YAZGHI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]; General
  Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Moroccan
  Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; National Labor Union
  of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan Workers or
  UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
  MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE
  (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOCI,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas T. RILEY embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 09718 telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65 FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61 consulate(s) general: Casablanca

Flag description:
  red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as
  Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green
  are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is
  more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf;
  design dates to 1912

Economy - overview:
  Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability to the
  country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth sufficient to
  reduce unemployment that nears 20% in urban areas. Poverty has
  actually increased due to the volatile nature of GDP, Morocco's
  continued dependence on foreign energy, and its inability to promote
  the growth of small and medium size enterprises. Despite structural
  adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the
  Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current account
  transactions and Morocco's financial sector is rudimentary. Moroccan
  authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs is
  key to domestic security and development. In 2004, Moroccan
  authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment
  and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US and selling
  government shares in the state telecommunications company and in the
  largest state-owned bank. The Free Trade agreement went into effect
  in January 2006. In 2005, GDP growth slipped to 1.2% and the budget
  deficit rose sharply - to 7.5% of GDP - because of substantial
  increases in wages and oil subsidies. Long-term challenges include
  preparing the economy for freer trade with the US and European
  Union, improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth,
  and raising living standards, which the government hopes to achieve
  by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in
  textiles.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21.7% industry: 35.7% services: 42.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 40% industry: 15% services: 45% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 30.9% (1998-99)

Budget:
  revenues: $12.94 billion
  expenditures: $16.77 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $2.19 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock

Industries:
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather
goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 95.4% hydro: 4.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals,
  fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits,
  vegetables

Exports - partners:
France 30.3%, Spain 18%, UK 6.2%, Italy 5.2%, India 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment,
wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics

Imports - partners:
France 18.2%, Spain 11%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, Russia 6.8%, Italy
6.1%, China 5.2%, Germany 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.574
(2003), 11.021 (2002), 11.303 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system with all important capabilities;
  however, density is low with only 4 main lines available for each
  100 persons
  domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and
  microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive;
  principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national
  network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural
  service employs microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 212; 7 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
  microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;
  coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in
  Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and
  Tunisia (1998)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 26 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 34 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Railways:
total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 57,694 km
  paved: 32,551 km (including 417 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 25,143 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 382,781 GRT/285,435 DWT
  by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, container 9, passenger/cargo
  13, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 5 (France 1, Germany 2, Switzerland 1, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan
  Army (includes Air Defense), Navy (includes Marines), Royal Moroccan
  Air Force (Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,908,864
females age 18-49: 7,882,879 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,484,787
females age 18-49: 6,675,729 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 353,377
females age 18-49: 341,677 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains
  unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since
  September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and
  parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; Morocco
  protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta,
  Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de
  Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; discussions
  have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation setting
  limits on exploration and refugee interdiction since Morocco's 2002
  rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from
  the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching
  areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed
  to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America
  destined for Western Europe

Background:
  Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with
  independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites, economic
  dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil
  war hindered the country's development. The ruling Front for the
  Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally abandoned Marxism
  in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for
  multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated
  peace agreement between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National
  Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In December
  2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim CHISSANO
  stepped down after 18 years in office. His newly elected successor,
  Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, has promised to continue the sound economic
  policies that have encouraged foreign investment.

Location:
Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between
South Africa and Tanzania

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,571 km
  border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland
  105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in
northwest, mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

Natural hazards:
severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and
southern provinces

Environment - current issues: a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem

Geography - note:
the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part
of the country

Population:
  19,686,505
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected; the 1997
  Mozambican census reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2006
  est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 4,229,802/female 4,177,235)
  15-64 years: 54.5% (male 5,207,149/female 5,519,291)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 230,616/female 322,412) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.3 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 129.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 134.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 124.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 39.82 years
  male: 39.53 years
  female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others),
Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

Religions:
Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, other 17.8%,
none 23.1% (1997 census)

Languages:
  Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official; spoken
  by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena
  6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign
  languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 47.8%
  male: 63.5%
  female: 32.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
  conventional short form: Mozambique
  local long form: Republica de Mocambique
  local short form: Mocambique
  former: Portuguese East Africa

Capital:
  name: Maputo
  geographic coordinates: 25 58 S, 32 35 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*;
  Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*,
  Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2 February 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Luisa DIOGO (since 17 February
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 1-2 December 2004
  (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: Armando GUEBUZA elected president; percent of vote
  - Armando GUEBUZA 63.7%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 31.7%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250
  seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on a secret
  ballot to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held December
  2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62%, RENAMO
  29.7%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO 90

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (the court of final appeal; some of its professional
  judges are appointed by the president and some are elected by the
  Assembly); other courts include an Administrative Court, customs
  courts, maritime courts, courts marshal, labor courts
  note: although the constitution provides for a separate
  Constitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absence
  the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases

Political parties and leaders:
  Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de
  Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, president];
  Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral Union (Resistencia Nacional
  Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or RENAMO-UE [Afonso DHLAKAMA,
  president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e Democracia)
  or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica [Abdul CARIMO Issa,
  chairman]; Movement for Peace and Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e
  Cidadania); Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos
  Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]; Human Rights and
  Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia
  FRANCO, secretary general]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
  MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146 FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Helen LA LIME
  embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
  mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
  telephone: [258] (1) 492797
  FAX: [258] (1) 490448

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with
  a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is
  edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed
  star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an
  open white book

Economy - overview:
  At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the world's poorest
  countries. Socialist mismanagement and a brutal civil war from
  1977-92 exacerbated the situation. In 1987, the government embarked
  on a series of macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the
  economy. These steps, combined with donor assistance and with
  political stability since the multi-party elections in 1994, have
  led to dramatic improvements in the country's growth rate. Inflation
  was reduced to single digits during the late 1990s although it
  returned to double digits in 2000-03. Fiscal reforms, including the
  introduction of a value-added tax and reform of the customs service,
  have improved the government's revenue collection abilities. In
  spite of these gains, Mozambique remains dependent upon foreign
  assistance for much of its annual budget, and the majority of the
  population remains below the poverty line. Subsistence agriculture
  continues to employ the vast majority of the country's work force. A
  substantial trade imbalance persists although the opening of the
  Mozal aluminum smelter, the country's largest foreign investment
  project to date, has increased export earnings. In late 2005, and
  after years of negotiations, the government signed an agreement to
  gain Portugal's majority share of the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity
  (HCB) company, a dam that was not transferred to Mozambique at
  independence because of the ensuing civil war and unpaid debts. More
  power is needed for additional investment projects in titanium
  extraction and processing and garment manufacturing that could
  further close the import/export gap. Mozambique's once substantial
  foreign debt has been reduced through forgiveness and rescheduling
  under the IMF's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Enhanced
  HIPC initiatives, and is now at a manageable level.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 26.2% industry: 34.8% services: 39% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 81% industry: 6% services: 13% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)

Agriculture - products:
  cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca), corn,
  coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers;
  beef, poultry

Industries:
food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), aluminum,
petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.9% hydro: 97.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk
electricity

Exports - partners:
Belgium 25.5%, South Africa 12.2%, Spain 11.6%, Italy 11.6%,
Germany 7.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products,
foodstuffs, textiles

Exchange rates:
meticais per US dollar - 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004), 23,782
(2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system but not available generally
  (extremely low density with less than 1 main line per 100 persons)
  domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunk
  connection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
  international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 136 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 34 under 914 m: 87 (2006)

Railways: total: 3,123 km narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2005)

Waterways:
460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa
Lake) (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,964 GRT/5,324 DWT
  by type: cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2006)

Military branches:
  Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM): Mozambique Army, Mozambique
  Navy (Marinha Mocambique, MM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de
  Mocambique, FAM) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 185,314 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin,
  and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and
  South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption)
  and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor
  regulatory capability makes the banking system vulnerable to money
  laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial
  infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering
  center

Background:
  South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during
  World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War
  II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West
  Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war
  of independence for the area that was soon named Namibia, but it was
  not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in
  accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia won
  its independence in 1990 and has been governed by SWAPO since.
  Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a
  landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during
  its first 14 years of self rule.

Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola
and South Africa

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,936 km
  border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa
  967 km, Zambia 233 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m

Natural resources:
  diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc,
  salt, hydropower, fish
  note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification;
wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the
  environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is
  protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

Population:
  2,044,147
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.2% (male 393,878/female 387,147)
  15-64 years: 58.1% (male 596,557/female 591,350)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 34,245/female 40,970) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20 years
  male: 19.8 years
  female: 20.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 48.1 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 51.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 44.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 43.39 years
  male: 44.46 years
  female: 42.29 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
  note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9%
  to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups includes Herero 7%,
  Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Religions:
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs
10% to 20%

Languages:
  English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the
  population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
  indigenous languages (Oshivambo, Herero, Nama)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 84%
  male: 84.4%
  female: 83.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
  conventional short form: Namibia
  local long form: Republic of Namibia
  local short form: Namibia
  former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa

Capital:
  name: Windhoek
  geographic coordinates: 22 34 S, 17 06 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
  first Sunday in April

Administrative divisions:
13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene,
Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of
  vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Den ULENGA 7.3%, Katuutire KAURA
  5.1%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 4.2%, Justus GAROEB 3.8%, other 3.2%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; 2
  members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year
  terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to
  determine members of the National Council, held 29-30 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2010); National Assembly - last held 15-16
  November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: National Council - percent of vote by party -
  SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%; seats by party - SWAPO
  24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  SWAPO 75.1%, COD 7.2%, DTA 5%, NUDO 4.1%, UDF 3.5%, RP 1.9%, MAG
  0.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, NUDO 3, UDF 3, RP 1,
  MAG 1
  note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders:
  Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle
  Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor
  Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; South West Africa People's
  Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United Democratic
  Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]; Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE];
  National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima RIRUAKO]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
  ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick NANDAGO chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joyce BARR embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek telephone: [264] (61) 221601 FAX: [264] (61) 229792

Flag description:
  a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left
  section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right
  section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is
  contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders

Economy - overview:
  The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing
  of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP. Rich
  alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for
  gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of
  nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of
  uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin,
  silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the
  population while about half of the population depends on subsistence
  agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50%
  of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a
  major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the
  region, hides the world's worst inequality of income distribution.
  The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the
  Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand.
  Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate
  long-run foreign investment. Increased fish production and mining of
  zinc, copper, uranium, and silver spurred growth in 2003-05.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.7% industry: 31.5% services: 58.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 47% industry: 20% services: 33% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
the UNDP's 2005 Human Development Report indicated that 34.9% of
the population live on $1 per day and 55.8% live on $2 per day

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% 0.5%
highest 10%: NA% 64.5%

Budget:
  revenues: $1.945 billion
  expenditures: $2.039 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamonds,
lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)

Electricity - imports: 1.065 billion kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2003)

Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed
fish, karakul skins

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment,
chemicals

Exchange rates:
Namibian dollars per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004),
7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each 100
  persons
  domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
  relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are
  by open wire; 100% digital
  international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
  Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
  other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South
  African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa;
  satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 21
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 116
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
  914 to 1,523 m: 72
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,265 GRT/3,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Disputes - international:
  border commission has yet to resolve small residual disputes with
  Botswana along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands
  along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest Namibia's
  planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa
  Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the
  boundary in the Orange River; Namibia has supported and in 2004
  Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to
  build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing
  a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the
  river

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 12,618 (Angola) (2005)

Background:
  The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language
  does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed
  by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined
  early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was
  occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became
  a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a
  brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It
  achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the
  world's smallest independent republic.

Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall
Islands

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Terrain:
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with
phosphate plateau in center

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

Environment - current issues:
  limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect
  rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination
  plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly
  by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of
  Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources

Geography - note:
  Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
  Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
  Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.9% (male 2,507/female 2,391)
  15-64 years: 61.2% (male 4,004/female 4,123)
  65 years and over: 2% (male 139/female 123) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.6 years
  male: 20 years
  female: 21.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 63.08 years
  male: 59.5 years
  female: 66.84 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
  Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English
  widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and
  commercial purposes

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
  conventional short form: Nauru
  local long form: Republic of Nauru
  local short form: Nauru
  former: Pleasant Island

Capital:
  no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada,
Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Independence:
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN
trusteeship)

Legal system:
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
  election last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007)
  election results: Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary
  elections for president

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held not later than
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Nauru First Party 3,
  independents 15
  note: the president dissolved parliament on 30 September 2004 and
  set new elections for 23 October 2004

Political parties and leaders:
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru
Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074 FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079 consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Flag description:
  blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and
  a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
  the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator
  (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original
  tribes of Nauru

Economy - overview:
  Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports
  of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in
  2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining
  supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being
  imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major
  source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the
  replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term
  problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate
  deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in
  trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's
  economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds,
  the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government
  has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments.
  In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital
  plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government
  and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics
  on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying
  widely.

Labor force - by occupation: note: 0.1% employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - partners:
South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone
  communication provided via Australian facilities
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Military - note:
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement,
defense is the responsibility of Australia

Background:
  This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its
  guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse,
  built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of Navassa
  Island transferred from the Coast Guard to the Department of the
  Interior. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as
  a unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity; the following year it
  became a National Wildlife Refuge and annual scientific expeditions
  have continued.

Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles west of Tiburon
Peninsula of Haiti

Terrain:
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by
vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on southwest side 77 m

Geography - note:
  strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo
  Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock but with enough grassland to support
  goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus

Population:
  uninhabited
  note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
  (July 2006 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Navassa Island

Dependency status:
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and
  Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, from the Caribbean
  Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; in
  September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of
  Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on the southern
  side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced
  against the island

Economy - overview:
Subsistence fishing and commercial trawling occur within refuge
waters.

Background:
  In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule
  by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of
  government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy
  within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist
  insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening
  to bring down the regime, especially after a negotiated cease-fire
  between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003.
  In 2001, the crown prince massacred ten members of the royal family,
  including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October
  2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for
  "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were
  subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing
  insurgency. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the
  king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime
  minister who formed a four-party coalition government. Citing
  dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing
  the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005
  dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned
  party leaders, and assumed power. The king's government subsequently
  released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency
  in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April
  2006. After nearly three weeks of mass protests organized by the
  seven-party opposition and the Maoists, the king allowed parliament
  to reconvene on 28 April 2006.

Land boundaries: total: 2,926 km border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km

Climate:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical
summers and mild winters in south

Terrain:
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of
lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Natural hazards:
  severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine
  depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer
  monsoons

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives);
  contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural
  runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular
  emissions

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
  landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains
  eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and
  Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the
  borders with China and India respectively

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.7% (male 5,648,959/female 5,291,447)
  15-64 years: 57.6% (male 8,365,526/female 7,925,941)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 513,777/female 541,497) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.3 years
  male: 20.1 years
  female: 20.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 65.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 63.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 67.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 60.18 years
  male: 60.43 years
  female: 59.91 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang
  5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%,
  unspecified 2.8% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9%
  (2001 census)
  note: only official Hindu state in the world

Languages:
  Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana)
  5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%,
  unspecified 2.5% (2001 census)
  note: many in government and business also speak English

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 48.6%
  male: 62.7%
  female: 34.9% (2000-2004 est.)

Country name:
conventional long and short form: Nepal
local long and short form: Nepal

Capital:
  name: Kathmandu
  geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E
  time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC
  during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri,
  Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali,
  Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Legal system:
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (since 4 June 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30
  April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Khadga Prasad OLI (since 2 May
  2006) and Amik SHERCHAN since June 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch on the
  recommendation of the prime minister; note - the prime minister
  selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in consultation with the political
  parties
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - following
  legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
  a majority coalition historically has been appointed prime minister
  by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35
  appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15
  elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected
  every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held in May 1999; note -
  Parliament was dissolved in May 2002 but was finally reconvened in
  April 2006 with most of the members that were elected in 1999
  election results: House of Representatives (for 1999 parliament) -
  percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP (RPP) 10.4%,
  NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%,
  NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP
  11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP
  1; note - NC, NSP, and NDP have since each split into two parties

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by
  the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the
  other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of
  the Judicial Council)

Political parties and leaders:
  Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav
  Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP
  (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Pashupati Shumsher
  RANA, chairman]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA,
  president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party
  president, Sushil KOIRALA, vice president]; Nepal Sadbhavana
  (Goodwill) Party or NSP - Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, party
  president]; Nepal Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI,
  president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man
  BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; People's Front Nepal (Rastriya Jana
  Morcha) [Amik SHERCHAN, chairman]; Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP
  [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; note - split from RPP in March
  2005; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]; note - merged with
  People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known
  as PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI]; numerous small,
  left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical
  Nepalese antimonarchist groups

International organization participation:
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
  ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW,
  SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
  chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY
  embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [977] (1) 411-1179
  FAX: [977] (1) 441-9963

Flag description:
  red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping
  right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized
  moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

Economy - overview:
  Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the
  world with almost one-third of its population living below the
  poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing
  a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for
  38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of
  agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
  Security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a
  decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has
  considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and
  tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for
  foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor,
  however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological
  backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location,
  its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38% industry: 21% services: 41% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 39.1% (2003-2004)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.153 billion
  expenditures: $1.789 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY05/06)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

Industries:
tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed
mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.5% hydro: 91.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports:
$822 million f.o.b.; note - does not include unrecorded border
trade with India (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer

Imports - partners:
India 47.5%, UAE 11.2%, China 10.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 71.368 (2005), 73.674 (2004),
76.141 (2003), 77.877 (2002), 74.949 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
  radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone
  network
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;
  microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 10
  over 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 38
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 29 (2006)

Military branches:
Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service);
Nepalese Police Force

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,107,091
females age 18-49: 5,744,989 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4.193 million
females age 18-49: 3,853,102 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 308,031
females age 18-49: 286,604 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  joint border commission continues to work on small disputed
  sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter
  border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal
  cross-border activities

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 104,915 (Bhutan)
  IDPs: 100,000-200,000 (ongoing conflict between government forces
  and Maoist rebels; displacement spread across the country) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and
  international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast
  Asia to the West

Background:
  The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain
  in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring
  and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the
  world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the
  Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a
  separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I,
  but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A
  modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large
  exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member
  of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the
  introduction of the euro in 1999.

Land boundaries: total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in
southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel,
arable land

Environment - current issues:
  water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and
  nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from
  vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea,
  Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
  Whaling

Geography - note:
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or
Meuse, and Schelde)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18% (male 1,515,123/female 1,445,390)
  15-64 years: 67.8% (male 5,656,448/female 5,525,481)
  65 years and over: 14.2% (male 994,723/female 1,354,296) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 39.4 years
  male: 38.6 years
  female: 40.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.96 years
  male: 76.39 years
  female: 81.67 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly
  Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians) (1999
  est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%,
other 2.5%, none 41% (2002)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
  conventional short form: Netherlands
  local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
  local short form: Nederland

Capital:
  name: Amsterdam
  geographic coordinates: 52 23 N, 4 54 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: The Hague (seat of government)

Administrative divisions:
  12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe,
  Flevoland, Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg,
  Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
  Zuid-Holland

Independence:
  23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries
  conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581
  they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration;
  however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of
  Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession
to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April

Legal system:
  civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution
  does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
  WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
  head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
  July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May
  2003) and Laurens Jan BRINKHORST (since 31 March 2005); note - Prime
  Minister BALKENENDE tendered his resignation on 30 June 2006
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second
  Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
  monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch
  note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
  apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet
  on legislative and administrative policy

Legislative branch:
  bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First
  Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the
  country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second
  Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held
  May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be
  held November 2010)
  election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist
  Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party -
  CDA 26.5, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for
  Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%; seats by party
  - CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9,
  Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the
monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Ernst Hirsch BALLIN]; Christian
  Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Lousewies VAN DER
  LAAN]; Green Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wouter
  BOS]; List Pim Fortuyn [Ton VAN DILLEN]; Party for Freedom [Geert
  WILDERS]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD
  [Pieter WINSEMIUS]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN]; plus a few
  minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV (consisting of a merger
  of Socialist and Catholic trade unions); Christian Trade Union
  Federation or CNV; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High
  Personnel or MHP; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers
  Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational
  firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises

International organization participation:
  AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux,
  BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
  G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
  OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Christiaan Mark Johan KRONER
  chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300
  FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
  consulate(s): Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roland E. ARNALL
  embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague
  mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
  telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209
  FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688
  consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar
  to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer;
  one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with WILLIAM I,
  Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century

Economy - overview:
  The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends
  heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial
  relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current
  account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation
  hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing,
  chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly
  mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 2% of the labor
  force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry
  and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners,
  began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country
  continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting
  foreign direct investment. Economic growth slowed considerably in
  2001-05, as part of the global economic slowdown, but for the four
  years before that, annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the
  EU average.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 24.4% services: 73.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2% industry: 19% services: 79% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 22.9% (1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $291.8 billion
  expenditures: $303.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Industries:
  agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical
  machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction,
  microelectronics, fishing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 89.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 4.3% other: 5.7% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Germany 24.9%, Belgium 13%, France 9.4%, UK 9.1%, Italy 5.7%, US
4.3%, Spain 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs,
clothing

Imports - partners:
Germany 16.6%, Belgium 9.3%, China 8.8%, US 7.6%, UK 5.8%, France
4.7%, Russia 4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
  domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular
  telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major
  network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global
  System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
  international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1
  Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 81 km; gas 7,229 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km
(2006)

Railways:
total: 2,808 km
standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 558 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,042,775 GRT/5,016,265 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 345, chemical tanker 29, container
  59, liquefied gas 12, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum
  tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 18, specialized
  tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 157 (Australia 1, Belgium 2, Denmark 9, Finland 13,
  Germany 56, Ireland 10, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 7, Sweden 26,
  UK 19, US 13)
  registered in other countries: 222 (Antigua and Barbuda 14,
  Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 24, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 4,
  Cyprus 18, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 29, Luxembourg 2,
  Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands Antilles 54, Norway 3,
  Panama 21, Philippines 19, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 5, Singapore 2, UK 3, US 4, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Amsterdam, Groningen, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen,
Zaanstad

Military branches:
  Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air
  Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke
  Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police, Defense Interservice
  Command (DICO) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 3,557,918
females age 20-49: 3,470,377 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,856,691
females age 20-49: 2,786,495 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 99,934
females age 20-49: 95,818 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  major European producer of ecstasy, illicit amphetamines, and other
  synthetic drugs; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish
  entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial
  sector vulnerable to money laundering

Background:
  Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao
  was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity
  (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th
  century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly
  discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is
  shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and
  is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion is called
  Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe (France).

Location:
  Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of
  five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of
  Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the
  US Virgin Islands

Area:
  total: 960 sq km
  land: 960 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint
  Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Natural hazards:
  Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are
  rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are
  subject to hurricanes from July to October

Geography - note:
  the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided
  geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint
  Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern)
  group (Bonaire and Curacao)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.9% (male 27,197/female 25,886)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 71,622/female 77,710)
  65 years and over: 8.7% (male 7,925/female 11,396) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 32.8 years
  male: 31.1 years
  female: 34.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.03 years
  male: 73.76 years
  female: 78.41 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day
  Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other
  Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2%
  (2001 census)

Languages:
  Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect),
  English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%,
  Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.7%
  male: 96.7%
  female: 96.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
  local long form: none
  local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
  former: Curacao and Dependencies

Dependency status:
  an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
  autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government
  responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Capital:
  name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
  geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government

National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession
to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April

Constitution:
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as
amended

Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law
influence

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April
  1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1
  July 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26
  March 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
  the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections,
  the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister
  by the Staten; election last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held
  by 2007)
  note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire,
  WIPM Saba, DP Statia

Legislative branch:
  unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St.
  Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB
  2, DP St. E 1, DP St. M 1, BDP 1, WIPM 1
  note: the government of Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE is a
  coalition of several parties

Political parties and leaders:
  Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM];
  Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
  Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic
  Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO];
  Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson
  PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles
  Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I
  Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or
  PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily
  de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE
  LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS];
  Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT]
  Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands
  People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]
  Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E
  [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St.
  Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD]
  Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah
  WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party
  [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN];
  People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St.
  Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party
  [Bienvenido RICHARDSON]
  note: political parties are indigenous to each island

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Unions (AVBO) and Employers Association (VBC)

International organization participation:
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO,
WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
  consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
  mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
  telephone: [599] (9) 4613066
  FAX: [599] (9) 4616489

Flag description:
  white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on
  a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars
  are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the
  five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao,
  Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten

Economy - overview:
  Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays
  of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world.
  Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past
  eight years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a
  well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the
  region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US
  and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate
  water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary
  problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging
  population.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1% industry: 20% services: 79% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $757.9 million
  expenditures: $949.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

Industries:
  tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining
  (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire),
  light manufacturing (Curacao)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 29.4%, Panama 14.4%, Mexico 8.8%, Haiti 5.6%, Venezuela 4.9%,
Bahamas, The 4.5% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Venezuela 52.3%, US 21.4%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$21.5 million IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands
continued its support with $40 million (2004)

Exchange rates:
Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79
(2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: generally adequate facilities
  domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
  international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite
  earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and four Venezuelan channels) (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 152 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,289,462 GRT/1,671,649 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 13, cargo 68, chemical tanker
  3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
  petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 4,
  specialized tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 143 (Belgium 4, Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 60,
  Netherlands 54, Norway 5, Sweden 5, Turkey 9, UK 3, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Netherlands 1) (2006)

Military branches: no regular military forces; National Guard, Police Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for National Guard recruitment; no conscription
(2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 54,200
females age 16-49: 56,868 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 45,273
females age 16-49: 47,166 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,720
females age 16-49: 1,657 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and
Europe; money-laundering center

Background:
  Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the
  19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It
  served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for
  independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998
  Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer
  an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New
  Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as
  three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New
  Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Environment - current issues:
erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

Geography - note:
  consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in
  the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous
  small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 28.4% (male 31,818/female 30,503)
  15-64 years: 64.9% (male 71,565/female 70,815)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 6,773/female 7,772) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.4 years
  female: 28.2 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
  Caledonia (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.57 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.27 years
  male: 71.29 years
  female: 77.39 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%,
Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91%
  male: 92%
  female: 90% (1976 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
  conventional short form: New Caledonia
  local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
  local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie

Capital:
  name: Noumea
  geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E
  time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud

Independence:
  none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on
  independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is
  scheduled for 2014

Legal system:
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the
islands; formerly under French law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
  1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU (since 15
  July 2005)
  head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle
  THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)
  cabinet: Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen
  from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
  advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
  government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress for a
  five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 29 June
  2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with
  8 votes for and 3 abstentions

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats;
  members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees
  Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3
  note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; by
  2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate;
  elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later
  than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
  by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French
  National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to
  be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - UMP 2

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce
Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian
  Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des
  Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy
  GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak
  Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA]
  (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or
  PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in
  the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The
  Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour
  l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist,
  but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de
  Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM
  [Victor TUTUGORO]

International organization participation:
ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO

Economy - overview:
  New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources.
  Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and
  food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel,
  substantial financial support from France - equal to more than
  one-fourth of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the
  economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined
  with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic
  outlook for the next several years.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15% industry: 8.8% services: 76.2% (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: 20% services: 60% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 76.3% hydro: 23.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Japan 21.4%, France 16%, Taiwan 11.4%, South Korea 10.1%, Spain 9%,
China 7.2%, South Africa 5.2%, Belgium 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89
(2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)

Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces
(includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,907 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

Background:
  The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In
  1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the
  Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen
  Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the
  British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of
  land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native
  peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent
  dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars.
  New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances
  lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to
  address longstanding Maori grievances.

Area:
  total: 268,680 sq km
  land: 268,021 sq km
  water: NA
  note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands,
  Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold,
limestone

Natural hazards:
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by
invasive species

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
  Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the
southernmost national capital in the world

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 21.1% (male 439,752/female 419,174)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,374,850/female 1,361,570)
  65 years and over: 11.8% (male 210,365/female 270,429) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 33.9 years
  male: 33.2 years
  female: 34.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.81 years
  male: 75.82 years
  female: 81.93 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%,
other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist
  2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other
  3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: New Zealand
  abbreviation: NZ

Capital:
  name: Wellington
  geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends
  third Sunday in March
  note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham
  Island

Administrative divisions:
  16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury,
  Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui,
  Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman,
  Waikato, Wellington, West Coast

National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution:
  consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of
  the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act
  1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987,
  effective 1 January 1987

Legal system:
based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts
for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August
  2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December
  1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002)
  cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament
  (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member
  constituencies including seven Maori constituencies, and 51
  proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later
  than 15 November 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%,
  NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand
  1.51%, Progressive 1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7,
  Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1
  note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats
  increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat
  than its entitlement under the party vote

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - Judges appointed
by the Governor-General

Political parties and leaders:
  ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS];
  Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH];
  New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor
  Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim)
  ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE]

International organization participation:
  ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986),
  APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C,
  CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK
  embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP
  96531-1034
  telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000
  FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490
  consulate(s) general: Auckland

Flag description:
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with
  four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer
  half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross
  constellation

Economy - overview:
  Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand
  from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market
  access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can
  compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but
  left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and
  deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector,
  and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has risen
  for six consecutive years and was more than $24,000 in 2005 in
  purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily dependent on
  trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth.
  Exports are equal to about 22% of GDP. Thus far the economy has been
  resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on
  health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to
  output.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.3% industry: 27.3% services: 68.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 25% services: 65% (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA (1991 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $43.1 billion
  expenditures: $37.57 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef,
lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish

Industries:
food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery,
transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.6% hydro: 57.8% nuclear: 0% other: 10.7% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery

Exports - partners:
Australia 21.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 10.6%, China 5.1%, UK 4.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum,
electronics, textiles, plastics

Imports - partners:
Australia 20.9%, US 11%, Japan 11%, China 10.9%, Germany 4.9% (2005)

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and
  Fiji; 8 satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7
  other

Television broadcast stations: 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 45 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 73 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 40 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 224 km; gas 1,693 km; liquid petroleum gas 45 km; oil
280 km; refined products 288 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 92,662 km
  paved: 59,109 km (including 169 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 33,553 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 136,361 GRT/124,972 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum
  tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 2, Germany 1, Isle of Man 1)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Cook
  Islands 1, Dominica 4, France 1, UK 1) (2006)

Military branches:
New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New
Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be
deployed until the age of 18 (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 984,700
females age 17-49: 965,170 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 809,519
females age 17-49: 802,069 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,738
females age 17-49: 28,523 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see Antarctica]

Background:
  The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from
  Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was
  declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in
  1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the
  19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in
  subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation
  and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a
  short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas
  to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador
  caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through
  much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the
  Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of
  former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's
  infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and
  by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt.

Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Land boundaries: total: 1,231 km border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: natural prolongation

Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior
mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely
susceptible to hurricanes

Geography - note:
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater
body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.4% (male 1,031,897/female 994,633)
  15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,677,633/female 1,691,353)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 76,758/female 97,855) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.9 years
  male: 20.5 years
  female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 28.11 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.63 years
  male: 68.55 years
  female: 72.81 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%,
Amerindian 5%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal
0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census)

Languages:
Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 67.5%
  male: 67.2%
  female: 67.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
  conventional short form: Nicaragua
  local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
  local short form: Nicaragua

Capital:
  name: Managua
  geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2
  autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region
  autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo,
  Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz,
  Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Legal system:
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10 January
  2002); Vice President Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo (since 10 October 2005);
  note - the president is both chief of state and head of government;
  Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo was elected Vice President by the deputies of
  the National Assembly after Vice President Jose RIZO Castellon
  resigned on 27 September 2005
  head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10
  January 2002); Vice President Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo (since 10 October
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)
  election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) elected president -
  38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE (ALN) 29%, Jose RIZO (PLC) 26.21%,
  Edmundo JARQUIN (MRS) 6.44%; note - ORTEGA will take office 10
  January 2007

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats;
  members are elected by proportional representation and party lists
  to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1 seat
  for the runner-up in previous presidential election)
  elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November
  2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate
  Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election),
  MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for five-year
terms by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon]; Central
  American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS]; Christian
  Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Conservative
  Party or PC [Mario Sebastian RAPPACCIOLI]; Independent Liberal Party
  or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent
  Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo];
  Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal
  Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal
  Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
  or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path
  or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO Molina]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or
  PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or
  FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS
  [Dora Maria TELLEZ]; Unity Alliance or AU

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella group of
  eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or ATC,
  Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs
  Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National
  Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of
  Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG,
  Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of
  Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an
  umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including -
  Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of
  Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor
  or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan
  Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior
  Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of
  business groups

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
  OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua mailing address: P.O. Box 327 telephone: [505] 266-6010 FAX: [505] 266-3861

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
  the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
  arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE
  NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to
  the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by
  the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in
  the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five
  blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  Nicaragua, one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest countries, has
  low per capita income, widespread underemployment, and a heavy
  external debt burden. Distribution of income is one of the most
  unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed toward
  macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual growth has
  been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to
  rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt
  financing obligations. Nicaragua qualified in early 2004 for some
  $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted
  Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative because of its earlier successful
  performances under its International Monetary Fund policy program
  and other efforts. In October 2005, Nicaragua ratified the
  US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide
  an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and
  deepen economic development. High oil prices helped drive inflation
  to 9.6% in 2005, leading to a fall in real GDP growth to 4% from
  over 5% in 2004.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.5% industry: 27.5% services: 56% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30.5% industry: 17.3% services: 52.2% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 45% (2001)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.134 billion
  expenditures: $1.358 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame,
  soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp,
  lobsters

Industries:
  food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles,
  clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear,
  wood

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 83.9% hydro: 7.7% nuclear: 0% other: 8.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, beef, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum
products

Imports - partners:
US 19.6%, Mexico 10.3%, Venezuela 9.5%, Costa Rica 8.5%, Guatemala
6.7%, El Salvador 4.5%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
gold cordobas per US dollar - 16.733 (2005), 15.937 (2004), 15.105
(2003), 14.251 (2002), 13.372 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign
  investment
  domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being
  expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
  international: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 165 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 141 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,309,970
females age 17-49: 1,315,186 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,051,425
females age 17-49: 1,129,649 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 65,170
females age 17-49: 63,133 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against
  Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary
  involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the
  Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; the
  1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite
  resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca,
  which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; legal dispute over
  navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and
transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

Background:
  Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced
  single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was
  forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which
  resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting
  brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by
  Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military
  officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections
  that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year.
  TANDJA was reelected in 2004. Niger is one of the poorest countries
  in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds
  to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and
  subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended
  droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa.

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,697 km
  border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km,
  Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km

Terrain:
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains
in south; hills in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Niger River 200 m
highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m

Natural resources:
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum,
salt, petroleum

Environment - current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

Geography - note:
  landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern
  four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for
  livestock and limited agriculture

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.9% (male 2,994,022/female 2,882,273)
  15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,262,114/female 3,083,522)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 150,982/female 152,181) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.5 years
  female: 16.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 118.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 122.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 114.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 43.76 years
  male: 43.8 years
  female: 43.73 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri)
  4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French
  expatriates

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 17.6%
  male: 25.8%
  female: 9.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Niger
  conventional short form: Niger
  local long form: Republique du Niger
  local short form: Niger

Capital:
  name: Niamey
  geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital district*
  (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua,
  Tillaberi, Zinder

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999);
  note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December
  1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was
  appointed by the president and shares some executive
  responsibilities with the president
  cabinet: 26-member Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); second round last held 4 December 2004
  (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: Mamadou TANDJA reelected president; percent of
  vote - Mamadou TANDJA 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from 83
  seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
  elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 25, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane
  OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or
  MNSD-Nassara [Hama AMADOU]; Niger Social Democratic Party or PSDN;
  Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or
  ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Autonomy
  or PNA-Alouma'a [Sanousi JACKOU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and
  Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien Progressive
  Party or PPN-RDA [Abdoulaye DIORI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress
  or RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Social and Democratic Rally or
  RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Coalition Against a High Cost of Living [Nouhou ARZIKA]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
  OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB
  (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Maiga Djibrilla TOURE chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227 FAX: [1] (202)483-3169

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bernadette M. ALLEN embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 73 31 69 FAX: [227] 73 55 60

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with
  a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white
  band; similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel
  centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking last on
  the United Nations Development Fund index of human development. It
  is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on
  subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest
  uranium deposits. Drought cycles, desertification, a 2.9% population
  growth rate, and the drop in world demand for uranium have undercut
  the economy. Niger shares a common currency, the CFA franc, and a
  common central bank, the Central Bank of West African States
  (BCEAO), with seven other members of the West African Monetary
  Union. In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief
  under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly Indebted
  Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund on a
  Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Debt relief provided
  under the enhanced HIPC initiative significantly reduces Niger's
  annual debt service obligations, freeing funds for expenditures on
  basic health care, primary education, HIV/AIDS prevention, rural
  infrastructure, and other programs geared at poverty reduction. In
  December 2005, it was announced that Niger had received 100%
  multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the
  forgiveness of approximately $86 million USD in debts to the IMF,
  excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC. Nearly half of the
  government's budget is derived from foreign donor resources. Future
  growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and
  other mineral resources. Uranium prices have recovered somewhat in
  the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to
  food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigerians.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 39%
  industry: 17%
  services: 44% (2001)

Labor force:
70,000 salaried workers, 60% of whom are employed in the public
sector (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign sources
  expenditures: $320 million; including capital expenditures of $178
  million (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice;
cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry

Industries:
uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing,
chemicals, slaughterhouses

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Imports - partners:
  France 14.5%, US 10.7%, French Polynesia 7.5%, Nigeria 7.4%, Italy
  6.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.1%, Belgium 4.6%, Germany 4.5%, China 4.5%
  (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States (BCEAO)

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone
  communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the
  southwestern area of Niger
  domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio
  relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
  international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 19
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Waterways:
300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya
between September and March) (2005)

Military branches:
Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army,
National Air Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,367,828
females age 18-49: 2,217,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,349,863
females age 18-49: 1,256,569 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 129,045
females age 18-49: 121,230 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute;
  much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria,
  remains undemarcated; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake
  Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which
  also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Background:
  British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew
  through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War
  II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960.
  Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was
  adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government
  was completed. The president faces the daunting task of reforming a
  petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through
  corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In
  addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding
  ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation
  for economic growth and political stability. Although the April 2003
  elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently
  experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and
Cameroon

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,047 km
  border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger
  1,497 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains
in southeast, plains in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium,
lead, zinc, arable land

Environment - current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward
  through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of
  Guinea

Population:
  131,859,731
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.3% (male 28,089,017/female 27,665,212)
  15-64 years: 54.6% (male 36,644,885/female 35,405,915)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,930,007/female 2,124,695) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.7 years
  male: 18.7 years
  female: 18.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 97.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 104.05 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 90.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 47.08 years
  male: 46.52 years
  female: 47.66 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than
  250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and
  politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo
  (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 68%
  male: 75.7%
  female: 60.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria

Capital:
  name: Abuja
  geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra,
  Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo,
  Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa,
  Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger,
  Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara

Legal system:
  based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12 northern
  states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
  with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Federal Executive Council
  elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 April 2003 (next
  to be held April 2007)
  election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of
  vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%,
  Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from
  each state plus 1 from Abuja, members elected by popular vote to
  serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats,
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held in
  2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to
  be held in 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%,
  ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House
  of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP
  27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD
  34, other 6; note - one seat is vacant

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of
  Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice
  of the Advisory Judicial Committee)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All Nigeria
  Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand
  Alliance or APGA [disputed leadership]; National Democratic Party or
  NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu
  ALI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA];
  Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria
  Peoples Party or UNPP [disputed leadership]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
  OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Professor George A. OBIOZOR
  chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
  FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador John CAMPBELL
  embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
  mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
  telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
  FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

Economy - overview:
  Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability,
  corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic
  management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded
  administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify
  the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive
  oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange
  earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely
  subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid
  population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and
  the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import
  food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August
  2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club
  and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic
  reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after
  failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it
  ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In
  the last year the government has begun showing the political will to
  implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to
  modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking
  excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the
  distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the
  government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the
  privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted
  the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a
  domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty
  Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management.
  GDP rose strongly in 2005, based largely on increased oil exports
  and high global crude prices. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club
  approval for a historic debt-relief deal that by March 2006 should
  eliminate $30 billion worth of Nigeria's total $37 billion external
  debt. The deal first requires that Nigeria repay roughly $12 billion
  in arrears to its bilateral creditors. Nigeria would then be allowed
  to buy back its remaining debt stock at a discount. The deal also
  commits Nigeria to more intensified IMF reviews.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 26.9% industry: 48.7% services: 24.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 70% industry: 10% services: 20% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)

Budget:
  revenues: $12.86 billion
  expenditures: $13.54 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava
(tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish

Industries:
  crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber,
  wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction
  materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing,
  ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 61.9% hydro: 38.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food
and live animals

Imports - partners:
China 10.4%, US 7.3%, UK 6.7%, Netherlands 6%, France 5.9%, Germany
4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
nairas per US dollar - 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003),
120.58 (2002), 111.23 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: expansion and modernization of the fixed-line
  telephone network has been slow due to faltering efforts at
  privatization
  domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002
  resulted in faster growth in this service; wireless telephony has
  grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the
  fixed-line network; four wireless (GSM) service providers operate
  nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp increase in
  teledensity reported to be over 18% in March 2006
  international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic
  submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Television broadcast stations: 3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas 125 km; oil
4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)

Waterways:
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks)
(2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 277,709 GRT/475,414 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 1,
  liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, specialized
  tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1, Spain 1)
  registered in other countries: 28 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cambodia
  2, Comoros 2, Panama 7, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2006)

Military branches:
Nigerian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Niger
Air Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 26,802,678
females age 18-49: 25,668,446 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,052,914
females age 18-49: 13,860,806 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,353,180
females age 18-49: 1,329,267 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime
  boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve
  differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in
  less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in
  the north; following the UN-brokered Greentree Agreement of 12 June
  2006, Nigeria, in completion of the 2002 ICJ decision on the
  Cameroon-Nigerian land boundary, handed sovereignty of the Bakassi
  peninsula to Cameroon on 14 August; all Nigerian military forces
  have reportedly withdrawn from the region but Nigeria will continue
  to maintain a police and administrative presence in the southeastern
  "transition zone" for a period of up to two years; Nigeria pledges
  to provide for the resettlement of those Bakassi residents who wish
  to remain Nigerian citizens; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance
  settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary
  in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the
  ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and
  Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all
  contribute to the delay in implementation; a joint task force was
  established in 2004 that resolved disputes over and redrew the
  maritime and the 870-km land boundary with Benin on the Okpara
  River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad
  Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also
  includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 200,000 - 250,000 (communal violence between Christians and
Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East
  Asian, and North American markets; safehaven for Nigerian
  narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center;
  massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some
  anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the
  Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and
  Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering
  regime continues to be monitored by FATF

Background:
  Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences
  between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook
  Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The
  population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in
  1966 to about 2,166 in 2006), with substantial emigration to New
  Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Land use:
  arable land: 11.54%
  permanent crops: 15.38%
  other: 73.08% (2005)

Environment - current issues: increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups:
Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%,
Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related
  to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%,
  Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist
  1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census)

Languages:
Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan;
English

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island

Dependency status:
  self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974;
  Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
  responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these
  responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised
  at the request of the Government of Niue

Capital:
  name: Alofi
  geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as
  defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the
  second order

Independence:
on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary
government in free association with New Zealand

National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Legal system:
English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power
to make its own laws

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND
  (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand are represented by
  New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)
  head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002)
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the
  Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 12
  May 2005 (next to be held May 2008)
  election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of
  Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN
  (independent) 15%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve three-year terms; 6 elected from a common roll
  and 14 are village representatives)
  elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held April 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP
[Young VIVIAN]

International organization participation:
ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Flag description:
  yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant;
  the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large
  one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of
  the bold red cross

Economy - overview:
  The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of
  geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population.
  Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall
  is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are
  used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government
  expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The
  agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening,
  although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists
  primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil,
  honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign
  collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent
  years has suffered a serious loss of population because of
  emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the
  promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the
  International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination
  of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in
  2002 was about US$2 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in
  January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in
  the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 23.5%
  industry: 26.9%
  services: 49.5% (2003)

Labor force - by occupation: note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $15.07 million
  expenditures: $16.33 million; including capital expenditures of
  $123,700

Agriculture - products: coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit
products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts

Imports - commodities:
food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels,
lubricants, chemicals, drugs

Imports - partners:
New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2004)

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Telephone system:
  domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
  island
  international: country code - 683

Background:
  Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony
  (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the
  island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the
  Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Bates 319 m

Geography - note:
  most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs,
  but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on
  Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated

Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.2% 15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander,
Polynesian

Religions:
  Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia
  11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%,
  Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.3%, none 18.1%
  (2001 census)

Languages:
English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and
ancient Tahitian

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island

Dependency status:
  territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth
  responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of
  Environment, Sport, and Territories

Capital:
  name: Kingston
  geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E
  time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

National holiday:
Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June
(1856)

Legal system:
  based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English
  common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or
  Norfolk Island law

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK
  and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since
  1 November 2003)
  head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey
  Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001)
  cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of
  the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and
  acts as an advisor to the administrator
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the
  governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the
  Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years;
  election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)
  election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister;
  percent of Legislative Assembly vote - 17.2%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by
  electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be
  given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
  (note - no political parties)

Flag description:
  three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a
  large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider
  white band

Economy - overview:
  Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over
  the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among
  inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has
  become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.

Budget:
  revenues: $4.6 million
  expenditures: $4.8 million; including capital expenditures of $2
  million (FY99/00)

Agriculture - products:
Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables,
fruit; cattle, poultry

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2002)

Exports - commodities:
postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm,
small quantities of avocados

Exports - partners:
Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2004)

Imports - partners:
Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2004)

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits
(2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island
referendum) (2002)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: free local calls
  international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
  Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station

Television broadcast stations:
1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in
Australian programs by satellite) (2005)

Background:
  Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the
  Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the
  1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links
  with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A
  covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US
  was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new
  government and constitution went into effect in 1978.

Location:
Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters
of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Area:
  total: 477 sq km
  land: 477 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Climate:
  tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little
  seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy
  season July to October

Terrain:
southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing
coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m

Natural hazards:
active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August
to November)

Environment - current issues: contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.4% (male 8,350/female 7,623)
  15-64 years: 79% (male 26,715/female 38,442)
  65 years and over: 1.6% (male 679/female 650) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 29.5 years
  male: 31.7 years
  female: 28.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.7 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.77 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.09 years
  male: 73.5 years
  female: 78.83 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%, Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%,
mixed 4.8% (2000 census)

Religions:
Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs
and taboos may still be found)

Languages:
Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English
10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 96% (1980 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
  conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands
  abbreviation: CNMI
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands
  District

Dependency status:
  commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the
  Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior,
  Office of Insular Affairs

Government type:
commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor,
lieutenant governor, and legislature

Capital:
  name: Saipan
  geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order:
  Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian

Constitution:
  Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
  effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement fully effective 4
  November 1986

Legal system:
based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws,
and taxation

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens
but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
  January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
  2001)
  head of government: Governor Benigno R. FITIAL (since 9 January
  2006); Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. VILLAGOMEZ (since 9 January
  2006)
  cabinet: the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal
  departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the
  governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; other members
  include Special Assistants to the governor and office heads
  appointed by and reporting directly to the governor
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
  Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice
  president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same
  ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second
  term); election last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November
  2009)
  election results: Benigno R. FITIAL elected governor in a four-way
  race; percent of vote - Benigno R. FITIAL (Covenant Party) 28.07%,
  Heinz HOFSCHNEIDER (Independent) 27.34%, Juan BABAUTA (Republican)
  26.6%, Froilan TENORIO (Democrat) 17.99%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the
  House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held
  November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 2005
  (next to be held November 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 2,
  independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 7, Republican Party 7,
  Democratic Party 2, independent 2
  note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting
  delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or
  "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party
  - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO)

Judicial branch:
Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court

Political parties and leaders:
Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL]; Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S.
CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Juan S. REYES]

Flag description:
  blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray
  silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in
  building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath

Economy - overview:
  The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from
  the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated
  government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs
  about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of
  GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have
  exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial
  difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The
  agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms
  producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment
  production is by far the most important industry with the employment
  of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US
  under duty and quota exemptions.

GDP (purchasing power parity): $900 million note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.)

Labor force:
44,470 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717
foreign workers (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $193 million
  expenditures: $223 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY01/02 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (Low Power TV on Saipan; in addition, two cable services on
Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Background:
  Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the
  adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion
  of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In
  1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more
  than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of
  their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then
  invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in
  return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising
  nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum
  granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in
  World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway
  proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was
  nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In
  1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO.
  Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s
  boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is on
  containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning for
  the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in
  1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU.

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, west of Sweden

Land boundaries:
total: 2,542 km
border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km

Coastline:
  25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords,
  numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of
  island coastlines 58,133 km)

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:
  temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder
  interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy
  year-round on west coast

Terrain:
  glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by
  fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented
  by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium,
pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower

Environment - current issues:
water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting
lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
  Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much
  indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air
  routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines
  in the world

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.3% (male 455,122/female 434,009)
  15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,542,439/female 1,496,745)
  65 years and over: 14.8% (male 288,509/female 393,996) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.4 years
  male: 37.6 years
  female: 39.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 3.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.54 years
  male: 76.91 years
  female: 82.31 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other
Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)

Languages:
  Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small
  Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in
  six municipalities

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100%

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway
  conventional short form: Norway
  local long form: Kongeriket Norge
  local short form: Norge

Capital:
  name: Oslo
  geographic coordinates: 59 55 N, 10 45 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  19 counties (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder,
  Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland,
  Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane,
  Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold

Independence:
7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26
October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)

Legal system:
  mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law
  traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature
  when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir
  Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20
  July 1973)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17
  October 2005)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of
  parliament
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following parliamentary
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
  monarch with the approval of the parliament

Legislative branch:
  modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held September
  2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%,
  Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party
  8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal
  Party 5.9%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; seats by party
  - Labor Party 61, Progress Party 38, Conservative Party 23,
  Socialist Left Party 15, Christian People's Party 11, Center Party
  11, Liberal Party 10
  note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two
  chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house
  or Lagting

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
  Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Dagfinn
  HOYBRATEN]; Coastal Party [Roy WAAGE]; Conservative Party [Erna
  SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars
  SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Siv JENSEN]; Red Electoral Alliance
  [Torstein DAHLE]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]

International organization participation:
  AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN,
  EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA,
  NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK chancery: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 337-0870 consulate(s) general: Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Benson K. WHITNEY embassy: Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244 Oslo; note - the embassy will move to Huseby in the near future mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707 telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50 FAX: [47] (22) 44 33 63, 56 27 51

Flag description:
  red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges
  of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist
  side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy - overview:
  The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare
  capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and
  government intervention. The government controls key areas such as
  the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises).
  The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum,
  hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on
  its oil production and international oil prices, with oil and gas
  accounting for one-third of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia
  export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU
  during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, it contributes
  sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with
  privatization. Although Norwegian oil production peaked in 2000,
  natural gas production is still rising. Norwegians realize that once
  their gas production peaks they will eventually face declining oil
  and gas revenues; accordingly, Norway has been saving its
  oil-and-gas-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund,
  which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $250
  billion. After lackluster growth of 1% in 2002 and 0.5% in 2003, GDP
  growth picked up to 3.3% in 2004 and to 3.7% in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 41.5% services: 56.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 21.8% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $176.1 billion
  expenditures: $131.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper
products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.4% hydro: 99.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals,
chemicals, ships, fish

Exports - partners:
UK 25.5%, Germany 12.6%, Netherlands 9.9%, France 9.1%, US 6.7%,
Sweden 6.5% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Sweden 14.6%, Germany 13.6%, Denmark 7.3%, UK 6.8%, China 5.5%, US
5%, France 4% (2005)

Debt - external:
$281 billion; note - Norway is a net external creditor (30 June
2005)

Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004),
7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most
  advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
  domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the
  prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile
  systems instead of fixed-wire systems
  international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4
  coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
  regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
  other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 67 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 29 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 32 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 508 km; gas 5,910 km; oil 2,557 km; oil/gas/water 746 km
(2006)

Railways:
total: 4,077 km
standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,680 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 92,513 km
  paved: 71,832 km (including 664 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 20,681 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 724 ships (1000 GRT or over) 14,472,103 GRT/20,245,353 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 67, cargo 153, chemical tanker 150, container
  2, liquefied gas 79, passenger/cargo 121, petroleum tanker 75,
  refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 19, specialized tanker 2,
  vehicle carrier 47
  foreign-owned: 168 (China 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 32, Estonia 1,
  Finland 4, Greece 1, Hong Kong 55, Iceland 4, Italy 4, Japan 1,
  Lithuania 1, Monaco 4, Netherlands 3, Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 3,
  Sweden 28, UAE 1, UK 6, US 13)
  registered in other countries: 861 (Antigua and Barbuda 11,
  Australia 1, Bahamas 259, Barbados 29, Belize 2, Bermuda 5, Brazil
  2, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 2, China 1, Comoros 1, Cook
  Islands 1, Cyprus 16, Denmark 3, Dominica 1, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2,
  Faroe Islands 4, Finland 1, France 1, French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands 12, Gibraltar 18, Hong Kong 26, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 27,
  Liberia 38, Libya 1, Malta 49, Marshall Islands 65, Mexico 1,
  Netherlands 7, Netherlands Antilles 5, Nigeria 1, Panama 66,
  Philippines 3, Portugal 4, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 16, Singapore 90, Spain 7, Sweden 7, Thailand 30, Tonga
  1, UK 36, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Borg Havn, Bergen, Mo i Rana, Molde, Mongstad, Narvik, Oslo, Sture

Military branches:
  Norwegian Army (Haeren), Royal Norwegian Navy (Kongelige Norske
  Sjoeforsvaret, RNoN; includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard
  (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske
  Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard (Heimevernet, HV) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age in
  wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for
  women; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard; conscript
  service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,014,592
females age 18-49: 982,734 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 827,016
females age 18-49: 801,358 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,179
females age 18-49: 28,023 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land
  and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, Russia and
  Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea
  and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits
  within the Svalbard Treaty zone

Background:
  The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian
  Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate
  in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with
  Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and
  military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony.
  In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of
  his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive
  modernization program has opened the country to the outside world
  while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's
  moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good
  relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian
Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

Land boundaries: total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong
southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium,
gypsum, natural gas

Natural hazards:
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in
interior; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited
natural fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of
Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 675,423/female 648,963)
  15-64 years: 54.7% (male 1,001,917/female 695,578)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 44,300/female 36,048) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19 years
  male: 21.7 years
  female: 16.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.44 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.25 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 18.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.37 years
  male: 71.14 years
  female: 75.72 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan,
Bangladeshi), African

Country name:
  conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
  conventional short form: Oman
  local long form: Saltanat Uman
  local short form: Uman
  former: Muscat and Oman

Capital:
  name: Muscat
  geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  5 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 4 governorates*
  (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al
  Buraymi*, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat*, Musandam*,
  Zufar (Dhofar)*

Constitution:
  none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal
  decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a
  constitution which, among other things, clarifies the royal
  succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from
  holding interests in companies doing business with the government,
  establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil
  liberties for Omani citizens

Legal system:
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the
monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003, suffrage
  was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members of the
  military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura elections are
  scheduled for 2007

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said
  (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972);
  note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said
  al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July
  1972); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis
  al-Dawla (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory
  powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats;
  members elected by popular vote for four-year terms; body has some
  limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only
  advisory powers)
  elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
  election results: NA

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
  note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has
  judges who practice secular and Shari'a law

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
  LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad
  al-MUGHAIRI
  chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gary A. GRAPPO
  embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
  mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos,
  Muscat
  telephone: [968] 24-698989
  FAX: [968] 24-699771

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with
  a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem
  (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords
  in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band

Economy - overview:
  Oman is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable oil
  and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation.
  Work on a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility progressed in
  2005 and will contribute to slightly higher oil and gas exports in
  2006. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World
  Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. To reduce unemployment
  and limit dependence on foreign labor, the government is encouraging
  the replacement of foreign expatriate workers with local workers.
  Training in information technology, business management, and English
  support this objective. Industrial development plans focus on gas
  resources, metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international
  transshipment ports. In 2005, Oman signed agreements with several
  foreign investors to boost oil reserves, build and operate a power
  plant, and develop a second mobile phone network in the country.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.7% industry: 39% services: 58.3% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $14.36 billion
  expenditures: $10.61 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish

Industries:
  crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural
  gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel,
  chemicals, optic fiber

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
China 21.7%, South Korea 19.5%, Japan 14.3%, Thailand 12.7%, UAE
7.1%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
livestock, lubricants

Imports - partners:
UAE 22.4%, Japan 15.7%, UK 7.7%, US 6.7%, Germany 5.8%, India 4.2%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845
(2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,
  microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
  coaxial cable
  domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a
  domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
  international: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 131 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 52 914 to 1,523 m: 35 under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 34,965 km
  paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 10,797 GRT/5,040 DWT
  by type: passenger 1
  registered in other countries: 2 (Kazakhstan 2) (2006)

Military branches:
  Royal Omani Armed Forces: Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman,
  Royal Air Force of Oman (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman,
  RAFO) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 719,871
females age 18-49: 508,621 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 581,444
females age 18-49: 435,107 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 26,391
females age 18-49: 25,466 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003
  for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah
  exclave, but details have not been made public

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Oman is a destination country for men and women
  primarily from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India who migrate
  willingly, but may subsequently become victims of trafficking when
  subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic workers
  and laborers; there have been occasional reports that expatriate
  children engaged in camel racing may transit or reside in Omani
  territory
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Oman is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List because of a lack of evidence of increasing efforts to combat
  severe forms of trafficking in persons in 2005

Background:
  The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans
  (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and
  Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the
  La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres
  Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization
  in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean,
  removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.

Location:
body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the
Western Hemisphere

Area:
  total: 155.557 million sq km
  note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East
  China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of
  Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other
  tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global
surface; larger than the total land area of the world

Climate:
  planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit
  remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and
  westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal
  fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of
  Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America;
  continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less
  pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude
  in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a
  rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden
  winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the
  winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to
  the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and
  east Asia from May to December

Terrain:
  surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a
  clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and
  in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in
  the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
  Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica
  reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the
  eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the
  western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
  Trench, which is the world's deepest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel
aggregates, placer deposits, fish

Natural hazards:
  surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity
  sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to
  tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to
  December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones
  (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and
  Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September);
  cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial
  Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the
  western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme
  north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific
  can be a maritime hazard from June to December

Environment - current issues:
  endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter,
  seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and
  South China Sea

Geography - note:
  the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon
  Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific
  Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean;
  dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the
  southwestern Pacific Ocean

Economy - overview:
  The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and
  particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides
  low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing
  grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel
  for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish
  catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and
  gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy
  supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of
  recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in
  world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new
  drillings.

Ports and terminals:
  Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los
  Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San
  Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney
  (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)

Transportation - note:
Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to
Puget Sound (Washington state)

Background:
  The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of
  Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India
  was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two
  wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A
  third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India
  capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani
  politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of
  Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan
  conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of
  Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures
  have led to decreased tensions since 2002.

Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east
and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Land boundaries:
  total: 6,774 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912
  km, Iran 909 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Natural resources:
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor
quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and
west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Environment - current issues: water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes
between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39% (male 33,293,428/female 31,434,314)
  15-64 years: 56.9% (male 48,214,298/female 46,062,933)
  65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,256,065/female 3,542,522) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.8 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 70.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 70.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 70.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 63.39 years
  male: 62.4 years
  female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
  and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and cutaneous
  leishmaniasis are high risks depending on location
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from
India at the time of partition and their descendants)

Languages:
  Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu
  8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English
  (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government
  ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 48.7%
  male: 61.7%
  female: 35.2% (2004 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  conventional short form: Pakistan
  local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
  local short form: Pakistan
  former: West Pakistan

Capital:
  name: Islamabad
  geographic coordinates: 33 42 N, 73 10 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan,
  Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**,
  North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
  note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and
  Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir
  and Northern Areas

Constitution:
  12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30
  December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in
  2002; amended 31 December 2003

Legal system:
  based on English common law with provisions to accommodate
  Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Executive branch:
  note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of
  Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,
  General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's constitution and
  assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000,
  Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup
  and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three
  years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself
  as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a
  referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was
  extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote
  of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial
  assemblies
  chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June
  2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: the president is elected by Parliament for a five-year
  term; note - in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's
  presidency was extended by five more years (next to be held in
  2007); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly (next
  to be held in 2007)
  election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August
  2004 with 191 of the votes

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100
  seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial
  assemblies to serve six-year terms and the National Assembly (342
  seats - formerly 217; 60 seats represent women; 10 seats represent
  minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in
  March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to
  be held in 2007)
  election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - PML 47, PPPP 9, MMA 20, MQM/A 6, PML/N 4, PML/F 1,
  PkMAP 3, ANP 2, PPP 3, JWP 1, BNP-Awami 1, BNP-Mengal 1, BNP/H 1,
  independents 1; National Assembly results - percent of votes by
  party - NA; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19,
  MQM/A 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1, PAT 1,
  PML/Z 1, PTI 1, MQM/H 1, PkMAP 1, independents 3

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal
Islamic or Shari'a Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan
  National Party/Hayee Group or BNP/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH]; Baluch
  National Party/Awami or BNP/Awami [Moheem Khan BALOCH]; Baluch
  National Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL]; Jamhoori
  Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR];
  Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
  Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat
  Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat
  Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
  Pakistan or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement,
  Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Quami Movement,
  Haqiqi faction or MQM/H [Afaq AHMAD]; National Alliance or NA
  [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP
  [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed Afzal
  KHAN]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan
  Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan
  Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF];
  Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; note - as
  of May 2004, the PML/Q changed its name to PML and absorbed the
  PML/J, PML/Z, and NA; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil
  BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO];
  Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Benazir BHUTTO];
  Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami
  [Allama Sajid NAQVI]
  note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently

Political pressure groups and leaders:
military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy),
landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential

International organization participation:
  ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC,
  SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmud Ali DURRANI chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sunnyvale (California)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan CROCKER embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200 telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000 FAX: [92] (51) 2276427 consulate(s) general: Karachi consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar

Flag description:
  green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious
  minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are
  centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are
  traditional symbols of Islam

Economy - overview:
  Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has suffered
  from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of foreign
  investment, and a costly, ongoing confrontation with neighboring
  India. However, IMF-approved government policies, bolstered by
  generous foreign assistance and renewed access to global markets
  since 2001, have generated solid macroeconomic recovery the last
  four years. The government has made substantial macroeconomic
  reforms since 2000, although progress on more politically sensitive
  reforms has slowed. For example, in the budget for fiscal year 2006,
  Islamabad did not impose taxes on the agriculture or real estate
  sectors, despite Pakistan's chronically low tax-to-GDP ratio. While
  long-term prospects remain uncertain, given Pakistan's low level of
  development, medium-term prospects for job creation and poverty
  reduction are the best in more than a decade. Islamabad has raised
  development spending from about 2% of GDP in the 1990s to 4% in
  2003, a necessary step towards reversing the broad underdevelopment
  of its social sector. GDP growth, spurred by double-digit gains in
  industrial production over the past year, has become less dependent
  on agriculture, and remained above 7% in 2004 and 2005. Inflation
  remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than 9%
  in 2005. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank announced that
  they would provide US $1 billion each in aid to help Pakistan
  rebuild areas hit by the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. Foreign
  exchange reserves continued to reach new levels in 2005, supported
  by steady worker remittances. In the near term, growth probably
  cannot be sustained at the 7% level; however, massive international
  aid, increased government spending, lower taxes, and pay increases
  for government workers will help Pakistan maintain strong GDP growth
  over the longer term.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 21.6%
  industry: 25.1%
  services: 53.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  46.84 million
  note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use
  of child labor (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 42%
  industry: 20%
  services: 38% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 27.6% (FY96/97)

Budget:
  revenues: $15.45 billion
  expenditures: $20.07 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef,
mutton, eggs

Industries:
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals,
construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 68.8% hydro: 28.2% nuclear: 3% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather
goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs

Exports - partners:
US 22.5%, UAE 8.9%, UK 5.8%, China 5.4%, Germany 4.6% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation
equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea

Imports - partners:
China 13.8%, Saudi Arabia 10.3%, UAE 8.8%, Japan 6.1%, US 5%,
Kuwait 5%, Germany 4.8% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 59.515 (2005), 58.258 (2004),
57.752 (2003), 59.724 (2002), 61.927 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving;
  service is adequate for government and business use, in part because
  major businesses have established their own private systems; since
  1988, the government has promoted investment in the national
  telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly
  increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and
  urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily
  available to the majority of the rural population
  domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
  cellular, and satellite networks
  international: country code - 92; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational
  international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);
  microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 91 over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 48 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 8,163 km
  broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 255,856 km
  paved: 157,975 km (including 367 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 97,881 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 397,740 GRT/657,656 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, container 1, petroleum tanker 4
  registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 2, North Korea 3, Malta
  1, Nigeria 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Army (includes National Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Pakistan
Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18; the Pakistani Air Force has inducted its first female combat pilot (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 39,028,014
females age 16-49: 36,779,584 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 29,428,747
females age 16-49: 28,391,887 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,969,055
females age 16-49: 1,849,254 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have
  begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the
  October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains
  the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial
  dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China
  (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir
  and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and
  Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers
  since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic
  Kashmir lands to China in 1964; in 2004, India and Pakistan
  instituted a cease-fire in the Kashmir, and in 2005 restored bus
  service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has
  taken its dispute on the impact of India's building the Baglihar Dam
  on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for
  arbitration and in general the two states still dispute Indus River
  water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare discussions on a
  maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion
  of the disputed the Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of
  Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's
  Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, had
  repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees and had undertaken a census
  to count the remaining million or more, many of whom remain at their
  own choosing; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to
  control the border with Afghanistan and stem organized terrorist or
  other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings with Afghan
  and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary
  encroachments

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 960,041 (Afghanistan)
  IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South
  Waziristan); 3 million (October 2005 earthquake) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  opium poppy cultivation declined 58% to 3,147 hectares in 2005;
  federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy
  campaigns that force eradication - fines and arrests will take place
  if the ban on poppy cultivation is not observed; key transit point
  for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish,
  bound for Western markets, the Gulf States, and Africa; financial
  crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and
  smuggling remain problems

Background:
  After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the
  Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the
  Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the
  Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with
  the US was approved in 1986, but not ratified until 1993. It entered
  into force the following year, when the islands gained independence.

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of
the Philippines

Terrain:
  varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
  Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
  reefs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m

Natural resources:
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed
minerals

Environment - current issues:
  inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the
  marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing
  practices, and overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six
  island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II
  battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.3% (male 2,789/female 2,622)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 7,664/female 6,549)
  65 years and over: 4.6% (male 453/female 502) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 31.7 years
  male: 32.7 years
  female: 30.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.46 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.42 years
  male: 67.26 years
  female: 73.77 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9%,
  Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%,
  Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%
  (2000 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous
  to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%,
  Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other religion 3.1%, unspecified or none
  16.4% (2000 census)

Languages:
  Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese
  and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and
  Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%,
  English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other
  Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92%
  male: 93%
  female: 90% (1980 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Palau
  conventional short form: Palau
  local long form: Beluu er a Belau
  local short form: Belau
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District

Government type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994

Capital:
  name: Melekeok
  geographic coordinates: 7 29 N, 134 38 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror,
  Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar,
  Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol

Legal system:
based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal,
common, and customary laws

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19
  January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19
  January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. reelected president;
  percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. 64%, Polycarp BASILIUS
  33%; Elias Camsek CHIN elected vice president; percent of vote -
  Elias Camsek CHIN 70%, Sandra PIERANTOZZI 29%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the
  Senate (9 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population
  basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
  November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next
  to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA%; seats -
  independents 9 (four new members elected); House of Delegates -
  percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 16 (one new member
  elected)

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC,
IPU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
  chancery: 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
  20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
  FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281
  consulate(s) general: Honolulu
  consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: US ambassador to the Philippines is accredited to
  Palau
  embassy: Koror (no street address)
  mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940
  telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
  FAX: [680] 488-2911

Flag description:
light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted
slightly to the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture,
  and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force,
  relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. Business and
  tourist arrivals numbered 63,000 in 2003. The population enjoys a
  per capita income twice that of the Philippines and much of
  Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist sector have been
  greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the
  rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries, and the
  willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$124.5 million; note - includes US subsidy (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% 6.2% industry: NA% 12% services: NA% 81.8%

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: NA% services: NA% (1990)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $72.07 million
  expenditures: $72.43 million; including capital expenditures of
  $12.98 million (FY98/99 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish

Industries:
tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction,
garment making

Economic aid - recipient:
  $19.6 million; note - the Compact of Free Association with the US,
  entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994,
  provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in
  return for furnishing military facilities

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 142 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free
  Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted
  access to the islands for 50 years, but it has not stationed any
  military forces there (2005)

Disputes - international: border delineation disputes being negotiated with Philippines, Indonesia

Background:
  Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama
  broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Venezuela,
  and Ecuador - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter
  dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US
  backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a
  treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US
  sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure
  (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army
  Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was
  signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama
  by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and
  increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the
  subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was
  deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the
  Canal, and remaining US military bases were transfered to Panama by
  the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious
  plan to expand the Canal. The project, which is to begin in 2007 and
  could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in
  2014-15.

Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Land boundaries: total: 555 km border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May
to January), short dry season (January to May)

Terrain:
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m

Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
  strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge
  connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links
  North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.3% (male 492,403/female 472,996)
  15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,025,898/female 998,926)
  65 years and over: 6.3% (male 94,122/female 106,974) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.1 years
  male: 25.8 years
  female: 26.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 16.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.75 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.22 years
  male: 72.68 years
  female: 77.87 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed
(West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.6%
  male: 93.2%
  female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Panama
  conventional short form: Panama
  local long form: Republica de Panama
  local short form: Panama

Capital:
  name: Panama
  geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory*
  (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera,
  Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*(Kuna Yala), and Veraguas

Independence:
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28
November 1821)

Legal system:
  based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in
  the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
  with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1 September
  2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1 September
  2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since 1
  September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1
  September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1
  September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since
  1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for two more terms);
  election last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009); note -
  beginning in 2009, Panama will have only one vice president.
  election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president; percent
  of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany
  30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%
  note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party),
  PP (Popular Party)

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (formerly called Legislative Assembly)
  or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by popular vote
  to serve five-year terms); note - in 2009, the number of seats will
  change to 71
  elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  PRD 40, PA 17, PS 8, MOLIRENA 3, CD 2, PP 2, PLN 1, other 5
  note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a
  plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and
  cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based
  formula

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges
  appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of
  appeal

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic
  Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hugo GUIRAUD]; National Liberal Party or
  PLN [Anibal GALINDO]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or
  MOLIRENA [Jesus ROSAS]; Panamenista Party or PA (formerly the
  Arnulfista Party) [Marco AMEGLIO]; Popular Party or PP (formerly
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ricardo ARIAS Calderon];
  Solidarity Party or PS [Jose Raul MULINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of
  Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise
  or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers
  (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE;
  Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of
  the Republic of Panama or CTRP

International organization participation:
  CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM,
  OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Federico HUMBERT Arias
  chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New
  York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador William A. EATON
  embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 0816-02561,
  Zona 5, Panama City 5
  mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002
  telephone: [507] 207-7000
  FAX: [507] 227-1964

Flag description:
  divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white
  (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain
  red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with
  a red five-pointed star in the center

Economy - overview:
  Panama's dollarised economy rests primarily on a well-developed
  services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services
  include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone,
  insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump
  in the Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global
  slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back
  economic growth in 2000-03; growth picked up in 2004 and 2005 led by
  export-oriented services and a construction boom stimulated by tax
  incentives. The government has implemented tax reforms, as well as
  social security reforms, and backs regional trade agreements and
  development of tourism. Unemployment remains high.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 6.8%
  industry: 15.6%
  services: 77.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  1.39 million
  note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled
  labor (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 20.8%
  industry: 18%
  services: 61.2% (1995 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 35.7% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.426 billion
  expenditures: $3.959 billion; including capital expenditures of $471
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock;
shrimp

Industries:
construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials,
sugar milling

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 37% hydro: 61.3% nuclear: 0% other: 1.7% (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 44.9%, Spain 8.9%, Sweden 5.6%, Netherlands 4.9%, Costa Rica 4%
(2005)

Imports - partners:
US 27.5%, Netherlands Antilles 11.4%, Costa Rica 4.7%, Japan 4.5%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
balboas per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1
(2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: domestic and international facilities well
  developed
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
  the Central American Microwave System

Airports - with paved runways: total: 53 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 28 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 64 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 355 km
  standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 278 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 5,473 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,511,342 GRT/219,940,567
  DWT
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 1,776, cargo 992, chemical
  tanker 476, combination ore/oil 2, container 663, liquefied gas 193,
  livestock carrier 7, passenger 49, passenger/cargo 77, petroleum
  tanker 518, refrigerated cargo 299, roll on/roll off 123,
  specialized tanker 23, vehicle carrier 274
  foreign-owned: 4,922 (Anguilla 1, Argentina 9, Australia 3, Bahamas,
  The 2, Belgium 11, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 1, Canada 4, Chile 9, China
  420, Colombia 5, Croatia 5, Cuba 11, Cyprus 14, Denmark 34, Egypt
  16, Estonia 3, France 15, Gabon 1, Germany 35, Greece 524, Hong Kong
  169, India 19, Indonesia 50, Iran 4, Ireland 2, Israel 6, Italy 15,
  Japan 2007, Jordan 13, South Korea ( ( (291, Kuwait 2, Latvia 3,
  Lebanon 2, Lithuania 5, Malaysia 13, Maldives 1, Malta 3, Mexico 5,
  Monaco 9, Morocco 1, Netherlands 21, Nigeria 7, Norway 66, Pakistan
  3, Peru 15, Philippines 13, Poland 15, Portugal 10, Qatar 1, Romania
  9, Russia 7, Saudi Arabia 8, Singapore 67, South Africa 3, Spain 53,
  Sri Lanka 5, Sudan 1, Sweden 5, Switzerland 226, Syria 18, Taiwan
  308, Thailand 9, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 42, UAE 105, UK 37,
  Ukraine 8, US 94, Venezuela 14, Vietnam 4, Yemen 3)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Venezuela 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed forces, but
  there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes
  the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service, and
  National Air Service)

Military - note:
  on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA
  abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by
  creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's
  Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting
  the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the
  temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of
  "external aggression"

Disputes - international: organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the border region with Panama

Illicit drugs:
  major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering
  center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is
  especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center;
  negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial
  transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major
  problem

Background:
  The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in
  the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south)
  in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which
  occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to
  administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A
  nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in
  1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.

Location:
  Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island
  of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean,
  east of Indonesia

Maritime claims:
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon
(May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

Natural hazards:
  active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire"; the
  country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud
  slides; tsunamis

Environment - current issues:
  rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing
  commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining
  projects; severe drought

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
  Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest
swamps along southwest coast

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37.8% (male 1,090,879/female 1,054,743)
  15-64 years: 58.3% (male 1,703,204/female 1,601,224)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 103,054/female 117,440) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.2 years
  male: 21.4 years
  female: 21.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 49.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 45.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.28 years
  male: 63.08 years
  female: 67.58 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London
  Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%,
  Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%, indigenous beliefs
  34%

Languages:
  Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by
  1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region
  note: 820 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the world's
  total)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 64.6%
  male: 71.1%
  female: 57.7% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
  conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
  local short form: Papuaniugini
  former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea
  abbreviation: PNG

Capital:
  name: Port Moresby
  geographic coordinates: 9 30 S, 147 10 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  20 provinces; Bougainville, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands,
  East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay,
  Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, Sandaun, Southern
  Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain

Independence:
16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by governor general Sir Paulius MATANE (since 29 June
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since 2
  August 2002); deputy prime minister Don Polye (since 5 July 2006)
  cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor
  general on the recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the National Executive Council; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the
  governor general

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Parliament - sometimes referred to as the House
  of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open electorates and 20 from
  provincial electorates; members elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 15-29 June 2002 and April and May 2003;
  completed in May 2003 (voting in the Southern Highlands was not
  completed during the June 2002 election period); next to be held not
  later than June 2007
  election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance 18%,
  URP 13%, PDM 12%, PPP 8%, Pangu 6%, PAP 5%, PLP 4%, others 34%;
  seats by party - National Alliance 19, URP 14, PDM 13, PPP 8, PANGU
  6, PAP 5, PLP 4, others 40; as of January 2006 - National Alliance
  25, URP 10, PNGP 9, PPP 9, PANGU 6, PAP 12, PLP 4, others 34
  note: association with political parties is fluid (2005)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor
  general on the proposal of the National Executive Council after
  consultation with the minister responsible for justice; other judges
  are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Party [Dr. Banare BUN]; Melanesian Alliance
  Party or MAP [Sir Moi AVEL]; National Alliance Party or NA [Michael
  SOMARE]; National Party [Melcher PEP]; Papua and Niugini Union Party
  or PANGU [Rabbie NAMALIU]; Papua New Guinea First Party [Cecilking
  DORUBA]; Papua New Guinea Labor Party [Bob DANAYA]; Papua New Guinea
  Party or PNGP (was People's Democratic Movement or PDM) [Sir Mekere
  MORAUTA]; People's Action Party or PAP [Moses MALADINA]; People's
  Labor Party or PLP [Ekis ROPENU]; People's National Congress or PNC
  [Peter O'NEILL]; People's Progress Party or PPP [Byron CHAN]; Pipol
  First Party [Luther WENGE]; United Party [Bire KIMASOPA]; United
  Resources Party or URP [Tim NEVILLE] (2005)

International organization participation:
  ACP, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
  NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Evan Jeremy PAKI
  chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC
  20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. FITTS embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby PI, US Department of State, Washington DC 20521-4240 telephone: [675] 321-1455 FAX: [675] 321-3423

Flag description:
  divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle
  is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower
  triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the
  Southern Cross constellation centered

Economy - overview:
  Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but
  exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain and the high cost
  of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence
  livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits, including
  oil, copper, and gold, account for nearly two-thirds of export
  earnings. The economy has improved over the past three years because
  of high commodity prices following a prolonged period of
  instability. The government of Prime Minister SOMARE has expended
  much of its energy remaining in power and should be the first
  government in decades to serve a full five-year term. The government
  has also brought stability to the national budget thus far, largely
  through expenditure control. Numerous challenges still face the
  government including regaining investor confidence, restoring
  integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by
  privatizing moribund state institutions, and balancing relations
  with Australia, the former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural
  challenges include the HIV/Aids epidemic, law and order, and land
  tenure issues. Australia annually supplies $240 million in aid,
  which accounts for nearly 20% of the national budget.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.3% industry: 38.1% services: 26.6% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 40.5% (1996)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.368 billion
  expenditures: $1.354 billion; including capital expenditures of $344
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernels, tea, sugar, rubber, sweet
potatoes, fruit, vegetables, vanilla; shell fish, poultry, pork

Industries:
  copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip
  production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil
  production, petroleum refining; construction, tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 54.1% hydro: 45.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish,
prawns

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Australia 54.6%, Singapore 13.4%, Japan 4.3%, Malaysia 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
kina per US dollar - 3.08 (2005), 3.2225 (2004), 3.5635 (2003),
3.8952 (2002), 3.3887 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: services are adequate; facilities provide
  radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and
  international radio communication services
  domestic: mostly radiotelephone
  international: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and
  Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
  international radio communication service

Television broadcast stations: 3 (all in the Port Moresby area) note: additional stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are planned (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 561 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 62 under 914 m: 488 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,532 GRT/72,240 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 18, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum
  tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 6 (UK 6) (2006)

Military branches:
Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Maritime Operations
Element, Air Operations Element)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,264,728
females age 18-49: 1,167,188 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 902,432
females age 18-49: 894,759 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal
  cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods
  smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and
  secessionists

Background:
  The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds
  and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina
  annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island;
  maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has
  occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a
  South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands
  are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South
  China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the
  northern Philippines

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

Geography - note:
composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the
northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands

Economy - overview:
China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.

Ports and terminals:
small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island
being expanded

Background:
  In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay
  lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It
  stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War
  of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from
  Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER was
  overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political
  infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential
  elections have been held since then.

Land boundaries: total: 3,920 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km

Climate:
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern
portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Terrain:
  grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco
  region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river,
  and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m
highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m

Natural hazards:
local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly
drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal
pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands

Geography - note:
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population
concentrated in southern part of country

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37.7% (male 1,245,149/female 1,204,970)
  15-64 years: 57.5% (male 1,878,761/female 1,862,266)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 145,899/female 169,419) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.3 years
  male: 21.1 years
  female: 21.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 24.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 29.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 19.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.1 years
  male: 72.56 years
  female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94%
  male: 94.9%
  female: 93% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
  conventional short form: Paraguay
  local long form: Republica del Paraguay
  local short form: Paraguay

Capital:
  name: Asuncion
  geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1
  capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*,
  Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion,
  Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari,
  Presidente Hayes, San Pedro

Legal system:
  based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial
  review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August
  2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August
  2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 27
  April 2003 (next to be held April 2008)
  election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent
  of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO
  Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo
  SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators
  or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara
  de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be
  held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003
  (next to be held April 2008)
  election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;
  Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
  - ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2
  note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation has led to
  the composition of the legislature as follows: Chamber of Senators -
  seats by party - ANR 18, PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;
  Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8, PQ
  10, PPS 2

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges
  appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo
  de la Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders:
  Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Herminio
  CACERES, interim president]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos
  Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana, acting chairman]; Patria
  Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL
  Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis TORALES Kennedy];
  Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais
  Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]
  note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of the Colorado
  Party or ANR while serving as President of Paraguay; Lino Cesar
  OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is currently serving a ten-year
  prison term

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of
  Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation
  of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or
  CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers
  Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central
  or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]

International organization participation:
  CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador James SPALDING Hellmers
  chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
  consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  Ambassador James C. CASON
  embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion
  mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
  telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
  FAX: [595] (21) 213-728

Flag description:
  three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an
  emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem
  is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left)
  bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a
  green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within
  two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal
  of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the
  words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words
  REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)

Economy - overview:
  Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal
  sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer
  goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of
  thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of
  the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures
  are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population
  derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a
  subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3%
  annually in 1995-97, but averaged near-zero growth in 1998-2001 and
  contracted by 2.3 percent in 2002, in response to regional contagion
  and an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease. On a per capita basis,
  real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute
  Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty,
  corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial
  internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure. Aided by a
  firmer exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the
  economic policy of the DUARTE FRUTOS administration, the economy
  rebounded between 2003 and 2005, posting modest growth each year.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22.4% industry: 20.7% services: 56.9% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.8% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.334 billion
  expenditures: $1.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $700
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava
(tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber

Industries:
sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel,
metallurgic, electric power

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0.1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood,
leather

Exports - partners:
Uruguay 26.7%, Brazil 15.2%, Argentina 4.8%, Chile 4.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products,
electrical machinery

Exchange rates:
guarani per US dollar - 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3
(2003), 5,716.3 (2002), 4,105.9 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching
  center is in Asuncion
  domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 12
  over 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 869
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
  914 to 1,523 m: 325
  under 914 m: 518 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,749 GRT/39,280 DWT
  by type: cargo 15, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo
  1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 3 (Argentina 3)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Ecuador 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation,
  Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
  Paraguay, FAP) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
  conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for
  Navy (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,345,022
females age 18-49: 1,342,725 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,109,166
females age 18-49: 1,135,046 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 63,058
females age 18-49: 62,217 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is
  consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for
  Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and
  Europe; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in
  the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement

Background:
  Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean
  civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was
  captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence
  was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824.
  After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic
  leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth
  of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in
  1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the
  economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity.
  Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian
  measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting
  dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his ouster in 2000. A
  caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001,
  which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government -
  the first democratically elected president of Quechua ethnicity. The
  presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA who,
  after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, returned
  to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions.

Location:
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between
Chile and Ecuador

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,536 km
  border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km,
  Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km

Climate:
varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to
frigid in Andes

Terrain:
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center
(sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m

Natural resources:
copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal,
phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

Natural hazards:
earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake,
  with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the
  ultimate source of the Amazon River

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.9% (male 4,456,195/female 4,300,233)
  15-64 years: 63.7% (male 9,078,123/female 8,961,981)
  65 years and over: 5.3% (male 709,763/female 796,308) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 25.3 years
  male: 25 years
  female: 25.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.84 years
  male: 68.05 years
  female: 71.71 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white
15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian
0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)

Languages:
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number
of minor Amazonian languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.7%
  male: 93.5%
  female: 82.1% (2004 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Peru
  conventional short form: Peru
  local long form: Republica del Peru
  local short form: Peru

Capital:
  name: Lima
  geographic coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Administrative divisions:
  25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province*
  (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho,
  Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La
  Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua,
  Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; note
- members of the military and national police may not vote

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006);
  First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice President
  Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006); note - the president
  is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July
  2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice
  President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)
  note: Prime Minister Jorge DEL CASTILLO Galvez (since 28 August
  2006) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands
  of the president
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); presidential and congressional
  elections held 9 April 2006, with runoff election held 4 June 2006;
  next to be held April 2011
  election results: Alan GARCIA elected president in runoff election;
  percent of vote - Alan GARCIA 52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la
  Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote
  to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 April 2006 (next to be held April 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%, PAP 20.6%,
  UN 15.3%, AF 13.1%, FC 7.1%, PP 4.1%, RN 4.0%; seats by party - UPP
  45, PAP 36, UN 17, AF 13, FC 5, PP 2, RN 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are
appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance For Progress (Alianza Para El Progreso) [Cesar ACUNA
  Peralta]; Alliance For The Future (Alianza Por El Futuro) or AF - a
  coalition of pro-FUJIMORI parties including Cambio 90, Nueva
  Mayoria, and Si Cumple [Martha CHAVEZ Cossio]; Centrist Front
  (Frente Del Centro) or FC - a coalition of Accion Popular, Somos
  Peru, and Coordinadora Nacional de Independientes [Valentin PANIAGUA
  Corazoa]; Independent Moralizing Front (Frente Independiente
  Moralizador) or FIM [Fernando OLIVERA Vega]; Nationalist Party
  Uniting Peru (Partido Nacionalista Uniendo al Peru) or UPP - a
  coalition of Union for Peru (UPP) and Peruvian Nationalist Party
  (PNP) [Ollanta HUMALA Tasso]; National Restoration (Restauracion
  Nacional) or RN [Humberto LAY Sun]; National Unity (Unidad Nacional)
  or UN [Lourdes FLORES Nano]; Peru Possible (Peru Posible) or PP
  [David WAISMAN]; Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or
  PAP - also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular
  Revolucionaria Americana or APRA [Alan GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael GUZMAN
  Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top leader at-large)]; Tupac
  Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned),
  Hugo AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)]

International organization participation:
  APEC, CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA,
  Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Felipe ORTIZ de Zevallos
  chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
  FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Hartford, Houston,
  Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco,
  Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador J. Curtis STRUBLE
  embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima 33
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima),
  APO AA 34031-5000
  telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000
  FAX: [51] (1) 618-2397

Flag description:
  three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red
  with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms
  features a shield bearing a vicuna, cinchona tree (the source of
  quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all
  framed by a green wreath

Economy - overview:
  Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal
  region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering
  Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the
  mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent
  fishing grounds. However, overdependence on minerals and metals
  subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of
  infrastructure deters trade and investment. After several years of
  inconsistent economic performance, the Peruvian economy grew by more
  than 4 percent per year during the period 2002-2005, with a stable
  exchange rate and low inflation. Risk premiums on Peruvian bonds on
  secondary markets reached historically low levels in late 2004,
  reflecting investor optimism regarding the government's prudent
  fiscal policies and openness to trade and investment. Despite the
  strong macroeconomic performance, the TOLEDO administration remained
  unpopular in 2005, and unemployment and poverty have stayed
  persistently high. Economic growth will be driven by the Camisea
  natural gas megaproject and by exports of minerals, textiles, and
  agricultural products. Peru is expected to sign a free-trade
  agreement with the United States in early 2006.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8% industry: 27% services: 65% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7.6% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $21.87 billion
  expenditures: $22.47 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8
  billion for general government, but excluding private enterprises
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes,
oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication;
  petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish
  processing, textiles, clothing, food processing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 14.5% hydro: 84.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0.8% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee

Exports - partners:
US 31.1%, China 10.8%, Chile 6.6%, Canada 5.9%, Switzerland 4.6%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles,
iron and steel, wheat, paper

Imports - partners:
US 18.2%, China 8.5%, Brazil 8%, Ecuador 7.4%, Colombia 6.1%,
Argentina 5.1%, Chile 5.1%, Venezuela 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
nuevo sol per US dollar - 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004), 3.4785
(2003), 3.5165 (2002), 3.5068 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate for most requirements
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic
  satellite system with 12 earth stations
  international: country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable

Airports - with paved runways: total: 54 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 214 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 63 under 914 m: 124 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 983 km; gas/lpg 61 km; liquid natural gas 106 km; liquid
petroleum gas 517 km; oil 1,754 km; refined products 13 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 3,462 km
  standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 78,672 km
  paved: 10,314 km (including 276 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 68,358 km (2003)

Waterways:
  8,808 km
  note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km
  of Lago Titicaca (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 38,954 GRT/62,255 DWT
  by type: cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Panama 15) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
  Callao, Iquitos, Matarani, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note - Iquitos,
  Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are on the upper reaches of the Amazon and
  its tributaries

Military branches:
  Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra
  del Peru; includes naval air, naval infantry, and coast guard),
  Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (1999)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,647,874
females age 18-49: 6,544,408 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,938,417
females age 18-49: 5,278,511 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 277,105
females age 18-49: 269,799 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral law to
  shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundary along
  the parallel of latitude to an equidistance line which favors Peru;
  organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have penetrated
  Peru's shared border; Peru does not support Bolivia's claim to
  restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor through Chile
  along the Peruvian border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous
peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Peru is primarily a source country for women and
  children trafficked internally for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and forced domestic labor; most victims are girls and
  young women moved internally from rural to urban areas, or from city
  to city, and lured or coerced into prostitution in nightclubs, bars,
  and brothels; Peruvians have also been trafficked for sexual
  exploitation to Spain, Japan, the United States, and Venezuela; the
  government acknowledges that sex tourism occurs, particularly in the
  Amazon region of the country
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Peru is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate
  trafficking in 2005

Illicit drugs:
  until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer; cultivation of
  coca in Peru fell 15% to 31,150 hectares between 2002 and the end of
  2003; much of the cocaine base is shipped to neighboring Colombia
  for processing into cocaine, while finished cocaine is shipped out
  from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing
  amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to
  Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipped to
  Europe and Africa

Background:
  The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th
  century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the
  Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a
  self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected President and
  was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a
  10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese
  occupation during WWII, and US forces and Filipinos fought together
  during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Philippines
  attained their independence. The 20-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS
  ended in 1986, when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into
  exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was
  hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a return to full
  political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was
  elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by
  greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US
  closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was
  elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president,
  Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy
  impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and widespread
  demonstrations led to his ouster. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a
  six-year term in May 2004. The Philippine Government faces threats
  from armed communist insurgencies and from Muslim separatists in the
  south.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the
South China Sea, east of Vietnam

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from
  coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also
  claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in
  breadth
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest
monsoon (May to October)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m

Natural resources: timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

Natural hazards:
  astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to
  six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes;
  destructive earthquakes; tsunamis

Environment - current issues: uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
  the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably
  located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies:
  the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and
  Luzon Strait

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 35% (male 15,961,365/female 15,340,065)
  15-64 years: 61% (male 27,173,919/female 27,362,736)
  65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,576,089/female 2,054,503) (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 22.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 19.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.21 years
  male: 67.32 years
  female: 73.24 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%,
  Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000
  census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 80.9%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%,
  Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 5%, other 1.8%,
  unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

Languages:
  two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English;
  eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or
  Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.6%
  male: 92.5%
  female: 92.7% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of the Philippines
  conventional short form: Philippines
  local long form: Republika ng Pilipinas
  local short form: Pilipinas

Capital:
  name: Manila
  geographic coordinates: 14 35 N, 121 00 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  79 provinces and 117 chartered cities
  provinces: Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay,
  Antique, Apayao, Aurora, Basilan, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas,
  Biliran, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines
  Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cebu,
  Compostela, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Eastern
  Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela,
  Kalinga, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, La Union, Leyte,
  Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro
  Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain Province,
  Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar,
  Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon,
  Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South
  Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte,
  Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Tawi-Tawi, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte,
  Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay
  chartered cities: Alaminos, Angeles, Antipolo, Bacolod, Bago,
  Baguio, Bais, Balanga, Batangas, Bayawan, Bislig, Butuan,
  Cabanatuan, Cadiz, Cagayan de Oro, Calamba, Calapan, Calbayog,
  Candon, Canlaon, Cauayan, Cavite, Cebu, Cotabato, Dagupan, Danao,
  Dapitan, Davao, Digos, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Escalante, Gapan, General
  Santos, Gingoog, Himamaylan, Iligan, Iloilo, Isabela, Iriga,
  Kabankalan, Kalookan, Kidapawan, Koronadal, La Carlota, Laoag,
  Lapu-Lapu, Las Pinas, Legazpi, Ligao, Lipa, Lucena, Maasin, Makati,
  Malabon, Malaybalay, Malolos, Mandaluyong, Mandaue, Manila, Marawi,
  Markina, Masbate, Muntinlupa, Munoz, Naga, Olongapo, Ormoc,
  Oroquieta, Ozamis, Pagadian, Palayan, Panabo, Paranaque, Pasay,
  Pasig, Passi, Puerto Princesa, Quezon, Roxas, Sagay, Samal, San
  Carlos (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos (in Pangasinan), San
  Fernando (in La Union), San Fernando (in Pampanga), San Jose, San
  Jose del Monte, San Pablo, Santa Rosa, Santiago, Silay, Sipalay,
  Sorsogon, Surigao, Tabaco, Tacloban, Tacurong, Tagaytay, Tagbilaran,
  Taguig, Tagum, Talisay (in Cebu), Talisay (in Negros Oriental),
  Tanauan, Tangub, Tanjay, Tarlac, Toledo, Tuguegarao, Trece Martires,
  Urdaneta, Valencia, Valenzuela, Victorias, Vigan, Zamboanga

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898 was date of
  declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was date of
  independence from US

Legal system:
based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January
  2001); note - president is both chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20
  January 2001); note - president is both chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of
  Commission of Appointments
  elections: president and vice president (Manuel "Noli" DE CASTRO)
  elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year
  term; election last held 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2010)
  election results: results of the election - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
  elected president; percent of vote - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 40%,
  Fernando POE 37%, three others 23%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24
  seats - one-half elected every three years; members elected at large
  by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (212 members
  representing districts plus 24 sectoral party-list members; members
  elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - the
  Constitution prohibits the House of Representatives from having more
  than 250 members)
  elections: Senate - last held 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May
  2007); House of Representatives - elections last held 10 May 2004
  (next to be held in May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - Lakas 30%, LP
  13%, KNP 13%, independents 17%, others 27%; seats by party - Lakas
  7, LP 3, KNP (coalition) 3, independents 4, others 6; note - there
  are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators because one senator was
  elected vice president; House of Representatives - percent of vote
  by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas 93, NPC 53, LP 34, LDP 11,
  others 20; party-listers 24 (2004)

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until 70
  years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for
  hearing corruption cases of government officials)

Political parties and leaders:
  Kabalikat Ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) [Ronaldo PUNO]; Laban Ng
  Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP
  [Edgardo ANGARA]; Lakas Ng Edsa (National Union of Christian
  Democrats) or Lakas [Jose DE VENECIA]; Liberal Party or LP [Franklin
  DRILON/Eli QUINTO]; Nacionalista [Manuel VILLAR]; National People's
  Coalition or NPC [Frisco SAN JUAN]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL];
  People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]; PROMDI [Emilio
  OSMENA]; Pwersa Ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Philippine Masses)
  or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]; Reporma [Renato DE VILLA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  AKBAYAN [Reps. Etta ROSALES, Mario AGUJA, and Risa
  HONTIVEROS-BARAQUIEL]; ALAGAD [Rep. Rodante MARROLITA]; ALIF [Rep.
  Acmad TOMAWIS]; An Waray [Rep. Horencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv
  HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Reps. Crispin BELTRAN and Rafael MARIANO]; APEC
  [Reps. Ernesto PABLO, Edgar VALDEZ]; Association of Philippine
  Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Reps. Edgar VALDEZ, Ernesto PABLO, and
  Sunny Rose MADAMBA]; AVE [Rep. Eulogio MAGSAYSAY]; Bayan Muna [Reps.
  Satur OCAMPO, Joel VIRADOR, and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; BUHAY [Reps.
  Rene VELARDE and Hans Christian SENERES]; BUTIL [Rep. Benjamin
  CRUZ]; CIBAC [Rep. Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Rep.
  Guillermo CUA]; GABRIELA [Rep. Liza MAZA]; Partido Ng Manggagawa
  [Rep. Renato MAGTUBO]; Veterans Federation of the Philippines [Rep.
  Ernesto GIDAYA] (2006)

International organization participation:
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PIF (partner), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Willy C. GAA
  chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 467-9300
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San
  Francisco, San Jose (Northern Mariana Islands), Tamuning (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 1000, Manila mailing address: PSC 500, FPO AP 96515-1000 telephone: [63] (2) 528-6300 FAX: [63] (2) 522-4361

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of blue (top; representing peace and
  justice) and red (representing courage); a white equilateral
  triangle based on the hoist side represents equality; the center of
  the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays, each
  representing one of the first eight provinces that sought
  independence from Spain; each corner of the triangle contains a
  small, yellow, five-pointed star representing the three major
  geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao;
  the design of the flag dates to 1897; in wartime the flag is flown
  upside down with the red band at the top

Economy - overview:
  The Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian financial
  crisis of 1998 than its neighbors, aided in part by its high level
  of annual remittances from overseas workers, and no sustained runup
  in asset prices or foreign borrowing prior to the crisis. From a
  0.6% decline in 1998, GDP expanded by 2.4% in 1999, and 4.4% in
  2000, but slowed to 3.2% in 2001 in the context of a global economic
  slowdown, an export slump, and political and security concerns. GDP
  growth accelerated to about 5% between 2002 and 2005 reflecting the
  continued resilience of the service sector, and improved exports and
  agricultural output. Nonetheless, it will take a higher, sustained
  growth path to make appreciable progress in the alleviation of
  poverty given the Philippines' high annual population growth rate
  and unequal distribution of income. The Philippines also faces
  higher oil prices, higher interest rates on its dollar borrowings,
  and higher inflation. Fiscal constraints limit Manila's ability to
  finance infrastructure and social spending. The Philippines'
  consistently large budget deficit has produced a high debt level,
  and this situation has forced Manila to spend a large portion of the
  national government budget on debt service. Large unprofitable
  public enterprises, especially in the energy sector, contribute to
  the government's debt because of slow progress on privatization.
  Credit rating agencies have at times expressed concern about the
  Philippines' ability to service the debt, though central bank
  reserves appear adequate and large remittance inflows appear stable.
  The implementation of the expanded Value Added Tax (VAT) in November
  2005 boosted confidence in the government's fiscal capacity and
  helped to strengthen the peso, which gained 5.7 percent
  year-on-year, making it East Asia's best performing currency in
  2005. Investors and credit rating institutions will continue to look
  for effective implementation of the new VAT and continued
  improvement in the government's overall fiscal capacity in the
  coming year.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.4% industry: 32.6% services: 53% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 36% industry: 16% services: 48% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.9% (2003)

Budget:
  revenues: $12.38 billion
  expenditures: $15.77 billion; including capital expenditures of NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples,
mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

Industries:
  electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals,
  chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining,
  fishing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 55.6% hydro: 17.5% nuclear: 0% other: 26.9% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment, garments,
  optical instruments, coconut products, fruits and nuts, copper
  products, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 18%, Japan 17.5%, China 9.9%, Netherlands 9.8%, Hong Kong 8.1%,
Singapore 6.6%, Malaysia 6%, Taiwan 4.6% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, fuels, vehicles and vehicle
parts, plastic, chemicals, grains

Imports - partners:
US 19.2%, Japan 17%, Singapore 7.9%, Taiwan 7.5%, China 6.3%, South
Korea 4.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Philippine pesos per US dollar - 55.086 (2005), 56.04 (2004),
54.203 (2003), 51.604 (2002), 50.993 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good international radiotelephone and submarine
  cable services; domestic and inter-island service adequate
  domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
  international: country code - 63; 9 international gateways;
  satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific
  Ocean); submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and
  Japan

Radio broadcast stations: AM 369, FM 583, shortwave 5 note: each shortwave station operates on multiple frequencies in the language of the target audience (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 83 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 36 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 173 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 69 under 914 m: 99 (2006)

Railways: total: 897 km narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 403 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,661,285 GRT/6,426,183 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 82, cargo 115, chemical tanker 13, container
  6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 17, passenger 9,
  passenger/cargo 73, petroleum tanker 42, refrigerated cargo 15, roll
  on/roll off 13, vehicle carrier 13
  foreign-owned: 66 (Greece 5, Hong Kong 3, Japan 26, Malaysia 1,
  Netherlands 19, Norway 3, UAE 1, US 8)
  registered in other countries: 41 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Cambodia
  1, Cayman Islands 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 16, Indonesia 1,
  Panama 13, Singapore 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iligan, Iloilo, Manila, Surigao

Military branches:
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine
Corps), Philippine Air Force (Hukbomg Himpapawid ng Pilipinas) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 20,131,179
females age 18-49: 20,009,526 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,170,096
females age 18-49: 16,931,191 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 907,542
females age 18-49: 878,712 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Philippines claims sovereignty over certain of the Spratly Islands,
  known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by
  China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002 "Declaration on the
  Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in
  the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of
  conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the
  national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed
  a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly
  Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah
  State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting
  the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty
  claim on his behalf

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 150,000 (fighting between government troops and MILF and Abu
Sayyaf groups) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in
recent years; longstanding marijuana producer

Background:
  Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled
  in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
  Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in
  1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South
  Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the
  population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.

Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between
Peru and New Zealand

Climate:
tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy
season (November to March)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m

Natural resources:
  miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
  note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
  discovered offshore

Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains
because of burning and clearing for settlement)

Geography - note:
  Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger island of
  Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies
  must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed
  offshore

Languages:
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English
dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Country name:
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands

Capital:
  name: Adamstown
  geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W
  time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution:
30 November 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940;
further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor
  (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands George FERGUSSON (since April
  2006); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since September
  2003) serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council
  head of government: Governor George FERGUSSON (since April 2006);
  Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since 15
  December 2004)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner
  appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a
  three-year term; election last held December 2004 (next to be held
  December 2007)
  election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the
  Island Council

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 5 elected by popular vote, 1
  nominated by the 5 elected members, 2 appointed by the governor
  including 1 seat for the Island Secretary, the Island Mayor, and a
  commissioner liaising between the governor and council; elected
  members serve one-year terms)
  elections: last held in 24 December 2005 (next to be held December
  2006)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch:
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial
Officers are appointed by the Governor

Flag description:
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the
  flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a
  shield featuring a yellow anchor

Economy - overview:
  The inhabitants of this tiny isolated economy exist on fishing,
  subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps. The fertile
  soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and
  vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams,
  and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major
  sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and
  the sale of handicrafts to passing ships. In October 2004, more than
  one-quarter of Pitcairn's small labor force was arrested, putting
  the economy in a bind, since their services were required as lighter
  crew to load or unload passing ships.

Labor force - by occupation:
note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works;
subsistence farming and fishing

Budget:
  revenues: $746,000
  expenditures: $1.028 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY04/05)

Agriculture - products:
honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens

Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered
generator

Imports - commodities: fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Telephones - main lines in use:
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: satellite phone services
  domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
  international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0, note - 15 Ham radio operators (VP6) (2004)

Background:
  Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of
  the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century.
  During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and
  internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements
  between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned
  Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918
  only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II.
  It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its
  government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil
  in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union
  "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had
  swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy"
  program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its
  economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland
  still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment,
  underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural
  underclass. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001
  parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to
  the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity
  Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's
  political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in
  2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented
  country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member
  of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,056 km
  border countries: Belarus 416 km, Czech Republic 790 km, Germany 467
  km, Lithuania 103 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia
  541 km, Ukraine 529 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

Climate:
  temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with
  frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and
  thundershowers

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

Natural resources:
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber,
arable land

Environment - current issues:
  situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry
  and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments;
  air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide
  emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain
  has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and
  municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous
  wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial
  establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at
  substantial cost to business and the government

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Geography - note:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the
lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.9% (male 3,142,811/female 2,976,363)
  15-64 years: 70.8% (male 13,585,306/female 13,704,763)
  65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,961,326/female 3,166,300) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.97 years
  male: 70.95 years
  female: 79.23 years (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other
and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%,
Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.8%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Poland
  conventional short form: Poland
  local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
  local short form: Polska

Capital:
  name: Warsaw
  geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie,
  Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie,
  Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie,
  Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie,
  Zachodniopomorskie

Constitution:
adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed by national
referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997

Legal system:
  mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover
  Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part
  of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of
  legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are
  final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of
  Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI (since 10 July
  2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Ludwik DORN (since 23 November 2005),
  Roman GIERTYCH (since 5 May 2006), Zyta GILOWSKA (since 22 September
  2006), Andrzej LEPPER (since 16 October 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and
  the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and
  the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October
  2005 (next to be held October 2010); prime minister and deputy prime
  ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
  election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of
  popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate or
  Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a
  provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the
  Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of
  proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the
  designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only
  used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly
  elections: Senate - last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by
  September 2009); Sejm elections last held 25 September 2005 (next to
  be held by September 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - PiS 49, PO 34, LPR 7, SO 3, PSL 2, independents 5; Sejm -
  percent of vote by party - PiS 27%, PO 24.1%, SO 11.4%, SLD 11.3%,
  LPR 8%, PSL 7%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PiS 155, PO 133, SO
  56, SLD 55, LPR 34, PSL 25, German minorities 2
  note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm
  only

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an
  indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by
  the Sejm for nine-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
  Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Civic
  Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL
  [Artur BALASZ]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wojciech
  OLEJNICZAK]; Democratic Party or PD [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; Dom
  Ojczysty (Fatherland Home); German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO
  [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League
  of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Peasant-Democratic
  Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan
  LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK]; Ruch
  Patriotyczny or RP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej
  LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Marek BOROWSKI];
  Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP
  [Andrzej SPYCHALSKI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ];
  Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union
  [Janusz SNIADEK]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS,
  BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW,
  OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Janusz REITER chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000 FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688 consulate(s) general: Krakow

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the
flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

Economy - overview:
  Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization
  throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among
  transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done, especially
  in bringing down the unemployment rate - currently the highest in
  the EU. The privatization of small- and medium-sized state-owned
  companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged
  the development of the private business sector, but legal and
  bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering
  its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains
  handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of
  investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors"
  (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently
  initiated, have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the
  pension system, and state administration have resulted in
  larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public
  finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state
  enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code
  to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers, most of whom
  pay no tax. The previous Socialist-led government introduced a
  package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public
  spending by about $17 billion through 2007, but full implementation
  of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in 2005. The
  right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentary elections in
  September, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidential election in
  October 2005, running on a state-interventionist fiscal and monetary
  platform. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to
  the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its
  competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's appreciation. GDP
  per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Poland
  stands to benefit from nearly $23.2 billion in EU funds, available
  through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of
  membership via booming exports, higher food prices, and EU
  agricultural subsidies.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 31.1% services: 64% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 16.1% industry: 29% services: 54.9% (2002)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 26.7% (2002)

Budget:
  revenues: $52.73 billion
  expenditures: $63.22 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

Industries:
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals,
shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.1% hydro: 1.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured
  goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live
  animals 7.6% (2003)

Exports - partners:
Germany 28.2%, France 6.2%, Italy 6.1%, UK 5.6%, Czech Republic
4.6%, Russia 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured
  goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related
  materials 9.1% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Germany 29.6%, Russia 8.7%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 5.9%, France
5.7% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient: $13.9 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
  zlotych per US dollar - 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891
  (2003), 4.08 (2002), 4.0939 (2001)
  note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network
  has accelerated with market based competition finalized in 2003;
  fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is
  dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony
  domestic: wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service
  available since 1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks,
  has grown rapidly in response to the weak fixed-line coverage; third
  generation UMTS service available in urban areas; cellular coverage
  is generally good with more gaps in the east; fixed-line service is
  growing slowly and still lags in rural areas
  international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with
  automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat,
  Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 83 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 40 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 23,072 km
  broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge
  standard gauge: 22,443 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational;
  11,910 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 423,997 km
  paved: 295,356 km (including 405 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 128,641 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,701 GRT/45,082 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll
  off 1, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1)
  registered in other countries: 106 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas
  15, Belize 2, Cyprus 20, Liberia 14, Malta 27, Norway 2, Panama 15,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 5) (2006)

Military branches:
Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes Navy (Marynarka Wojenna,
MW)), Polish Air Force (Polskie Sily Powietrzne, PSP) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for compulsory military service after January 1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; in 2005, Poland plans to shorten the length of conscript service obligation from 12 to 9 months; by 2008, plans call for at least 60% of military personnel to be volunteers; only soldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004, women are only allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 9,681,703
females age 17-49: 9,480,641 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 7,739,472
females age 17-49: 7,859,165 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 275,446
females age 17-49: 265,164 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border,
Poland must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
  major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international
  market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American
  illicit drugs to Western Europe

Background:
  Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th
  centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the
  destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the
  Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony.
  A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six
  decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a
  left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The
  following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African
  colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC
  (now the EU) in 1986.

Location:
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of
Spain

Area:
  total: 92,391 sq km
  land: 91,951 sq km
  water: 440 sq km
  note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in
  the Azores 2,351 m

Natural resources:
  fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten,
  silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land,
  hydropower

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle
emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental
  Modification

Geography - note:
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western
sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.5% (male 915,604/female 839,004)
  15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,484,545/female 3,544,674)
  65 years and over: 17.2% (male 751,899/female 1,070,144) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 38.5 years
  male: 36.4 years
  female: 40.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.7 years
  male: 74.43 years
  female: 81.2 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent
  who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than
  100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.3%
  male: 95.5%
  female: 91.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
  conventional short form: Portugal
  local long form: Republica Portuguesa
  local short form: Portugal

Capital:
  name: Lisbon
  geographic coordinates: 38 43 N, 9 08 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous
  regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro,
  Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra,
  Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto,
  Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Independence:
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent
republic proclaimed)

National holiday:
  Portugal Day (Day of Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called
  Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes
  (1524-80) died

Legal system:
  civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the
  constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO Silva (since 9 March 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES (since 12 March
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative
  body to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006
  (next to be held January 2011); following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
  usually appointed prime minister by the president
  election results: Anibal CAVACO Silva elected president; percent of
  vote - Anibal CAVACO Silva 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario SOARES
  14.3%, Jeronimo de SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%,
  CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14,
  PP 12, BE 8

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for
life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders:
  Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA]; Popular Party or
  PP [Jose Ribeiro e CASTRO]; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP
  [Jeronimo de SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES
  Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Luis
  Marques MENDES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA];
  Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU (includes PEV and PCP)
  [Jeronimo de SOUSA]

International organization participation:
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
  ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI (observer), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
  chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 350-5400
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
  consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San
  Francisco
  consulate(s): New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred J. HOFFMAN Jr.
  embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
  mailing address: Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83, APO AE
  09726
  telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
  FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
  consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag description:
  two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red
  (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the
  dividing line

Economy - overview:
  Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based
  economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past
  decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled
  firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the
  financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for
  the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the
  euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies.
  Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the past
  decade, but fell back in 2001-05. GDP per capita stands at
  two-thirds that of the Big Four EU economies. A poor educational
  system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity
  and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by
  lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for
  foreign direct investment. The government faces tough choices in its
  attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness while keeping
  the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.3% industry: 27.4% services: 67.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 30% services: 60% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $78.84 billion
  expenditures: $90.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats,
swine, poultry, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metals and
  metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; rubber and
  plastic products; ceramics; electronics and communications
  equipment; rail transportation equipment; aerospace equipment; ship
  construction and refurbishment; wine; tourism

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 64.5% hydro: 31.3% nuclear: 0% other: 4.1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper
products, hides

Exports - partners:
Spain 25.9%, France 13.1%, Germany 11.9%, UK 8%, US 5.4%, Italy
4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles,
agricultural products

Imports - partners:
Spain 29%, Germany 13.4%, France 8.5%, Italy 5.2%, Netherlands
4.3%, UK 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has achieved a
  state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities
  domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave
  radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
  international: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean),
  NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station
  for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 62 (plus 166 repeaters) note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 43 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,850 km
  broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 72,600 km
  paved: 62,436 km (including 1,700 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 10,164 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 111 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,077,300 GRT/1,363,435 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 27, chemical tanker 15, container 7,
  liquefied gas 11, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker
  8, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 9
  foreign-owned: 82 (Australia 1, Belgium 8, Cyprus 1, Denmark 4,
  Germany 17, Greece 4, Italy 12, Japan 9, Malta 1, Mexico 1,
  Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Spain 15, Switzerland 3, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 16 (Cyprus 2, Hong Kong 1, Malta 3,
  Panama 10) (2006)

Military branches:
  Army, Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Air Force
  (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP), National Republican Guard (Guarda
  Nacional Republicana) (2005)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service was ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,435,042
females age 18-49: 2,405,816 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,952,819
females age 18-49: 1,977,264 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 67,189
females age 18-49: 60,626 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory
  of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815
  Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Illicit drugs:
  gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian
  heroin entering the European market (especially from Brazil);
  transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe;
  consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

Background:
  Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was
  claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS' second
  voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule
  that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African
  slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result
  of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US
  citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since
  1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal
  self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters
  chose not to alter the existing political status.

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Terrain:
  mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains
  precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal
  areas

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m

Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Environment - current issues:
erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

Geography - note:
  important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to
  the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural
  harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central
  mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry;
  fertile coastal plain belt in north

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 21.3% (male 428,610/female 409,484)
  15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,239,255/female 1,345,519)
  65 years and over: 12.8% (male 218,045/female 286,275) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.7 years
  male: 33 years
  female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.4 years
  male: 74.46 years
  female: 82.54 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%,
Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.1%
  male: 93.9%
  female: 94.4% (2002 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico

Dependency status:
  unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth
  status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted
  under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President

Capital:
  name: San Juan
  geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular -
  municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas
  Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta,
  Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas,
  Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio,
  Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama,
  Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao,
  Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las
  Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca,
  Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce,
  Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San
  German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa
  Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja,
  Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

National holiday:
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day,
25 July (1952)

Constitution:
ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952,
effective 25 July 1952

Legal system:
based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of
justice

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do
not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
  January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
  2001)
  head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January
  2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the
  legislature
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US
  president and vice president; governor elected by popular vote for a
  four-year term (no term limits); election last held 2 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor;
  percent of vote - 48.4%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27
  seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote
  to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51
  seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
  November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD
  40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of
  Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%,
  PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1
  note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner
  to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US
  House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor,
  he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last
  held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); Luis FORTUNO
  elected resident commissioner; results - percent of vote by party -
  PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of
  two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for
  all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the
  Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
  National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican
  Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
  (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD
  (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence
  Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as
  Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered
  dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National
  Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers
  of the Puerto Rican Revolution

International organization participation:
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

Flag description:
  five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating
  with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears
  a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially
  influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the
  colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Economy - overview:
  Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean
  region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as
  the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by
  duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have
  invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage
  laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and
  other livestock products as the main source of income in the
  agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important
  source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million
  tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the
  slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004-2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3% industry: 20% services: 77% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $6.7 billion
  expenditures: $9.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY99/00)

Agriculture - products: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.2% hydro: 0.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
concentrates, medical equipment

Exports - partners:
US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2004)

Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum
products

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by
  high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data
  capability
  domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
  international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station -
  1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 25,645 km
  paved: 24,363 km (including 426 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 1,282 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 77,177 GRT/50,138 DWT
  by type: roll on/roll off 3
  foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  1) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard,
Police Force

Disputes - international: increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work

Background:
  Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed
  itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling
  into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas
  revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy
  was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by
  the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current
  Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup
  in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes
  with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues
  enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the
  world.

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or
  the median line

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities

Geography - note:
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum
deposits

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.4% (male 105,546/female 101,371)
  15-64 years: 73% (male 446,779/female 199,133)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 24,059/female 8,471) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 31.7 years
  male: 37.1 years
  female: 22.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 2.24 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 2.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.87 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.9 years
  male: 71.37 years
  female: 76.57 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 89%
  male: 89.1%
  female: 88.6% (2004 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: State of Qatar
  conventional short form: Qatar
  local long form: Dawlat Qatar
  local short form: Qatar
  note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls
  between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar

Capital:
  name: Doha
  geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al
  Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan
  al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal

Constitution:
ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the
amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005

Legal system:
  discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil
  codes are being implemented; Shari'a law dominates family and
  personal matters

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995
  when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad
  al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince TAMIM bin Hamad bin
  Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent
  by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the
  positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-chief of the Armed
  Forces
  head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa al-Thani,
  brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime
  Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, brother of the monarch
  (since 20 January 1998); First Deputy Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim
  bin Jabir al-Thani (since 16 September 2003, also Foreign Minister
  since 1992); Second Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad
  al-ATIYAH (since 16 September 2003, also Electricity and Water
  Minister since 1999 and Energy and Industry Minister since 1992)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
  note: in April 2003, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member
  Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed
  at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election
  for the CMC was held in March 1999

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members
  appointed)
  note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there
  were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their
  terms extended every four years since; the new constitution, which
  came into force on 9 June 2005, provides for a 45-member
  Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect
  two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the
  remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to
  the Majlis al-Shura in early 2007

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal
  note: under a judiciary law issued in 2003, the former two court
  systems, civil and Islamic law, were merged under a higher court,
  the Court of Cassation, established for appeals

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN
  Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Hamad bin Mubarak al-KHALIFA
  chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603
  FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061
  consulate(s) general: Houston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Chase UNTERMEYER
  embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha
  mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha
  telephone: [974] 488 4101
  FAX: [974] 488 4176

Flag description:
maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the
hoist side

Economy - overview:
  Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export
  earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given
  Qatar a per capita GDP about 80% of that of the leading West
  European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 16 billion
  barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23
  years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion
  cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in
  the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the
  development of its gas fields during the last decade and is expected
  to become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter by
  2007. In recent years, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses
  largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas
  exports, becoming one of the world's fastest growing and highest
  per-capita income countries.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.2% industry: 80.1% services: 19.7% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $17.31 billion
  expenditures: $11.31 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2
  billion (2005 est.)

Industries:
  crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers,
  petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship
  repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel

Imports - partners:
France 11.5%, Japan 10.5%, US 10.4%, Germany 8.4%, Saudi Arabia
7.3%, UK 7%, Italy 6.5%, South Korea 5.5%, UAE 4.8% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003),
3.64 (2002), 3.64 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
  microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to
  Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
  Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  over 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid
petroleum gas 87 km; oil 844 km (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 750,669 GRT/1,177,673 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, container 8, liquefied gas 2,
  petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 8 (Kuwait 7, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Honduras 1, Liberia 2, Panama 1)
  (2006)

Military branches:
Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari
Amiri Air Force (QAAF)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; land forces enlisted personnel are largely unprofessional foreign nationals (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 302,873
females age 18-49: 137,856 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 238,566
females age 18-49: 116,595 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 7,851
females age 18-49: 7,040 (2005 est.)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men and women
  from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are
  subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic
  workers and laborers; the problem of trafficking of foreign children
  as camel jockeys was thoroughly addressed by government action in
  2005, but independent confirmation of the problem's complete
  elimination is not yet available
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Qatar has made noticeable progress
  in rescuing and repatriating child camel jockeys, establishing a
  shelter for abused domestic workers, and creating hotlines to
  register complaints; however, Qatar is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to provide sufficient evidence of increasing
  efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2005, particularly with
  regard to labor exploitation

Background:
  The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513. From the
  17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration, supplemented by
  influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar Indians, gave the
  island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost
  the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade
  route.

Climate:
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry
(May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m

Natural hazards:
periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la
Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano

Geography - note:
  this mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano, Piton de
  la Fournaise; there is a tropical cyclone center at Saint-Denis,
  which is the monitoring station for the whole of the Indian Ocean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 29.8% (male 120,147/female 114,589)
  15-64 years: 64% (male 248,895/female 255,156)
  65 years and over: 6.2% (male 19,847/female 28,950) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.9 years
  male: 25.7 years
  female: 28.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.18 years
  male: 70.78 years
  female: 77.75 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 88.9%
  male: 87%
  female: 90.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Department of Reunion
  conventional short form: Reunion
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ile de la Reunion
  former: Bourbon Island

Capital:
  name: Saint-Denis
  geographic coordinates: 20 52 S, 55 28 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas department of France); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are 4 arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47 cantons

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by Prefect Pierre-Henry MACCIONI (since 28 August
  2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Nassimah DINDAR
  (since NA March 2004) and President of the Regional Council Paul
  VERGES (since NA March 1993)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the General and
  Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council (49 seats; members are elected by
  direct, popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral
  Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct, popular
  vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held 15 and 22 March 1998 (next to
  be held NA); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be
  held in 2010)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - various right-wing candidates 13, PCR 10, PS 10,
  UDF 8, RPR 6, other left-wing candidates 2; Regional Council (second
  round) - percent of vote by party - PCR 44.9%, UMP 32.8%, PS-Greens
  22.3%; seats by party - PCR 27, UMP 11, PS-Greens 7
  note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate;
  elections last held in 2001 (next to be held in 2006); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRC 1, UDF 1, UMP 1;
  Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly;
  elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3, PS
  1, independent 1

Political parties and leaders:
  Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Elie HOARAU]; Rally for the
  Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS
  [Michel VERGOZ]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD];
  Union for a Popular Movement or UMP

Flag description:
  unofficial, local flag designed to emphasize solidarity among the
  people of Reunion; the field is divided vertically with three narrow
  stripes of blue, white, and red along the hoist edge representing
  the French national flag; the remainder of the field is divided
  diagonally into four triangles colored (clockwise from the hoist
  side) blue, golden yellow, red, and green; in the center, the apexes
  of the triangles are surmounted by a white disk; the only official
  flag is the national flag of France

Economy - overview:
  The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but
  services now dominate. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more
  than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports.
  The government has been pushing the development of a tourist
  industry to relieve high unemployment, which amounts to one-third of
  the labor force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the
  poor is extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social
  tensions. The white and Indian communities are substantially better
  off than other segments of the population, often approaching
  European standards, whereas minority groups suffer the poverty and
  unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent.
  The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrated the
  seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of
  Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from
  France.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8% industry: 19% services: 73% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13% industry: 12% services: 75% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $554.7 million
  expenditures: $554.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1998)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco, tropical fruits, vegetables, corn

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 55.5% hydro: 44.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
sugar 63%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 2%, lobster 3%

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and
transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA; note - substantial annual subsidies from France (2001 est.)

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis
  domestic: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 262; radiotelephone communication to
  Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius;
  satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); fiber optic
  submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe
  and Asia

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; French forces (includes
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 183,421
females age 18-49: 185,606 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 142,578
females age 18-49: 154,273 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 7,339
females age 18-49: 7,007 (2005 est.)

Background:
  The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under
  the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their
  autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted
  the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its
  independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and
  acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the
  conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and
  participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years
  later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The
  post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist
  "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The
  decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in
  1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive
  and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and
  executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government
  until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in
  March of 2004 and completed accession talks with the European Union
  (EU) in December 2004; it is scheduled to accede to the EU in 2007.

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and
Ukraine

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,508 km
  border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km,
  Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny
summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Terrain:
  central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia
  on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the
  Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m

Natural resources:
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron
ore, salt, arable land, hydropower

Natural hazards:
earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure
and climate promote landslides

Environment - current issues: soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans,
Moldova, and Ukraine

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.7% (male 1,799,072/female 1,708,030)
  15-64 years: 69.6% (male 7,724,368/female 7,797,065)
  65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,347,392/female 1,927,625) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 25.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 22.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.63 years
  male: 68.14 years
  female: 75.34 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German
0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)

Religions:
  Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%,
  Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and
  Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and
  unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.4%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 97.7% (2003 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Romania local long form: none local short form: Romania

Capital:
  name: Bucharest
  geographic coordinates: 44 26 N, 26 06 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality*
  (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud,
  Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi,
  Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati,
  Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov,
  Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare,
  Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Independence:
  9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire;
  independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin;
  kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic
  proclaimed)

National holiday:
Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)

Legal system:
former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is
now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29
  December 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004,
  with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004
  (next to be held November-December 2009); prime minister appointed
  by the president with the consent of the Parliament
  election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian
  NASTASE 48.77%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
  (137 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
  proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the
  Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are
  elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation
  basis to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be
  held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November
  2004 (next expected to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party -
  PSD-PUR 37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party -
  PSD 44, PNL 30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2;
  Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR
  36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111,
  PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN
  (GUSA Group) 3, independent 1, ethnic minorities 18

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for
  three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior
  Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of
  justice, the prosecutor general, two civil society representatives
  appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges and prosecutors elected by
  their peers); a separate body, the Constitutional Court, validates
  elections and makes decisions regarding the constitutionality of
  laws, treaties, ordinances, and internal rules of the Parliament; it
  is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms, with three
  members each appointed by the president, the Senate, and the Chamber
  of Deputies

Political parties and leaders:
  Conservative Party or PC [Dan VOICULESCU], formerly Humanist Party
  or PUR; Democratic Party or PD [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of
  Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party
  or PNL [Calin Popescu-TARICEANU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater
  Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic
  Party or PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA], formerly Party of Social Democracy
  in Romania or PDSR

Political pressure groups and leaders:
various human rights and professional associations

International organization participation:
  ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ESA
  (cooperating state), EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM
  (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Daniela
  GITMAN
  chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851, 4852
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas F. TAUBMAN embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch) telephone: [40] (21) 200-3300 FAX: [40] (21) 200-3442 information office: Cluj-Napoca

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red;
  the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow
  band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also
  resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova

Economy - overview:
  Romania began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely
  obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the
  country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing
  three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets.
  Despite the global slowdown in 2001-02, strong domestic activity in
  construction, agriculture, and consumption have kept GDP growth
  above 4%. An IMF standby agreement, signed in 2001, has been
  accompanied by slow but palpable gains in privatization, deficit
  reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The IMF Board approved
  Romania's completion of the standby agreement in October 2003, the
  first time Romania has successfully concluded an IMF agreement since
  the 1989 revolution. In July 2004, the executive board of the IMF
  approved a 24-month standby agreement for $367 million. IMF concerns
  about Romania's tax policy and budget deficit led to a breakdown of
  this agreement in 2005. In the past, the IMF has criticized the
  government's fiscal, wage, and monetary policies. Meanwhile,
  macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a
  middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty, while
  corruption and red tape continue to handicap the business
  environment. Romanian government confidence in continuing
  disinflation was underscored by its currency revaluation in 2005,
  making 10,000 "old" lei equal 1 "new" leu.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10.1% industry: 35% services: 54.9% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 31.6% industry: 30.7% services: 37.7% (2004)

Population below poverty line:
At-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers 12% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)

Budget:
  revenues: $29.97 billion
  expenditures: $31.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes;
eggs, sheep

Industries:
  textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining,
  timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food
  processing, petroleum refining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.5% hydro: 27.6% nuclear: 9.9% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and
equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
Italy 19.4%, Germany 14%, Turkey 7.9%, France 7.4%, UK 5.5%,
Hungary 4.1%, US 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and
products, basic metals, agricultural products

Imports - partners:
Italy 15.5%, Germany 14%, Russia 8.3%, France 6.8%, Turkey 4.9%,
China 4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$3.3 billion in committed EU pre-accession aid (2004-06)

Currency (code):
leu (ROL) is being phased out in 2006; "new" leu (RON) was
introduced in 2005 due to currency revaluation: 10,000 ROL = 1 RON

Exchange rates:
lei per US dollar - 3 (2005), 3 (2004), 3 (2003), 3 (2002), 3 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: rapidly improving domestic and international
  service, especially in wireless telephony
  domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in
  2003 is transforming telecommunications; there has been 20% growth
  in fixed lines with a penetration rate of 58% of households;
  nation-wide wireless service is growing even faster with four major
  providers and a penetration rate of 32%
  international: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 10
  (Intelsat 4); digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate
  in Bucharest (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 25
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 11,385 km
  standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge (3,888 km electrified)
  broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 198,817 km
  paved: 60,043 km (including 228 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 138,774 km (2003)

Waterways:
  1,731 km
  note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary
  branches, and 132 km on canals (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 198,767 GRT/246,732 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 15, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2,
  petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Italy 1)
  registered in other countries: 48 (Georgia 11, North Korea 11, Malta
  9, Panama 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Syria 3, unknown 4)
  (2006)

Military branches:
Land Forces, Naval Forces, Romanian Air Force (Fortele Aerienne
Romane, FAR), Special Operations (2006)

Military service age and obligation: all military inductees (including women) are volunteers who contract for an initial five-year term of service; subsequent voluntary service contracts are for successive three-year terms until the age of 36; minimum age for voluntary military service is 18 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 5,061,984
females age 20-49: 4,975,427 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 3,932,579
females age 20-49: 4,076,288 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 172,093
females age 20-49: 165,547 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Romania and Ukraine have taken their dispute over
  Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea
  maritime boundary to the ICJ for adjudication; Romania also opposes
  Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border
  through Ukraine to the Black Sea; Hungary amended the status law
  extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians
  in Romania, to which Romania had objected

Illicit drugs:
  major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the
  Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for
  Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as
  a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering which occurs
  via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos

Background:
  Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able
  to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th
  centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding
  principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty
  continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific.
  Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic
  Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th
  century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia.
  Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led
  to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and
  to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists
  under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR.
  The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist
  rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of
  millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the
  following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV
  (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika
  (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his
  initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991
  splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics.
  Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a
  democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict
  social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period.
  While some progress has been made on the economic front, recent
  years have seen a recentralization of power under Vladimir PUTIN and
  the erosion of nascent democratic institutions. A determined
  guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya and threatens to
  destabilize the North Caucasus region.

Location:
  Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of
  Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North
  Pacific Ocean

Land boundaries:
  total: 20,096.5 km
  border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China
  (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland
  1,340 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km,
  Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 280.5 km, Mongolia
  3,485 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 232 km, Ukraine
  1,576 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much
  of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the
  polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid
  in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along
  Arctic coast

Terrain:
  broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest
  and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border
  regions

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m

Natural resources:
  wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural
  gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber
  note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder
  exploitation of natural resources

Natural hazards:
  permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to
  development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and
  earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and
  summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European
  Russia

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric
  plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal,
  and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts;
  deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper
  application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes
  intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from
  toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of
  obsolete pesticides

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Geography - note:
  largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably
  located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its
  size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either
  too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's
  tallest peak

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.2% (male 10,441,151/female 9,921,102)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 49,271,698/female 52,679,463)
  65 years and over: 14.4% (male 6,500,814/female 14,079,312) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 15.13 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 67.08 years
  male: 60.45 years
  female: 74.1 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Russian 79.8%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 2%, Bashkir 1.2%, Chuvash
1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002 census)

Religions:
  Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006
  est.)
  note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large
  populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy
  of over seven decades of Soviet rule

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Russian Federation
  conventional short form: Russia
  local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
  local short form: Rossiya
  former: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Moscow
  geographic coordinates: 55 45 N, 37 35 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Russia is divided into eleven time zones

Administrative divisions:
  48 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics (respublik,
  singular - respublika), 9 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh okrugov,
  singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 7 krays (krayev, singular - kray), 2
  federal cities (singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast
  (avtonomnaya oblast')
  oblasts: Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod,
  Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga,
  Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma,
  Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk,
  Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel,
  Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara,
  Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula,
  Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh,
  Yaroslavl'
  republics: Adygeya (Maykop), Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Bashkortostan
  (Ufa), Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashiya
  (Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Ingushetiya (Magas),
  Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik), Kalmykiya (Elista),
  Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk), Kareliya (Petrozavodsk),
  Khakasiya (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola),
  Mordoviya (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Sakha [Yakutiya]
  (Yakutsk), Tatarstan (Kazan'), Tyva (Kyzyl), Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)
  autonomous okrugs: Aga Buryat (Aginskoye), Chukotka (Anadyr'), Evenk
  (Tura), Khanty-Mansi, Koryak (Palana), Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar), Taymyr
  [Dolgano-Nenets] (Dudinka), Ust'-Orda Buryat (Ust'-Ordynskiy),
  Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard)
  krays: Altay (Barnaul), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk,
  Permskiy, Primorskiy (Vladivostok), Stavropol'
  federal cities: Moscow (Moskva), Saint Petersburg (Sankt-Peterburg)
  autonomous oblast: Yevrey [Jewish] (Birobidzhan)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (acting
  president 31 December 1999-6 May 2000, president since 7 May 2000)
  head of government: Premier Mikhail Yefimovich FRADKOV (since 5
  March 2004); First Deputy Premier Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV
  (since 14 November 2005), Deputy Premiers Aleksandr Dmitriyevich
  ZHUKOV (since 9 March 2004) and Sergey Borisovich IVANOV (since 14
  November 2005)
  cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed of
  the premier and his deputies, ministers, and selected other
  individuals; all are appointed by the president
  note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides
  staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential
  decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a
  Security Council also reports directly to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 March 2004 (next
  to be held March 2008); note - no vice president; if the president
  dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is
  impeached, or resigns, the premier serves as acting president until
  a new presidential election is held, which must be within three
  months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the
  Duma
  election results: Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN reelected president;
  percent of vote - Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN 71.2%, Nikolay
  KHARITONOV 13.7%, other (no candidate above 5%) 15.1%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of the
  Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (178 seats; as of July 2000,
  members appointed by the top executive and legislative officials in
  each of the 88 federal administrative units - oblasts, krays,
  republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of
  Moscow and Saint Petersburg; members serve four-year terms) and the
  State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; currently elected by
  proportional representation from party lists winning at least 7% of
  the vote; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: State Duma - last held 7 December 2003 (next to be held
  in December 2007)
  election results: State Duma - percent of vote received by parties
  clearing the 5% threshold entitling them to a proportional share of
  the 225 party list seats - United Russia 37.1%, CPRF 12.7%, LDPR
  11.6%, Motherland 9.1%; seats by party - United Russia 222, CPRF 53,
  LDPR 38, Motherland 37, People's Party 19, Yabloko 4, SPS 2, other
  7, independents 65, repeat election required 3; composition as of 1
  July 2006 - United Russia 309, CPRF 45, LDPR 35, Motherland 29,
  People's Party 12, independents 18, vacant 2

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Supreme Arbitration Court;
  judges for all courts are appointed for life by the Federation
  Council on the recommendation of the president

Political parties and leaders:
  A Just Russia or JR [Sergei MIRONOV] (formed from the merger of
  three small political parties: Motherland Party (Rodina),
  Pensioner's Party, and Party of Life); Communist Party of the
  Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]; Liberal
  Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir Volfovich
  ZHIRINOVSKIY]; People's Party [Gennady RAIKOV]; Union of Right
  Forces or SPS [Nikita BELYKH]; United Russia or UR [Boris
  Vyacheslavovich GRYZLOV]; Yabloko Party [Grigoriy Alekseyevich
  YAVLINSKIY]

International organization participation:
  APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BSEC,
  CBSS, CE, CERN (observer), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, G- 8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer),
  MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC
  (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UN
  Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer), ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yuriy Viktorovich USHAKOV chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708 FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William J. BURNS embassy: Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721 telephone: [7] (495) 728-5000 FAX: [7] (495) 728-5090 consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg

Economy - overview:
  Russia ended 2005 with its seventh straight year of growth,
  averaging 6.4% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although
  high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers
  of this economic rebound, since 2000 investment and consumer-driven
  demand have played a noticeably increasing role. Real fixed capital
  investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last five
  years, and real personal incomes have realized average increases
  over 12%. During this time, poverty has declined steadily and the
  middle class has continued to expand. Russia has also improved its
  international financial position since the 1998 financial crisis,
  with its foreign debt declining from 90% of GDP to around 31%.
  Strong oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its
  foreign reserves from only $12 billion to some $180 billion at
  yearend 2005. These achievements, along with a renewed government
  effort to advance structural reforms, have raised business and
  investor confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Nevertheless,
  serious problems persist. Economic growth slowed to 5.9% for 2005
  while inflation remains high. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber
  account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable
  to swings in world prices. Russia's manufacturing base is
  dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to
  achieve broad-based economic growth. Other problems include a weak
  banking system, a poor business climate that discourages both
  domestic and foreign investors, corruption, and widespread lack of
  trust in institutions. In addition, a string of investigations
  launched against a major Russian oil company, culminating with the
  arrest of its CEO in the fall of 2003 and the acquisition of the
  company by a state owned firm, have raised concerns by some
  observers that President PUTIN is granting more influence to forces
  within his government that desire to reassert state control over the
  economy. State control has increased in the past year with a number
  of large acquisitions. Most fundamentally, Russia has made little
  progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market
  economy.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.4% industry: 37.1% services: 57.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10.3% industry: 21.4% services: 68.3% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 38.7% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $176.7 billion
  expenditures: $125.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk

Industries:
  complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal,
  oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from
  rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles;
  defense industries including radar, missile production, and advanced
  electronic components, shipbuilding; road and rail transportation
  equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery,
  tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and
  transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer
  durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 66.3% hydro: 17.2% nuclear: 16.4% other: 0.1% (2003)

Exports - commodities:
  petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood
  products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and
  military manufactures

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 10.3%, Germany 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, China 5.5%, Ukraine
5.2%, Turkey 4.5%, Switzerland 4.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, sugar,
semifinished metal products

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.6%, Ukraine 8%, China 7.4%, Japan 6%, Belarus 4.7%, US
4.7%, Italy 4.6%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
  in FY01 from US, $979 million (including $750 million in
  non-proliferation subsidies); in 2001 from EU, $200 million (2000
  est.)

Exchange rates:
Russian rubles per US dollar - 28.284 (2005), 28.814 (2004), 30.692
(2003), 31.349 (2002), 29.169 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the telephone system underwent significant
  changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed
  to offer communication services; access to digital lines has
  improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail
  services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the
  telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy;
  however, a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied
  domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint
  Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the
  telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital
  infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are
  available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are
  still outdated, inadequate, and low density
  international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally
  by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several
  cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;
  satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik,
  Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems

Internet country code:
  .ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain
  ".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union, and whose legal status
  and ownership are contested by the Russian Government, ICANN, and
  several Russian commercial entities

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 616
  over 3,047 m: 51
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 198
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 130
  914 to 1,523 m: 100
  under 914 m: 137 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 1,007
  over 3,047 m: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 75
  914 to 1,523 m: 127
  under 914 m: 780 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 122 km; gas 156,285 km; oil 72,283 km; refined products
13,658 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 87,157 km
  broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
  note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve
  industries (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 871,000 km
  paved: 738,000 km (including 29,000 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 133,000 km
  note: includes public and departmental roads (2004)

Waterways:
  102,000 km (including 33,000 km with guaranteed depth)
  note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White
  Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,178 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,080,341 GRT/6,287,784 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 46, cargo 743, chemical
  tanker 25, combination ore/oil 38, container 13, passenger 12,
  passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 219, refrigerated cargo 54, roll
  on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 5
  foreign-owned: 100 (Belgium 4, Canada 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 1,
  Germany 2, Greece 1, Latvia 2, Malta 4, Norway 1, Switzerland 7,
  Turkey 63, Ukraine 11, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 465 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas
  6, Belize 36, Bulgaria 1, Cambodia 105, Comoros 4, Cyprus 53,
  Dominica 2, Finland 1, Georgia 28, North Korea 1, Liberia 77, Malta
  70, Marshall Islands 1, Mongolia 13, Panama 7, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 29, Sierra Leone 1, Tuvalu 2,
  Ukraine 1, Vanuatu 1, Venezuela 1, unknown 14) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Anapa, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk,
Rostov-na-Donu, Saint Petersburg, Taganrog, Vanino, Vostochnyy

Military branches:
  Ground Forces (SV), Navy (VMF), Air Forces (VVS); Airborne Troops
  (VDV), Strategic Rocket Troops (RVSN), and Space Troops (KV) are
  independent "combat arms," not subordinate to any of the three
  branches

Military service age and obligation: Russia has adopted a mixed conscript-contract force; 18-27 years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; length of compulsory military service is two years; plans call for reduction in mandatory service to 18 months in 2007 and to one year by 2008; 30% of Russian army personnel were contract servicemen at the end of 2005; planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose 70% of armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen consisting of conscripts; as of November 2006, the Armed Forces had more than 60 units manned with contract personnel totalling over 78,000 contract privates and sergeants; 88 Ministry of Defense units have been designated as permanent readiness units and are expected to become all-volunteer by end 2007; these include most air force, naval, and nuclear arms units, as well as all airborne and naval infantry units, most motorized rifle brigades, and all special forces detachments (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 35,247,049
females age 18-49: 35,986,426 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 21,049,651
females age 18-49: 29,056,021 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,286,069
females age 18-49: 1,244,264 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: in 2005, China and Russia ratified the treaty to divide up the islands in the Amur, Ussuri, and Argun Rivers, representing the final portion of their centuries-long border disputes; the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting all but small, strategic segments of the land boundary and the maritime boundary; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia signed equidistance boundaries in the Caspian seabed but the littoral states have no consensus on dividing the water column; Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following the Second World War but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands; in May 2005, Russia recalled its signatures to the 1996 border agreements with Estonia (1996) and Latvia (1997), when the two Baltic states announced issuance of unilateral declarations referencing Soviet occupation and ensuing territorial losses; Russia demands better treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, to strict Schengen border rules; delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine is complete, but states have renewed discussions on demarcation; the dispute over the maritime boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and on-going expert-level discussions; discussions toward economic and political union with Belarus advance slowly; Kazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation ratified November 2005 and demarcation is underway; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement with the US in the Bering Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 339,000 (displacement from Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and destination
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for various
  purposes; it remains a significant source of women trafficked to
  over 50 countries for commercial sexual exploitation; Russia is also
  a transit and destination country for men and women trafficked from
  Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Korea to Central and Western
  Europe and the Middle East for purposes of forced labor and sexual
  exploitation; internal trafficking remains a problem in Russia with
  women trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for commercial
  sexual exploitation, and men are trafficked internally and from
  Central Asia for forced labor in the construction and agricultural
  industries; debt bondage is common among trafficking victims, and
  child sex tourism remains a concern
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Russia is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for a third consecutive year for its continued failure to
  show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking,
  particularly in the area of victim protection and assistance

Illicit drugs:
  limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and
  producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption;
  government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as
  transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American
  cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent
  Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source
  of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are
  key concerns; heroin increasingly popular in domestic market

Background:
  In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority
  ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the
  next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some
  150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of
  these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front
  (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several
  political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions,
  culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis
  and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and
  ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu
  refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring
  Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since then, most of
  the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but about 10,000 remain in
  neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo and have formed an
  extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried
  in 1990. Despite substantial international assistance and political
  reforms - including Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 and
  its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in
  August and September 2003 - the country continues to struggle to
  boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic reconciliation
  is complicated by the real and perceived Tutsi political dominance.
  Kigali's increasing centralization and intolerance of dissent, the
  nagging Hutu extremist insurgency across the border, and Rwandan
  involvement in two wars in recent years in the neighboring
  Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts
  to escape its bloody legacy.

Land boundaries:
  total: 893 km
  border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

Climate:
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to
January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Terrain:
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

Natural resources:
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane,
hydropower, arable land

Land use:
  arable land: 45.56%
  permanent crops: 10.25%
  other: 44.19% (2005)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the
northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo

Environment - current issues:
deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel;
overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching

Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the
population predominantly rural

Population:
  8,648,248
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,817,998/female 1,802,134)
  15-64 years: 55.6% (male 2,392,778/female 2,417,467)
  65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,325/female 130,546) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.6 years
  male: 18.4 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 89.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 94.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 84.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 47.3 years
  male: 46.26 years
  female: 48.38 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%,
indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)

Languages:
  Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French
  (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in
  commercial centers

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 70.4%
  male: 76.3%
  female: 64.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda
  conventional short form: Rwanda
  local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
  local short form: Rwanda
  former: Ruanda, German East Africa

Capital:
  name: Kigali
  geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 04 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  12 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; in
  Kinyarwanda - prefigintara for singular and plural); Butare, Byumba,
  Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali
  Rurale, Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri

Legal system:
  based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law;
  judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March
  2000)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); elections last held 25 August 2003
  (next to be held NA 2008)
  election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct
  popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%,
  Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members
  elected local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 by the
  Political Organizations Forum, 2 represent institutions of higher
  learning, to serve eight-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (80
  seats; 53 members elected by popular vote, 24 women elected by local
  bodies, 3 selected by youth and disability organizations, to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held NA, members appointed as part of the
  transitional government (next to be held in 2011); Chamber of
  Deputies - last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: seats by party under the 2003 Constitution - RPF
  40, PSD 7, PL 6, additional 27 members indirectly elected

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts;
District Courts; mediation committees

Political parties and leaders:
  Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Democratic
  Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA]; Democratic
  Republican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA] (officially banned);
  Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL
  [Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned);
  Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME]; Social Democratic
  Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
IBUKA - association of genocide survivors

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
  chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael ARIETTI embassy: 337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03 FAX: [250] 57 2128

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and
  green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue
  band

Economy - overview:
  Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population
  engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely
  populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few natural
  resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are
  coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile
  economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly
  women, and eroded the country's ability to attract private and
  external investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progress
  in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels,
  although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and
  inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food
  production often does not keep pace with population growth,
  requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid
  money and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country
  (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005. Kigali's high defense
  expenditures have caused tension between the government and
  international donors and lending agencies. An energy shortage and
  instability in neighboring states may slow growth in 2006, while the
  lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries
  continues to handicap export growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 40.1% industry: 22.9% services: 37% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 24.2% (1985)

Budget:
  revenues: $509.9 million
  expenditures: $584.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums),
bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock

Industries:
cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap,
furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.3% hydro: 97.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products,
cement and construction material

Exchange rates:
Rwandan francs per US dollar - 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004), 537.66
(2003), 476.33 (2002), 442.8 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  290,000
  note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several
  provincial capitals (2005)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and
  government
  domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
  provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular
  telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF
  radiotelephone
  international: country code - 250; international connections employ
  microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite
  communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -
  1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax
  service)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 0, FM 8 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of
  repeaters, three international FM programs include the BBC, VOA, and
  Deutchewelle), shortwave 1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,004,750
females age 16-49: 1,990,935 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,103,823
females age 16-49: 1,096,644 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups,
  associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government
  forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the
  boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
  Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources -
  government heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence
  continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; DROC and Rwanda
  established a border verification mechanism in 2005 to address
  accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the
  Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and
  bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004, Rwandan refugees lived
  in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 45,460 (Democratic Republic of the
  Congo)
  IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic Republic of
  the Congo, 1997-99; most IDPs in northwest) (2005)

Background:
  Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint
  Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da
  Cunha.
  Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in
  1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th
  century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's
  exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a
  port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
  During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer
  prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.
  Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered
  and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the
  island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena and
  it served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa
  Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty
  control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena.
  During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an
  airfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africa
  and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s
  the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In
  1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces
  during the Falklands War, and it remains a critical refueling point
  in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.
  Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands of
  Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da
  Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was
  garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue
  Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been
  designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases the site for a
  meteorological station on Gough Island.

Location:
  islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South
  America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint
  Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest of Saint Helena

Geographic coordinates:
  Saint Helena: 15 57 S 5 42 W
  Ascension Island: 7 57 S 14 22 W
  Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S 12 30 W

Area:
  total: 413 sq km
  land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km;
  Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Coastline:
  Saint Helena: 60 km
  Ascension Island: NA
  Tristan da Cunha: 40 km

Climate:
  Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
  Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
  Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
  (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Terrain:
  the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated
  with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
  Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
  Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44
  dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
  Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly
  circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply
  dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the
  coastal cliffs

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; Green
  Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena
  Island 818 m

Geography - note:
  Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere
  else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles
  and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the
  highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent
  landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa

Population:
  7,502
  note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are
  inhabited (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.8% (male 717/female 692)
  15-64 years: 71.2% (male 2,751/female 2,593)
  65 years and over: 10% (male 342/female 407) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 36 years
  male: 36.2 years
  female: 35.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.93 years
  male: 75.02 years
  female: 80.98 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Saint Helenian(s)
  adjective: Saint Helenian
  note: referred to locally as "Saints"

Literacy:
  definition: age 20 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 98% (1987 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Helena

Capital:
  name: Jamestown
  geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint
Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY
  (since 15 October 2004)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, three
  ex-officio officers, and five elected members of the Legislative
  Council
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by
  the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3
  ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held NA 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 12

Flag description:
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag;
  the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

Economy - overview:
  The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK,
  which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of
  annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from
  fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there
  are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on
  Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 6% industry: 48% services: 46% (1987 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $11.2 million
  expenditures: $11 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY92/93)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (on
Tristan da Cunha)

Industries:
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork),
fishing, philatelic sales

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee,
handicrafts

Exports - partners:
Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria 4.8%, Spain
4.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building
materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Imports - partners:
UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania 8.5%, US 4.6%
(2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Exchange rates:
  Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004),
  0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound

Telephone system:
  general assessment: can communicate worldwide
  domestic: automatic digital network
  international: country code - 290; international direct dialing;
  satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations -
  5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)

Radio broadcast stations:
Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
  0
  note: three television channels are received in Saint Helena via
  satellite and distributed by UHF (2005)

Internet country code:
.sh; note - the IANA has assigned .ac as the ccTLD for Ascension
Island

Communications - note:
South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island

Roadways:
  total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da
  Cunha 20 km)
  paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha
  10 km)
  unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha
  10 km) (2002)

Ports and terminals:
  Saint Helena: Jamestown
  Ascension Island: Georgetown
  Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor

Transportation - note:
there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; an
international airport for Saint Helena is in development for 2010

Background:
  First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an
  associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of
  Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and
  Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a
  referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds
  majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to try and separate
  from Saint Kitts.

Location:
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way
from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Area:
  total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
  land: 261 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two
  volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The
  Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint
  Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its
  almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that
  of its sister island

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.5% (male 5,515/female 5,263)
  15-64 years: 64.3% (male 12,605/female 12,572)
  65 years and over: 8.1% (male 1,313/female 1,861) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.1 years
  female: 28.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.4 years
  male: 69.56 years
  female: 75.42 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 97.8%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
  former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

Capital:
  name: Basseterre
  geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point,
  Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James
  Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary
  Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter
  Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island,
  Trinity Palmetto Point

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN
  (since 1 January 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July
  1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation
  with the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
  usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11
  popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Political parties and leaders:
  Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation
  Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM
  [Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr.
  Denzil DOUGLAS]

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS,
  OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636 FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US
Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis

Flag description:
  divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band
  bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in
  yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red

Economy - overview:
  Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until
  the 1970s. Although the crop still dominates the agricultural
  sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing,
  and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy.
  Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign
  exchange; about 40,000 tourist visited Nevis during the 2003-2004
  season. Additional tourist facilities, including a second cruise
  ship pier, hotels, and golf courses are under construction.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5% industry: 25.8% services: 70.7% (2001)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $89.7 million
  expenditures: $128.2 million; including capital expenditures of
  $19.5 million (2003 est.)

Industries:
sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear,
beverages

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - partners:
US 46.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.7%, UK 5.4%, France 4.5%, Japan
4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good inter-island and international connections
  domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic
  cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in
  November 2004
  international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried
  by submarine cable or Intelsat

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 50 km
  narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane
  plantations during harvest season and for tourists (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 50 ships (1000 GRT or over) 261,556 GRT/381,593 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 36, chemical tanker 5,
  passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 41 (Greece 1, Monaco 1, Russia 5, Spain 2, Syria 3,
  Tanzania 1, Turkey 6, UAE 19, Ukraine 3) (2006)

Military branches:
Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal
Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 9,196
females age 18-49: 9,236 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,119
females age 18-49: 7,645 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 357
females age 18-49: 347 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves
  Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which
  permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large
  portion of the Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; some money-laundering activity

Background:
  The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested
  between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th
  centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to
  the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its
  plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island,
  dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was
  granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to
April, rainy season May to August

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

Natural resources:
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs,
geothermal potential

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped
  peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights
  of the Caribbean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 29.8% (male 25,941/female 24,319)
  15-64 years: 65% (male 53,916/female 55,582)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,186/female 5,514) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 25.2 years
  male: 24.4 years
  female: 26.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 13.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 14.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.84 years
  male: 70.29 years
  female: 77.65 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%,
  Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, Rastafarian 2.1%,
  other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 90.1%
  male: 89.5%
  female: 90.6% (2001 est.)

Capital:
  name: Castries
  geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery,
Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since
  September 1997)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sir John COMPTON (since 15
  December 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6 members
  appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of
  the leader of the opposition, and 2 after consultation with
  religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly
  (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from single-member
  constituencies to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to
  be held in December 2011)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6

Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla,
  Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada,
  Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders:
  National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party
  or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth
  ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE];
  United Workers Party or UWP [Sir John COMPTON]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador
to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Flag description:
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the
upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Economy - overview:
  Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased
  competition from Latin American bananas have made economic
  diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island
  nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment,
  especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The
  manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean
  area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana
  industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though
  unemployment needs to be cut.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7% industry: 20% services: 73% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 21.7% industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $141.2 million
  expenditures: $146.7 million; including capital expenditures of
  $25.1 million (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Industries:
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated
cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

Exports - partners:
France 29.3%, US 17.4%, China 17%, UK 13.1%, Brazil 6.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation
equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners:
US 24.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.5%, Netherlands 14.5%, Venezuela
5.6%, UK 5.6%, France 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate system
  domestic: system is automatically switched
  international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay
  link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
  tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these
  countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Television broadcast stations: 2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force
(includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,651 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and
Europe

Background:
  First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands
  represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North
  American possessions.

Location:
Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south
of Newfoundland (Canada)

Area:
  total: 242 sq km
  land: 242 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the
  Miquelon groups

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Environment - current issues: recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.5% (male 843/female 807)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,342/female 2,272)
  65 years and over: 10.8% (male 348/female 414) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.1 years
  male: 33.7 years
  female: 34.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.46 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.61 years
  male: 76.27 years
  female: 81.06 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (1982 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre
  and Miquelon
  conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
  local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Capital:
  name: Saint-Pierre
  geographic coordinates: 46 46 N, 56 11 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
  2007

Administrative divisions:
  none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at
  the second order

Independence:
none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French
control since 1763)

Legal system:
French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as
housing and taxation

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by Prefect Yves FAUQUEUR (since 28 August 2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Marc
  PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; election last held, 21 April 2002 (first round) and 5 May 2002
  (second round) (next to be held in 2007); prefect appointed by the
  French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
  president of the General Council is elected by the members of the
  council

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from
  Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held
  in April 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5
  note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate;
  elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held in September
  2013); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP
  1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French
  National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002,
  second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1

Political parties and leaders:
  Left Radical Party or PRG; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR
  (now UMP); Socialist Party or PS; Union pour la Democratie Francaise
  or UDF

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territorial collectivity of France)

Flag description:
  a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue
  background with yellow wavy lines under the ship; on the hoist side,
  a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called
  ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the
  corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four
  sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine
  pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized
  yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three
  heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque
  Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the flag of France is used
  for official occasions

Economy - overview:
  The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by
  fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of
  Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of
  disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the
  number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration
  panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km
  to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although
  it represents only 25% of what France had sought. The islands are
  heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living
  standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost
  economic prospects. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way
  for development of the energy sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $48.3 million
  note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60
  million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 18% industry: 41% services: 41% (1996 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $70 million
  expenditures: $60 million; including capital expenditures of $24
  million (1996 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and
crustaceans, fox and mink pelts

Exports - partners:
Spain 33.6%, Belgium 21.8%, India 18.3%, France 9.4%, US 7.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building
materials

Economic aid - recipient:
approximately $60 million in annual grants from France

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with
  most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic
  satellite system

Television broadcast stations: 0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Background:
  Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on St. Vincent
  until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most
  of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783.
  Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a
  separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies.
  Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Area:
  total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
  land: 389 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May
to November)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m

Natural hazards:
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a
constant threat

Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
  divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.7% (male 16,007/female 15,426)
  15-64 years: 66.9% (male 40,676/female 38,155)
  65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,315/female 4,269) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.9 years
  male: 26.7 years
  female: 27.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.85 years
  male: 71.99 years
  female: 75.77 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s)
adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Ethnic groups:
black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

Religions:
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day
Adventist, other Protestant

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 96%
  male: 96%
  female: 96% (1970 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Capital:
  name: Kingstown
  geographic coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint
George, Saint Patrick

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE
  (since 2 September 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29
  March 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by
  the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the
  governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives
  and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular
  vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.26%, NDP 44.68%;
  seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders:
  New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; Unity Labor Party or
  ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent
  Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
  ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines

Flag description:
  three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and
  green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V
  pattern

Economy - overview:
  Economic growth in this lower-middle-income country hinges upon
  seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors.
  Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994,
  1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered
  low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a
  small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international
  regulatory standards. Saint Vincent is also a producer of marijuana
  and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics
  from South America.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 26% industry: 17% services: 57% (1980 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $94.6 million
  expenditures: $85.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 69.3% hydro: 30.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis
racquets

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers,
minerals and fuels

Imports - partners:
France 36.1%, Singapore 12.5%, Italy 11.9%, Trinidad and Tobago
7.9%, US 7.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate system
  domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
  radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the
  Grenadines
  international: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from
  Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to
  Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through
  Saint Lucia

Merchant marine:
  total: 589 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,449,699 GRT/8,051,250 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 106, cargo 351, chemical tanker 5, container
  20, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5,
  passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 38, roll
  on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 529 (Bangladesh 1, Barbados 1, Belgium 3, Bulgaria
  17, Canada 6, China 103, Croatia 9, Cyprus 1, Czech Republic
  registered in other countries: 1 (Comoros 1) (2006)

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard (2005)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,204 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation

Background:
  New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at
  the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the
  islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when
  the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish
  independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western"
  from its name in 1997.

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to
October)

Terrain:
  two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and
  uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky,
  rugged mountains in interior

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 23,492/female 22,653)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 74,202/female 44,894)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 5,299/female 6,368) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 25.2 years
  male: 28.1 years
  female: 22 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.65 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 26.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71 years
  male: 68.2 years
  female: 73.94 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian
blood), Europeans 0.4%

Religions:
  Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%,
  Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist
  3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%,
  unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
  conventional short form: Samoa
  local long form: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
  local short form: Samoa
  former: Western Samoa

Capital:
  name: Apia
  geographic coordinates: 13 50 S, 171 45W
  time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga,
  Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga,
  Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

National holiday:
  Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962
  is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN
  trusteeship, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is celebrated

Legal system:
  based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of
  legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from
  1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA
  (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from
  1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when
  former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
  TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after
  TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of
  state on the prime minister's advice
  elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new
  chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve
  a five-year term (no term limits); following legislative elections,
  the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister
  by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by
  voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral
  districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or
  part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a
  village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to
  the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: election last held 31 March 2006 (next election to be
  held not later than March 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  HRPP 35, SDUP 10, independents 4

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles
Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi
  TUILA'EPA]; Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA];
  Samoa Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati]; Samoa Party
  or SP [Su'a Rimoni Ah CHONG]; Samoa Progressive Political Party or
  SPPP [Toeolesulusulu SIUEVA]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
  SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
  chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
  FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to
  Samoa
  embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor,
  Beach Road, Apia
  mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia, 0815
  telephone: [685] 21436/21452/21631/22696
  FAX: [685] 22030

Flag description:
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing
  five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross
  constellation

Economy - overview:
  The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on
  development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and
  fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms.
  Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90%
  of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The
  manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The
  decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism
  is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000
  tourists visited the islands in 2001. One factory in the Foreign
  Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical
  harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. The Samoan Government
  has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement
  of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same
  time protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility
  of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic
  advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the
  external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.4% industry: 58.4% services: 30.2% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $171.3 million
  expenditures: $78.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2001-02)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 58% hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts,
garments, beer

Imports - partners:
NZ 31%, Australia 22.6%, US 13.5%, Japan 7.5%, Fiji 6%, China 4.6%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
tala per US dollar - 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003),
3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
  by type: cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,306 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces;
  informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider
  any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship

Background:
  The third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco)
  also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to
  tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marino in
  301 A.D. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy.
  Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with
  those of its larger neighbor.

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m highest point: Monte Titano 755 m

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution

Geography - note:
landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See
and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.8% (male 2,534/female 2,372)
  15-64 years: 66.2% (male 9,316/female 10,055)
  65 years and over: 17% (male 2,149/female 2,825) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.6 years
  male: 40.3 years
  female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 81.71 years
  male: 78.23 years
  female: 85.5 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: 97%
  female: 95% (1976 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
  conventional short form: San Marino
  local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
  local short form: San Marino

Capital:
  name: San Marino
  geographic coordinates: 43 56 N, 12 25 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo
  Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino,
  Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle

Constitution:
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions
of a constitution

Legal system:
based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Cochiefs of State Captain Regent Antonio CARATTONI
  and Captain Regent Roberto GIORGETTI (for the period 1 October
  2006-31 March 2007)
  head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political
  Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 27 July 2006)
  cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council
  for a five-year term
  elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great
  and General Council for a six-month term; election last held in
  September 2006 (next to be held March 2007); secretary of state for
  foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General
  Council for a five-year term; election last held 13 December 2003
  (next to be held NA)
  election results: Antonio CARATTONI and Roberto GIORGETTI elected
  captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Fabio BERARDI
  elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs;
  percent of legislative vote - NA
  note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council)
  selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs
  of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the
  Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which
  has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council;
  assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the
  secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some of the
  prerogatives of a prime minister

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale
  (60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 4 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 32.9%, Party of
  Socialists and Democrats 31.9%, APDS 11.9%, United Left 8.7%, New
  Socialist Party 5.4%; seats by party - PDCS 21, Party of Socialists
  and Democrats 20, APDS 7, United Left 5, New Socialist Party 3,
  other 4

Political parties and leaders:
  Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in Movement or IM
  [Alessandro ROSSI]; National Alliance or AN; New Socialist Party;
  Party of Socialists and Democrats [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino
  Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Giovanni LONFERNINI]; San Marino
  Popular Alliance of Democrats or APDS [Roberto GIORGETTI]; San
  Marino Socialist Party or PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI]; Socialists for
  Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]; United Left

International organization participation:
  CE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
  honorary consulate(s) general: New York, Washington, DC
  honorary consulate(s): Detroit, Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul
General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the
  national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms
  has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a
  wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS
  (Liberty)

Economy - overview:
  The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 2000 more than 3
  million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking,
  wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main agricultural
  products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of output and
  standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous
  regions of Italy, which supplies much of its food.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1% industry: 42% services: 57% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $400 million
  expenditures: $400 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products: wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides

Exports - commodities: building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, ceramics

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate connections
  domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
  Italian system
  international: country code - 378; connected to Italian
  international network

Television broadcast stations:
1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from Italy) (1997)

Military branches:
  no regular military forces; Voluntary Military Force (Corpi
  Militari Voluntar) performs ceremonial duties and limited police
  functions (2006)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 135 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the
  islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the
  19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of
  which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was
  achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the
  late 1980s. Though the first free elections were held in 1991, the
  political environment has been one of continued instability with
  frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003.
  The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to have
  a significant impact on the country's economy.

Location:
Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the
Equator, west of Gabon

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a
chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 47.5% (male 46,478/female 45,302)
  15-64 years: 48.8% (male 45,631/female 48,661)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 3,368/female 3,973) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.2 years
  male: 15.6 years
  female: 16.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 41.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 39.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 67.31 years
  male: 65.73 years
  female: 68.95 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros
  (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from
  Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais
  born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)

Religions:
Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%,
other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79.3%
  male: 85%
  female: 62% (1991 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
  conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe
  local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe
  local short form: Sao Tome e Principe

Capital:
  name: Sao Tome
  geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995

Legal system:
based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September
  2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since
  21 April 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  proposal of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next
  to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National
  Assembly and approved by the president
  election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of
  vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats;
  members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP
  28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23,
  MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change
  Democratic Movement or MDFM; Independent Democratic Action or ADI
  [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and
  Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da
  COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA];
  Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ITU, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580 FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348 consulate(s): Atlanta

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and
  green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the
  center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the
  hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent
  on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has
  substantially declined in recent years because of drought and
  mismanagement, but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings
  in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods,
  consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it
  has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied
  heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome
  benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under
  the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program, and is expected
  to benefit from an additional round of HIPC debt relief in early
  2006, to help bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In
  August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty
  Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 million.
  Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry,
  and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent
  years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls
  and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development of
  petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf
  of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with
  Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a
  dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of
  more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP
  growth reached 6% in 2004, and also probably in 2005, as a result of
  increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.7% industry: 14.8% services: 68.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $26.39 million
  expenditures: $59.48 million; including capital expenditures of $54
  million (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 41.2% hydro: 58.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 61.1%, Belgium 9.2%, Turkey 5.5%, South Korea 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum
products

Exchange rates:
dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2005), (2004), 9,347.6 (2003),
9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate facilities
  domestic: minimal system
  international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527 GRT/29,823 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7
  foreign-owned: 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard,
Presidential Guard (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 33,438
females age 18-49: 35,279 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 25,950
females age 18-49: 28,660 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no
  resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating
  unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and
  maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years
  in tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a problem in
  the past, as has alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers, as
  reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being
  addressed with foreign assistance as initial steps towards the
  improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security
  concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the
  Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)

Background:
  In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and
  set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son
  of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law
  stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging
  sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's
  invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal
  family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops
  to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following
  year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after
  Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the
  royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete
  withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist
  attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and
  November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi
  government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also
  coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of
  government plans to phase in partial political representation. As
  part of this effort, the government permitted elections - held
  nationwide from February through April 2005 - for half the members
  of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning population, aquifer
  depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and
  prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of
Yemen

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,431 km
  border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman
  676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Environment - current issues:
  desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack
  of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the
  development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal
  pollution from oil spills

Geography - note:
  extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great
  leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and
  Suez Canal

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,261,530/female 5,059,041)
  15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,159,519/female 6,895,616)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 342,020/female 302,005) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.4 years
  male: 22.9 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.2 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.67 years
  male: 73.66 years
  female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 78.8%
  male: 84.7%
  female: 70.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  conventional short form: Saudi Arabia
  local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
  local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

Capital:
  name: Riyadh
  geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud
  ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash
  Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran,
  Tabuk

Constitution:
governed according to Shari'a law; the Basic Law that articulates
the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993

Legal system:
  based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been introduced;
  commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  adult male citizens age 21 or older
  note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial
  municipal council elections held nationwide from February through
  April 2005

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al
  Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin
  Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January
  1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz
  Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin
  Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January
  1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and
  includes many royal family members
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:
  Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman
  appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note - in October
  2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce
  elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies
  and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or
  Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years;
  in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs
  initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections
  held nationwide from February through April 2005

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW,
  OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador TURKI al-Faysal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
  chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113
  consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James C. OBERWETTER embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag description:
  green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or
  Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is
  no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white
  horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to
  the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al
  Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932

Economy - overview:
  This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over
  major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's
  proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of
  petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector
  accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of
  export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector.
  Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the
  Saudi economy, particularly, in the oil and service sectors. The
  government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the
  kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities
  for the swelling Saudi population. The government has begun to
  permit private sector and foreign investor participation in the
  power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to
  attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia
  acceded to the WTO in 2005 after many years of negotiations. With
  high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget
  surpluses, Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on
  job training and education, infrastructure development, and
  government salaries.

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 3.3%
  industry: 61.3%
  services: 35.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  6.76 million
  note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is
  non-national (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 12%
  industry: 25%
  services: 63% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates
range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $143.7 billion
  expenditures: $89.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens,
eggs, milk

Industries:
  crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals;
  ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement,
  fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial
  aircraft repair, construction

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 16.4%, Japan 16.1%, South Korea 9.1%, China 6.9%, Singapore
5.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles,
textiles

Imports - partners:
US 13%, Germany 9.5%, Japan 7.9%, China 7.3%, France 4.7%, Italy
4.2% (2005)

Economic aid - donor:
  pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon;
  since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance
  to the Palestinians; pledged $230 million to development in
  Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans
  to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in
  concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan
  earthquake relief

Exchange rates:
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75
(2003), 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system
  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
  fiber-optic cable systems
  international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain,
  Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to
  Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;
  satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian
  Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 73
  over 3,047 m: 32
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 135
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 75
  914 to 1,523 m: 40
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil
4,531 km; refined products 1,150 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 1,392 km
  standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and
  sidings) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 837,272 GRT/1,064,377 DWT
  by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo
  8, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9
  foreign-owned: 9 (Egypt 2, Kuwait 5, Sudan 1, UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 12, Comoros 3, Dominica
  3, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1, Liberia 24, Marshall
  Islands 1, Norway 3, Panama 8) (2006)

Military branches:
Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National
Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,648,999
females age 18-49: 5,417,922 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,592,709
females age 18-49: 4,659,347 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 247,334
females age 18-49: 234,500 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the
  Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty
  is almost complete; Saudi Arabia still maintains the concrete-filled
  pipe as a security barrier along sections of the border with Yemen
  in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi
  Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; the
  United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text
  rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a
  treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement
  was not formally ratified

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 240,000 (Palestinian Territories)
(2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Saudi Arabia is a destination country for
  workers from South and Southeast Asia who are subjected to
  conditions that constitute involuntary servitude including being
  subjected to physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages,
  confinement, and withholding of passports as a restriction on their
  movement; domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because some
  are confined to the house in which they work, unable to seek help;
  Saudi Arabia is also a destination country for Nigerian, Yemeni,
  Pakistani, Afghan, Somali, Malian, and Sudanese children trafficked
  for forced begging and involuntary servitude as street vendors; some
  Nigerian women were reportedly trafficked into Saudi Arabia for
  commercial sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Saudi Arabia does not fully comply with the
  minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
  making significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin,
  cocaine, and hashish; improving anti-money-laundering legislation
  and enforcement

Background:
  Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist
  Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was
  elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal
  confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration
  of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was
  dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has
  clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one
  of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history
  of participating in international peacekeeping.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,640 km
  border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau
  338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong
  southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot,
  dry, harmattan wind

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Environment - current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing

Geography - note:
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost
an enclave within Senegal

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,467,021/female 2,422,385)
  15-64 years: 56.1% (male 3,346,756/female 3,378,518)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 174,399/female 198,042) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.1 years
  male: 18.9 years
  female: 19.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 52.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 56.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 49.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 59.25 years
  male: 57.7 years
  female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%,
Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous
beliefs 1%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 40.2%
  male: 50%
  female: 30.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
  conventional short form: Senegal
  local long form: Republique du Senegal
  local short form: Senegal
  former: Senegambia (along with The Gambia); Mali Federation

Capital:
  name: Dakar
  geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick,
  Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies,
  Ziguinchor

Independence:
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence was
achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative
  acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the
  government's accounting office; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
  with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
  consultation with the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last
  held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19
  March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2007); prime minister
  appointed by the president
  election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote
  in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou
  DIOUF (PS) 41.51%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats;
  members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001,
  had 140 seats
  elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held 27 February
  2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to
  postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they
  will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or
Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders:
  African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also known as
  PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party of
  Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP
  [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP (also
  known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor
  Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for
  Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde
  Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party
  or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier
  DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE];
  Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition
  [Abdoulaye WADE] (a coalition led by the PDS); Union for Democratic
  Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
  UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA
  chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
  consulate(s) general: Houston, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Janice L. JACOBS
  embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
  mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
  telephone: [221] 823-4296
  FAX: [221] 822-2991

Flag description:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red
  with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band;
  uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic
  reform program with the support of the international donor
  community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's
  currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the
  French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been
  steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in
  1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform
  program, with real growth in GDP averaging over 5% annually during
  1995-2004. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single
  digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union
  (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with
  a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy.
  However, Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance.
  Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief
  program, Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its
  bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.2% industry: 20.9% services: 61.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 77% industry and services: 23% (1990 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 33.5% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.657 billion
  expenditures: $1.926 billion; including capital expenditures of $357
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green
vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Industries:
  agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer
  production, petroleum refining, construction materials, ship
  construction and repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners:
Mali 16.9%, India 13.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 6.1%, Italy 5.5%,
Gambia, The 4.6% (2005)

Imports - partners:
France 22.8%, Nigeria 11.4%, Brazil 4.5%, Thailand 4.3%, US 4.2%,
UK 4% (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good system
  domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial
  cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
  international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 11
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 13,576 km
  paved: 3,972 km (including 7 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,604 km (2003)

Military branches:
Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force
(Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,443,840
females age 18-49: 2,461,939 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,558,175
females age 18-49: 1,642,533 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 129,331
females age 18-49: 129,398 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem Senegalese citizens
  from the Casamance region fleeing separatist violence, cross border
  raids, and arms smuggling

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 19,778 (Mauritania)
  IDPs: 17,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in
  Casamance region) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and
  South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit
  cultivator of cannabis

Background:
  The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its
  name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi Germany
  in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands that fought each
  other as well as the invaders. The group headed by Josip TITO took
  full control of Yugoslavia upon German expulsion in 1945. Although
  Communist, his new government and its successors (he died in 1980)
  managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and
  the West for the next four and a half decades. In the early 1990s,
  post-TITO Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia,
  Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were recognized as
  independent states in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and
  Montenegro declared a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in
  April 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia led
  various military intervention efforts to unite ethnic Serbs in
  neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." These actions led to
  Yugoslavia being ousted from the UN in 1992, but Serbia continued
  its campaign until signing the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. In
  1998-99, massive expulsions by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries of
  ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo provoked an international
  response, including the NATO bombing of Belgrade and the stationing
  of a NATO-led force (KFOR), in Kosovo. Federal elections in the fall
  of 2000, brought about the ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed
  Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president. The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001
  allowed for his subsequent transfer to the International Criminal
  Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for
  crimes against humanity. In 2001, the country's suspension from the
  UN was lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations
  under the name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has
  been governed by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
  (UNMIK) since June 1999, under the authority of UN Security Council
  Resolution 1244, pending a determination by the international
  community of its future status. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin
  components of Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser
  relationship. In February 2003 lawmakers restructured the country
  into a loose federation of two republics called Serbia and
  Montenegro. The Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro
  included a provision that allowed either republic to hold a
  referendum after three years that would allow for their independence
  from the state union. In the spring of 2006, Montenegro took
  advantage of the provision to undertake a successful independence
  vote enabling it to secede on 3 June. Two days later, Serbia
  declared that it was the successor state to the union of Serbia and
  Montenegro.

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,027 km
  border countries: Albania 115 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 302 km,
  Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia 241 km, Hungary 151 km, Macedonia 221 km,
  Montenegro 203 km, Romania 476 km

Climate:
  in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid
  summers with well distributed rainfall); in other parts, continental
  and Mediterranean climate (hot, dry summers and autumns and
  relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall)

Terrain:
  extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east,
  limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and
  hills

Natural resources:
  oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, chromite,
  nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt,
  arable land

Environment - current issues: air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey
and the Near East

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74 years
  male: 71 years
  female: 76 years

Languages:
  Serbian (official nationwide); Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak,
  Ukrainian, and Croatian (all official in Vojvodina); Albanian
  (official in Kosovo)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.4%
  male: 98.9%
  female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Serbia
  conventional short form: Serbia
  local long form: Republika Srbija
  local short form: Srbija
  former: People's Republic of Serbia, Socialist Republic of Serbia

Capital:
  name: Belgrade
  geographic coordinates: 44 50 N, 20 30 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  29 districts (okrugov; singular - okrug), 1 capital city*
  Serbia Proper: Belgrad*, Bor, Branicevo, Jablanica, Kolubara, Macva,
  Moravica, Nisava, Pcinja, Pirot, Podunavlje, Pomoravlje, Rasina,
  Raska, Sumadija, Toplica, Zajecar, Zlatibor
  Vojvodina Autonomous Province: Central Banat, North Backa, North
  Banat, South Backa, South Banat, Srem, West Backa
  Kosovo and Metojia Autonomous Province: Kosovo, Kosovska-Mitrovica,
  Kosovo-Pomoravlje, Pec, Prizren

Constitution:
  28 September 1990; note - a new draft constitution approved by
  Parliament on 30 September 2006 stresses that Kosovo is an integral
  part of Serbia; the draft must still be approved by a national
  referendum

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Boris TADIC (since 11 July 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Vojislav KOSTUNICA (since 3 March
  2004)
  cabinet: Federal Ministries act as cabinet
  elections: president elected by direct vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 27 June 2004 (next
  to be held June 2009); prime minister elected by the Assembly
  election results: Boris TADIC elected president in the second round
  of voting; Boris TADIC received 53% of the vote

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (250 deputies elected by direct vote
  for a four-year term)
  elections: last held 28 December 2003 (next to be held December 2007)
  election results: SRS 83, DSS 53, DS 37, G17 Plus 34, SPO-NS 22, SPS
  22

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA]; Democratic
  Party or DS [Boris TADIC]; G17 Plus [Mladjan DINKIC is acting
  leader]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Vojislav SESELJ, but Tomislav
  NIKOLIC is acting leader]; Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS [vacant,
  but Ivica DACIC is head of the SPS Main Board]; New Serbia or NS
  [Velimir ILIC]; Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO [Vuk DRASKOVIC]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD (suspended), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan VUJACIC chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333 FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael C. POLT embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070 telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344 FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230 note: there is a branch office in Pristina at 30 Nazim Hikmet 38000 Prstina, Kososvo; telephone: [381] (38) 549-516; FAX:[381] (38) 549-890

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white;
  charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the
  hoist side

Economy - overview:
  MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of
  economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure
  and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left the economy
  only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of former
  Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the Democratic
  Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented
  stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform program.
  After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, a
  down-sized Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the
  international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the
  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World
  Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June
  2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. In November
  2001, the Paris Club agreed to reschedule the country's $4.5 billion
  public debt and wrote off 66% of the debt. In July 2004, the London
  Club of private creditors forgave $1.7 billion of debt, just over
  half the total owed. Belgrade has made only minimal progress in
  restructuring and privatizing its holdings in major sectors of the
  economy, including energy and telecommunications. It has made
  halting progress towards EU membership and is currently pursuing a
  Stabilization and Association Agreement with Brussels. Serbia is
  also pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization.
  Unemployment remains an ongoing political and economic problem. The
  Republic of Montenegro severed its economy from Serbia during the
  MILOSEVIC era; therefore, the formal separation of Serbia and
  Montenegro in June 2006 had little real impact on either economy.
  Kosovo's economy continues to transition to a market-based system
  and is largely dependent on the international community and the
  diaspora for financial and technical assistance. The euro and the
  Yugoslav dinar are both accepted currencies in Kosovo. While
  maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU
  and Kosovo's local provisional government to accelerate economic
  growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment to help
  Kosovo integrate into regional economic structures. The complexity
  of Serbia and Kosovo's political and legal relationships has created
  uncertainty over property rights and hindered the privatization of
  state-owned assets in Kosovo. Most of Kosovo's population lives in
  rural towns outside of the largest city, Pristina. Inefficient,
  near-subsistence farming is common.
  note: economic data for Serbia currently reflects information for
  the former Serbia and Montenegro, unless otherwise noted; data for
  Serbia alone will be added when available

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$41.15 billion for Serbia (including Kosovo) (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.19 billion for Serbia alone (excluding Kosovo) (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.6% industry: 25.5% services: 57.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 46% services: 24% note: excluding Kosovo and Montenegro (2002)

Unemployment rate:
31.6%
note: unemployment is approximately 50% in Kosovo (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
30%
note: data covers the former Serbia and Montenegro (1999 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $11.45 billion
  expenditures: $11.12 billion; including capital expenditures $NA;
  note - figures are for Serbia and Montenegro; Serbian Statistical
  Office indicates that for 2006 budget, Serbia will have revenues of
  $7.08 billion (2005 est.)

Industries:
sugar, agricultural machinery, electrical and communication
equipment, paper and pulp, lead, transportation equipment

Electricity - production:
33.87 billion kWh (excluding Kosovo and Montenegro) (2004)

Electricity - exports:
12.05 billion kWh (excluding Kosovo; exported to Montenegro) (2004)

Electricity - imports:
11.23 billion kWh (excluding Kosovo; imports from Montenegro) (2004)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, food and live animals, machinery and transport
equipment

Economic aid - recipient:
  $2 billion pledged in 2001 to Serbia and Montenegro (disbursements
  to follow over several years; aid pledged by EU and US has been
  placed on hold because of lack of cooperation by Serbia in handing
  over General Ratco MLADIC to the criminal court in The Hague)

Currency (code):
new Yugoslav dinar (YUM); note - in Kosovo both the euro and the
Yugoslav dinar are legal

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network
  has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999 war and
  transition to a competitive market-based system; network was only
  65% digitalized in 2005
  domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring
  states; GSM wireless service, available through two providers with
  national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications
  service limited to urban centers
  international: country code - 381

Internet country code:
.rs; note - former ccTLD .yu will remain in service until the end
of 2006

Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Railways: total: 4,135 km standard guage: 4,135 km 1.435-m guage (electrified 1,195 km) (2005)

Military branches:
  Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Serbian Land Forces
  (Kopnene Vojska, KoV), Air Force and Air Defense Force
  (Vozduhoplostvo i Protivozduhoplovna Odbrana, ViPO), naval force to
  be determined (2006)

Military service age and obligation: peacetime service obligation begins at age 17 and lasts until age 60 for men and 50 for women; under a state of war or impending war, the obligation can begin at age 16 and be extended beyond 60 (2006)

Disputes - international:
  the final status of the Serbian province of Kosovo remains
  unresolved and several thousand peacekeepers from the UN Interim
  Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) have administered the
  region since 1999, with Kosovar Albanians overwhelmingly supporting
  and Serbian officials opposing Kosovo independence; the
  international community had agreed to begin a process to determine
  final status but contingency of solidifying multi-ethnic democracy
  in Kosovo has not been satisfied; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo refuse
  demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the
  2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Serbia
  and Montenegro delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and
  Herzegovina, but sections with Serbia along the Drina River remain
  in dispute

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 180,117 (Croatia); 95,297 (Bosnia and
  Herzegovina)
  IDPs: 225,000 - 251,000 (mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled
  Kosovo in 1999) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western
Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering

Background:
  A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands
  ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came
  in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new
  constitution and free elections in 1993. The most recent
  presidential elections were held in 2001; President RENE, who had
  served since 1977, was re-elected. In April 2004 RENE stepped down
  and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in as president.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
  tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon
  (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon
  (March to May)

Terrain:
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others
are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

Natural hazards:
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short
droughts possible

Environment - current issues:
water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.9% (male 10,667/female 10,440)
  15-64 years: 68% (male 27,060/female 28,366)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,607/female 3,401) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.1 years
  male: 27 years
  female: 29.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.08 years
  male: 66.69 years
  female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.1%,
  other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian
  1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)

Languages:
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2%
(2002 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.9%
  male: 91.4%
  female: 92.3% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
  conventional short form: Seychelles
  local long form: Republic of Seychelles
  local short form: Seychelles

Capital:
  name: Victoria
  geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse
  Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau
  Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe),
  Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont
  Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint
  Louis, Takamaka

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006
  (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent
  of vote - James MICHEL (SPPF) 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 45.71%,
  Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which
  President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as
  president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in
  April 2004

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25
  elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to
  parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held in December
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%,
  DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE]; Mouvement
  Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL]; Seychelles National
  Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the United Opposition or
  UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert
  RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC,
  Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jeremie BONNELAME
  chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
  FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to
Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles

Flag description:
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and
green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean
  archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old
  near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector,
  which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than
  70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years
  the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade
  hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has
  moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the
  development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
  Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in
  1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War, and once again following the 11
  September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Growth slowed in
  1998-2002, and fell in 2003, due to sluggish tourist and tuna
  sectors, but resumed in 2004, erasing a persistent budget deficit.
  Growth turned negative again in 2005. Tight controls on exchange
  rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term
  economic prospects. The black-market value of the Seychelles rupee
  is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the
  currency, the tourist sector may remain sluggish as vacationers seek
  cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.2% industry: 30.4% services: 66.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 19% services: 71% (1989)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $343.3 million
  expenditures: $332.2 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca),
bananas; poultry; tuna

Industries:
fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut
fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products
(reexports)

Exports - partners:
UK 23%, Spain 19.6%, France 11.4%, Japan 9.7%, Italy 7.4%, Germany
5.7%, Netherlands 5.4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 16.7%, Spain 14.9%, Singapore 7.6%, France 7.5%, Italy
6.2%, South Africa 6.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004), 5.4007
(2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: effective system
  domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
  archipelago
  international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone
  communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal
  countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/113,501 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4
  foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Navy Wing,
Air Wing), National Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 21,612
females age 18-49: 22,459 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 16,122
females age 18-49: 18,777 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

Background:
  The government is slowly reestablishing its authority after the
  1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths
  and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third
  of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December
  2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces,
  but a new civilian UN office remains to support the government.
  Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections, deteriorating
  political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous
  security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to
  continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea
and Liberia

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter
dry season (December to April)

Terrain:
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland
plateau, mountains in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

Natural hazards:
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to
February); sandstorms, dust storms

Environment - current issues:
  rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting
  of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn
  agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion;
  civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year,
making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,321,563/female 1,370,721)
  15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,502/female 1,625,733)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 90,958/female 101,773) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.4 years
  male: 17.1 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly
  returning (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 160.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 142.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 40.22 years
  male: 38.05 years
  female: 42.46 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%),
  Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were
  settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees
  from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans,
  Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Languages:
  English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende
  (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in
  the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of
  freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a
  lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but
  understood by 95%)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende,
  Temne, or Arabic
  total population: 29.6%
  male: 39.8%
  female: 20.5% (2000 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
  conventional short form: Sierra Leone
  local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
  local short form: Sierra Leone

Capital:
  name: Freetown
  geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Legal system:
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996,
  reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March
  1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the
  chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
  approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
  to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next
  to be held 28 July 2007)
  election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of
  vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12
  filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC
  22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2

Political parties and leaders:
  All People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and Liberation Party
  or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; Sierra Leone
  People's Party or SLPP [Sama BANYA]; numerous others

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA
  chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485 FAX: [232] (22) 225471

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light
blue

Economy - overview:
  Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous
  inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial
  mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and
  social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social
  disorders continue to hamper economic development. About two-thirds
  of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture.
  Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and
  of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond
  mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings,
  accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of
  the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the
  continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential
  to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government
  revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth
  Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce
  inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a
  revival of economic activity, such as the rehabilitation of bauxite
  mining.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 49% industry: 31% services: 21% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)

Budget:
  revenues: $96 million
  expenditures: $351 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry,
cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries:
  diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles,
  cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship
  repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Germany 18.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.2%, UK 8.5%, US 6.9%, China 5.6%,
Netherlands 5.4%, South Africa 4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
leones per US dollar - 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9
(2003), 2,099 (2002), 1,986.2 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service
  domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
  Freetown to Bo and Kenema
  international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 9
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 54 ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, combination
  ore/oil 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1,
  UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air
Wing, Maritime Wing)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Disputes - international:
  domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth
  gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone perpetuate
  insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic
  conflicts, and refugees in border areas; UN Mission in Sierra Leone
  (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone
  since 1999; Sierra Leone pressures Guinea to remove its forces from
  the town of Yenga occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 65,433 (Liberia) (2005)

Background:
  Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It
  joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years
  later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of
  the world's most prosperous countries with strong international
  trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of
  tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the
  leading nations of Western Europe.

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as
  defined in treaties and practice

Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons -
  Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon
  (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early
  evening thunderstorms

Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment
area and nature preserve

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m

Environment - current issues:
  industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources;
  limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal
  smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.6% (male 362,329/female 337,964)
  15-64 years: 76.1% (male 1,666,709/female 1,750,736)
  65 years and over: 8.3% (male 165,823/female 208,589) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 37.3 years
  male: 36.9 years
  female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 2.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 81.71 years
  male: 79.13 years
  female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)

Religions:
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%,
other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census)

Languages:
  Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese
  5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other
  0.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.5%
  male: 96.6%
  female: 88.6% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
  conventional short form: Singapore
  local long form: Republic of Singapore
  local short form: Singapore

Capital:
  name: Singapore
  geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Constitution:
3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of
Singapore Constitution)

Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President S. R. NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
  note: uses S. R. NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal
  communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN
  head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005);
  Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister
  Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004)
  cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament
  elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; last
  appointed 17 August 2005 - see note (next election to be held by
  August 2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority
  party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime
  minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
  election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN appointed president
  in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified
  three other would-be candidates; scheduled election not held

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine
  nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest
  to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member
  elections: last held 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%,
  SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the
  advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the
  president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders:
  People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore
  Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic
  Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee
  Lian]
  note: SDA includes National Solidarity Party or NSP, Singapore
  Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS,
  Singapore People's Party or SPP

International organization participation:
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 consulate(s) general: San Francisco consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist
  side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed
  portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white
  five-pointed stars arranged in a circle

Economy - overview:
  Singapore, a highly-developed and successful free-market economy,
  enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable
  prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the four largest West
  European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports,
  particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in
  2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the technology
  sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
  (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending. The
  government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less
  vulnerable to the external business cycle and will continue efforts
  to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech
  hub. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and
  internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004, with real GDP
  rising by 8% - by far the economy's best performance since 2000 -
  but growth slowed to 5.7% in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0% industry: 33.9% services: 66.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 39%, other 26% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $18.67 billion
  expenditures: $18.21 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.1
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish,
ornamental fish

Industries:
  electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment,
  petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed
  food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction,
  life sciences, entrepot trade

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Natural gas - imports: 2.5 billion cu m note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods,
chemicals, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:
Malaysia 14.7%, US 11.5%, Indonesia 10.7%, Hong Kong 10.4%, China
9.5%, Japan 6%, Thailand 4.5%, Australia 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Malaysia 14.4%, US 12.4%, China 10.8%, Japan 10.1%, Indonesia 5.5%,
Saudi Arabia 4.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004),
1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent service
  domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless
  service in February 2005
  international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct
  connection to more than 100 countries; 4 satellite earth stations,
  supplemented by VSAT coverage

Television broadcast stations: 1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception of numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia; note - digital TV for reception in public spaces and transportation is transmitted from 10 sites (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 9 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways: total: 3,234 km paved: 3,234 km (including 150 km of expressways) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,063 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,033,735 GRT/49,715,650 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 155, cargo 87, chemical tanker 136, container
  214, liquefied gas 53, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1,
  petroleum tanker 353, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2,
  specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40
  foreign-owned: 592 (Australia 7, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 12, China 23,
  Denmark 52, Germany 9, Greece 9, Hong Kong 50, India 5, Indonesia
  56, Italy 2, Japan 100, South Korea 17, Malaysia 35, Netherlands 2,
  Norway 90, Philippines 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Taiwan 59, Thailand
  22, UAE 7, UK 9, US 7)
  registered in other countries: 285 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas
  12, Belize 6, Bolivia 3, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1,
  Dominica 9, France 2, Honduras 11, Hong Kong 24, Indonesia 17, Isle
  of Man 7, North Korea 1, Liberia 28, Malaysia 44, Marshall Islands
  6, Mongolia 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 67, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 5, Thailand 6, Tuvalu 6, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)

Military branches:
Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force
(includes Air Defense) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation reduced to 24 months beginning December 2004 (2004)

Disputes - international:
  disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to
  Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge
  construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau
  Batu Putih - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute
  within three years; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to
  finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining
  unresolved areas north of Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in
  the Malacca Strait

Illicit drugs:
  as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is
  vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for
  money laundering

Background:
  The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of
  World War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related Czechs
  to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II,
  Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern
  Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once
  more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate
  peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU
  in the spring of 2004.

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,524 km
  border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677
  km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km

Terrain:
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in
the south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m
highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

Natural resources:
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and
manganese ore; salt; arable land

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health
risks; acid rain damaging forests

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the
  Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes
  and valleys

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 465,304/female 443,967)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 1,929,448/female 1,947,735)
  65 years and over: 12% (male 244,609/female 408,385) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35.8 years
  male: 34.2 years
  female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.73 years
  male: 70.76 years
  female: 78.89 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%,
other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic 4.1%, other
or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)

Languages:
Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%,
other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.6% (2001 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Slovak Republic
  conventional short form: Slovakia
  local long form: Slovenska Republika
  local short form: Slovensko

Capital:
  name: Bratislava
  geographic coordinates: 48 09 N, 17 07 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky,
Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky

Independence:
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia)

Constitution:
  ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993; changed in
  September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended
  February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership

Legal system:
  civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; legal code modified
  to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and
  Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal
  theory

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 4 July 2006);
  Deputy Prime Ministers Dusan CAPLOVIC, Robert KALINAK, Stefan
  HARABIN, Jan MIKOLAJ (since 4 July 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 April and 17
  April 2004 (next to be held April 2009); following National Council
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
  president
  election results: Ivan GASPAROVIC elected president in runoff;
  percent of vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 59.9%, Vladimir MECIAR 40.1%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada
  Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of
  proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 June 2006 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Smer 29.1%, SDKU 18.4%,
  SNS 11.7%, SMK 11.7%, LS-HZDS 8.8%, KDH 8.3%; seats by party - Smer
  50, SDKU 31, SNS 20, SMK 20, LS-HZDS 15, KDH 14

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council);
  Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of
  nominees approved by the National Council); Special Court (judges
  elected by a council of judges and appointed by president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY];
  Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SD [Robert FICO]; Free Forum
  [Zuzana MARTINAKOVA]; Movement for Democracy or HZD [Jozef GRAPA];
  People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or LS-HZDS
  [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party
  of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; People's Union or LU
  [Gustav KRAJCI]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Vladimir DADO];
  Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA];
  Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic;
  Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade
  Unions or KOZ

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI,
  CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security
  Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER
  chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
  FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rodolphe "Skip" M. VALLEE
  embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
  mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava
  telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338
  FAX: [421] (2) 5443-0096

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
  superimposed with the coat of arms of Slovakia (consisting of a red
  shield bordered in white and bearing a white Cross of Lorraine
  surmounting three blue hills); the coat of arms is centered
  vertically and offset slightly to the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a
  centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA
  government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic
  stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly
  complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands,
  and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom
  with business-friendly policies, such as labor market liberalization
  and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in the automotive sector has
  been strong. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in
  2001-05, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an
  unacceptable 18% in 2003-04, dropped to 16.4% in 2005, but remains
  the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5% industry: 29.4% services: 67.2% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services 55.9% (2003)

Population below poverty line:
At-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers: 21%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 20.9% (1992)

Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry;
forest products

Industries:
  metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas,
  coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery;
  paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles;
  textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 30.3% hydro: 16% nuclear: 53.6% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%, base
metals 14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4% (2004)

Exports - partners:
Germany 26.2%, Czech Republic 14.1%, Austria 7.1%, Italy 6.7%,
Poland 6.3%, Hungary 5.7% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment 41.1%, intermediate manufactured
  goods 19.3%, fuels 12.3%, chemicals 9.8%, miscellaneous manufactured
  goods 10.2% (2003)

Imports - partners:
Germany 25.1%, Czech Republic 19.3%, Russia 10.5%, Austria 6.1%,
Poland 4.7%, Hungary 4.6%, Italy 4.5% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.9 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion
funds (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
koruny per US dollar - 31.018 (2005), 32.257 (2004), 36.773 (2003),
45.327 (2002), 48.355 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: a modernization and privatization program is
  increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing the waiting
  time for new subscribers, and generally improving service quality
  domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
  digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
  especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
  added
  international: country code - 421; three international exchanges
  (one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available;
  Slovakia is participating in several international
  telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of
  external services

Television broadcast stations:
6 national broadcasting, 7 regional, 67 local (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 18 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 3,662 km
  broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
  standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 42,993 km
  paved: 37,533 km (including 316 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 5,460 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 43 ships (1000 GRT or over) 217,819 GRT/309,049 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 36, chemical tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 40 (Bulgaria 7, Estonia 1, Greece 4, Israel 7, Poland
  2, Syria 2, Turkey 8, UK 1, Ukraine 8)
  registered in other countries: 2 (Cyprus 1, Georgia 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej
  Republiky): Land Forces (Pozemne Sily), Air Forces (Vzdusne Sily),
  Training and Support Forces (Vycviku a Podpory Sily) (2005)

Military service age and obligation: complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force went into effect at the beginning of 2006 after 140 years of mandatory army service; volunteers include women, with minimum age of 17 years (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,351,848
females age 18-49: 1,322,647 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,089,645
females age 18-49: 1,093,077 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 41,544
females age 18-49: 40,183 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Hungary amended its status law extending special social and
  cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, to which
  Slovakia had protested; consultations continue between Slovakia and
  Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion of the
  Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a
  member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovakia
  must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western
Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market

Background:
  The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until
  the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the
  Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational
  state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II,
  Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though
  Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with
  the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded
  in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war.
  Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable
  democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern
  state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of
  2004.

Location:
Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
Austria and Croatia

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,382 km
  border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Hungary 102 km,
  Italy 280 km

Climate:
  Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild
  to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the
  east

Terrain:
  a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region
  adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with
  numerous rivers to the east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Triglav 2,864 m

Natural resources:
lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower,
forests

Environment - current issues: Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some
of Europe's major transit routes

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 13.8% (male 143,079/female 135,050)
  15-64 years: 70.5% (male 714,393/female 702,950)
  65 years and over: 15.7% (male 121,280/female 193,595) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.6 years
  male: 39 years
  female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.33 years
  male: 72.63 years
  female: 80.29 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or
unspecified 12% (2002 census)

Religions:
Catholic 57.8%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 2.4%,
unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)

Languages:
Slovenian 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%
(2002 census)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
  conventional short form: Slovenia
  local long form: Republika Slovenija
  local short form: Slovenija
  former: People's Republic of Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Slovenia

Capital:
  name: Ljubljana
  geographic coordinates: 46 03 N, 14 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  182 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban
  municipalities* (mestne obcine , singular - mestna obcina )
  Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke,
  Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica,
  Cankova, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno,
  Cerkvenjak, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca,
  Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec,
  Dobrovnik-Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale,
  Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja
  Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina,
  Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos-Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina,
  Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola-Isola, Jesenice,
  Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje,
  Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Koper-Capodistria*, Kostel, Kozje, Kranj*,
  Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart,
  Lendava-Lendva, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska
  Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk,
  Maribor*, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na
  Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Moravce,
  Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje,
  Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica,
  Pesnica, Piran-Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka,
  Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Ptuj*, Puconci,
  Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na
  Koroskem, Razkrizje, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogasovci, Rogaska
  Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Salovci, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic,
  Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju,
  Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*,
  Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob
  Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sostanj, Starse,
  Store, Sveta Ana, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij,
  Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic,
  Trzin, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej,
  Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica,
  Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica,
  Zuzemberk, Zrece
  note: there may be 45 more municipalities

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Janez DRNOVSEK (since 22 December 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Janez JANSA (since 9 November
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  elected by the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 November and 1
  December 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2007); following
  National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority party or the
  leader of a majority coalition is usually nominated to become prime
  minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly;
  election last held 9 November 2004 (next National Assembly elections
  to be held October 2008)
  election results: Janez DRNOVSEK elected president; percent of vote
  - Janez DRNOVSEK 56.5%, Barbara BREZIGAR 43.5%; Janez JANSA elected
  prime minister; National Assembly vote - 57 to 27

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consisting of a National Assembly or Drzavni
  Zbor (90 seats; 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected on a
  proportional basis; note - the numbers of directly elected and
  proportionally elected seats varies with each election; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the National
  Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; this is primarily an advisory
  body with limited legislative powers; it may propose laws, ask to
  review any National Assembly decisions, and call national referenda;
  members - representing social, economic, professional, and local
  interests - are indirectly elected to five-year terms by an
  electoral college)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 3 October 2004 (next to be
  held October 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - SDS 29.1%, LDS 22.8%,
  ZLSD 10.2%, NSi 9%, SLS 6.8%, SNS 6.3%, DeSUS 4.1%, other 11.7%;
  seats by party - SDS 29, LDS 23, ZLSD 10, NSi 9, SLS 7, SNS 6, DeSUS
  4, Hungarian and Italian minorities 1 each

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly on the
  recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court
  (judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and
  nominated by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of Slovenia or DeSUS [Karl
  ERJAVEC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Jelko KACIN]; New
  Slovenia or NSi [Andrej BAJUK]; Slovenian Democratic Party or SDS
  [Janez JANSA]; Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC];
  Slovene People's Party or SLS [Janez PODOBNIK]; Slovene Youth Party
  or SMS [Darko KRANJC]; Social Democrats or SD [Borut PAHOR]

International organization participation: ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ZBOGAR chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363 FAX: [1] (202) 667-4563 consulate(s) general: Cleveland, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas B. ROBERTSON embassy: Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana mailing address: American Embassy Ljubljana, US Department of State, 7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140 telephone: [386] (1) 200-5500 FAX: [386] (1) 200-5555

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with
  the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's
  highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center;
  beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and
  above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted
  triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of
  Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early
  15th centuries); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the
  flag centered in the white and blue bands

Economy - overview:
  With its small transition economy and population of approximately
  two million, Slovenia is a model of economic success and stability
  for its neighbors in the former Yugoslavia. The country, which
  joined the EU in 2004, has excellent infrastructure, a well-educated
  work force, and an excellent central location. It enjoys a GDP per
  capita substantially higher than any of the other transitioning
  economies of Central Europe. In March 2004, Slovenia became the
  first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor
  partner at the World Bank. Slovenia plans to adopt the euro by 2007
  and has met the EU's Maastricht criteria for inflation. Despite its
  economic success, Slovenia faces growing challenges. Much of the
  economy remains in state hands and foreign direct investment (FDI)
  in Slovenia is one of the lowest in the EU on a per capita basis.
  Taxes are relatively high, the labor market is often seen as
  inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more
  competitive firms in China, India, and elsewhere. The current
  center-right government, elected in October 2004, has pledged to
  accelerate privatization of a number of large state holdings and is
  interested in increasing FDI in Slovenia. In late 2005, the
  government's new Committee for Economic Reforms was elevated to
  cabinet-level status. The Committee's program includes plans for
  lowering the tax burden, privatizing state-controlled firms,
  improving the flexibility of the labor market, and increasing the
  government's efficiency.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.8% industry: 36.9% services: 60.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.8% industry: 39.1% services: 56.1% (2004)

Population below poverty line:
At-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers: 10% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 21.4% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $16.02 billion
  expenditures: $16.73 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep,
poultry

Industries:
  ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting;
  electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power
  equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 35.2% hydro: 27.3% nuclear: 36.8% other: 0.7% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
food

Exports - partners:
Germany 19.9%, Italy 12.7%, Croatia 9.4%, Austria 8.1%, France 8.1%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals,
fuels and lubricants, food

Imports - partners:
Germany 19.5%, Italy 18.6%, Austria 12%, France 7.2%, Croatia 4.2%
(2005)

Economic aid - recipient: $484 million in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Exchange rates:
tolars per US dollar - 192.71 (2005), 192.38 (2004), 207.11 (2003),
240.25 (2002), 242.75 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: 100% digital (2000)
  international: country code - 386

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Railways:
total: 1,229 km
standard gauge: 1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (504 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 38,400 km
paved: 38,400 km (including 477 km of expressways) (2003)

Merchant marine:
  registered in other countries: 26 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas
  1, Cyprus 4, Georgia 1, Liberia 2, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 3,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Singapore 1) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in 2003 (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 496,929
females age 17-49: 483,959 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 405,593
females age 17-49: 397,167 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 12,816
females age 17-49: 12,178 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which
  would have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia
  and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in dispute;
  as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border,
  Slovenia must implement the strict Schengen border rules to curb
  illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while
  encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia

Illicit drugs:
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound
for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals

Background:
  The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the
  1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on
  this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and
  independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government
  malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil
  society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the
  assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the
  following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to
  restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance
  Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in
  restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua
New Guinea

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Natural hazards:
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with
frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs
are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean,
the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.3% (male 116,370/female 111,834)
  15-64 years: 55.4% (male 154,793/female 151,308)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,696/female 9,437) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.7 years
  female: 19 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 20.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.91 years
  male: 70.4 years
  female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%,
unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)

Religions:
  Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas
  Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%,
  Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%,
  unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)

Languages:
  Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English
  is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
  note: 120 indigenous languages

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Solomon Islands
  local long form: none
  local short form: Solomon Islands
  former: British Solomon Islands

Capital:
  name: Honiara
  geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
  time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul,
  Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona,
  Temotu, Western

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 4 May
  2006); note - Prime Minister Snyder RINI, elected on 18 April 2006
  and sworn in on 20 April 2006, resigned on 26 April prior to no
  confidence vote in parliament; SOGAVARE elected on 4 May
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
  general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
  of Parliament
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five
  years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections,
  the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority
  coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from
  single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%,
  SIPRA 6.3%, Democratic 4.9%, PAP 6.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, Liberal 5%,
  SOCRED 4.3%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4,
  SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2,
  independents 30

Political parties and leaders:
  Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian
  Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John
  GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or
  PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh
  Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon
  Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party
  or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew
  ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA
  [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]
  note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid
  coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note -
  these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a
  wave of violence from 1999 to 2003

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF,
  Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
  chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
  FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed
  July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the
  Solomon Islands

Flag description:
  divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower
  hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five
  white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower
  triangle is green

Government - note:
  June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the intervention
  of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the
  request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, NZ,
  Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003; by 2006, the
  Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been
  scaled back to 259 police officers and 20 military, in addition to
  civilian technical advisers; in response to rioting that broke out
  in mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an addtional 220 troops and
  70 police officers to help restore order

Economy - overview:
  The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and
  forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most manufactured
  goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich
  in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and
  gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the
  Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key
  businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic
  collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period
  of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 75% industry: 5% services: 20% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $49.7 million
  expenditures: $75.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (2003)

Agriculture - products: cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
China 40.7%, South Korea 13.2%, Thailand 6.9%, Japan 6.3%,
Philippines 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Australia 25.8%, Singapore 25.3%, NZ 4.6%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New
Guinea 4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$122 million annually, mainly from Australia (2004 est.)

Exchange rates:
Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847
(2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 6,033 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to
  the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon
  Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and
  reinforce regional security

Background: Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 in order to allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that managed to impose a degree of stability in the country for a couple of decades. After the regime's overthrow early in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides toward reconstructing a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. A two-year peace process, led by the Government of Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as Transitional Federal President of Somalia and the formation of a transitional government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). The Somalia TFIs include a 275-member parliamentary body, known as the Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA), a transitional Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed GHEDI, and a 90-member cabinet. The TFIs are currently divided between Mogadishu and Jowhar, but discussions to co-locate the TFIs in one city are ongoing. Suspicion of Somali links with global terrorism further complicates the picture.

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean,
east of Ethiopia

Land boundaries: total: 2,340 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Climate:
  principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February),
  moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; southwest
  monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south,
  irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between
  monsoons

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m

Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in
summer; floods during rainy season

Environment - current issues:
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health
problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography - note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to
Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

Population:
  8,863,338
  note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in
  1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is
  complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements
  in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.4% (male 1,973,294/female 1,961,083)
  15-64 years: 53% (male 2,355,861/female 2,342,988)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 97,307/female 132,805) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.6 years
  male: 17.5 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 114.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 124.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 105.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 48.47 years
  male: 46.71 years
  female: 50.28 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 37.8%
  male: 49.7%
  female: 25.8% (2001 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Somalia
  local long form: Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
  local short form: Soomaaliya
  former: Somali Republic; Somali Democratic Republic

Government type:
no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary
federal government

Capital:
  name: Mogadishu
  geographic coordinates: 2 04 N, 45 22 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool,
  Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe,
  Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha
  Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Independence:
  1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became
  independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland,
  which became independent from the Italian-administered UN
  trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

National holiday:
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June
(1960) in Somaliland

Constitution:
  25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
  note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as
  the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing

Legal system:
  no national system; Shari'a (Islamic) and secular courts based on
  Somali customary law (xeer) are present in some localities; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Transitional Federal President Abdullahi YUSUF
  Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a transitional governing
  entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional Federal
  Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the TFI
  relocated to Somalia in June 2004, but its members remain divided
  between Mogadishu and Jowhar inside Somalia, and the government
  continues to struggle to establish effective governance in the
  country
  head of government: Prime Minister Ali Mohamed GEDI (since 24
  December 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the
  Transitional Federal Assembly
  election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the former leader of the
  semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by
  the Transitional Federal Assembly

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly
  note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal
  Assembly; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each
  of four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye)
  with the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans

Judicial branch:
  following the breakdown of the central government, most regions
  have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular,
  traditional Somali customary law, or Shari'a (Islamic) law with a
  provision for appeal of all sentences

Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous clan and sub-clan factions are currently vying for power

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
  IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8
  May 1991); note - the TFG and other factions have representatives in
  Washington and at the United Nations

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are
  represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations
  Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831;
  telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157

Flag description:
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue
field influenced by the flag of the UN

Government - note:
  although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional
  and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various
  cities and regions of the country, including the self-declared
  Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia, the semi-autonomous
  State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia, and traditional clan and
  faction strongholds

Economy - overview:
  Somalia's economic fortunes are driven by its deep political
  divisions. The northwestern area has declared its independence as
  the "Republic of Somaliland"; the northeastern region of Puntland is
  a semi-autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is
  riddled with the struggles of rival factions. Economic life
  continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively
  easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with
  livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of
  export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's ban on Somali livestock, due to
  Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads
  and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their
  livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock,
  hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports,
  while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the
  principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the
  processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and
  sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service
  sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms
  provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest
  international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a
  formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted
  throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion
  in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of
  goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to
  operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing civil
  disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any
  broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements.
  Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to grow in 2005. Statistics
  on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be
  viewed skeptically. In late December 2004, a major tsunami caused an
  estimated 150 deaths and resulted in destruction of property in
  coastal areas.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 65% industry: 10% services: 25% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates
cannot be easily determined

Agriculture - products:
bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame
seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Industries:
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles,
wireless communication

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction
materials, qat

Imports - partners:
Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, Brazil 8.4%, India 8%, Oman 5.3%, UAE
5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620
  (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996
  est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995)
  note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent
  country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own
  currency, the Somaliland shilling

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost
  completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
  private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
  charge the lowest international rates on the continent
  domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
  Mogadishu and in several other population centers
  international: country code - 252; international connections are
  available from Mogadishu by satellite

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in
Somaliland (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
4; note - two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 58 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,659 GRT/2,540 DWT
  by type: cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  a Somali National Army was attempted under the interim government;
  numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the
  Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own
  security and police forces

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,787,727
females age 18-49: 1,714,792 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,022,360
females age 18-49: 1,038,697 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to landlocked
  Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states;
  "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from
  neighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and in
  conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative line
  with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances
  with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali Interim
  Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu;
  rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically
  spills over into Kenya

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 400,000 (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for
resources) 5,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)

Background:
  After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many
  of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own
  republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred
  wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native
  inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were
  defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South
  Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate
  development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid
  politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Area:
  total: 1,219,912 sq km
  land: 1,219,912 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince
  Edward Island)

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,862 km
  border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491
  km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Natural resources:
  gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
  phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium,
  salt, natural gas

Environment - current issues:
  lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water
  conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing
  supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban
  discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion;
  desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
  Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
  Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely
surrounds Swaziland

Population:
  44,187,637
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 29.7% (male 6,603,220/female 6,525,810)
  15-64 years: 65% (male 13,955,950/female 14,766,843)
  65 years and over: 5.3% (male 905,870/female 1,429,944) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 23.3 years
  female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
  and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 60.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 64.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 56.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 42.73 years
  male: 43.25 years
  female: 42.19 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5%
(2001 census)

Religions:
  Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%,
  Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, other Christian
  36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001
  census)

Languages:
  IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%,
  English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2%
  (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.4%
  male: 87%
  female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
  conventional short form: South Africa
  former: Union of South Africa
  abbreviation: RSA

Capital:
  name: Pretoria (administrative capital)
  geographic coordinates: 29 12 S, 28 10 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial
  capital)

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape

Independence:
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in
1961 following an October 1960 referendum

Constitution:
  10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the
  Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
  President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
  February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
  Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
  Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24
  April 2004 (next to be held April 2009)
  election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National
  Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400
  seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of
  proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the
  National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each
  of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special
  powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of
  cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note -
  following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February
  1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National
  Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and
  party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities
  have been changed somewhat by the new constitution
  elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces -
  last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC
  69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%;
  seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other
  21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts;
Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders:
  African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE,
  president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI,
  president]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Anthony LEON] (formed from
  the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or
  FA); Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president];
  Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; New
  National Party or NNP; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu
  HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI,
  general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade
  NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics
  Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note
  - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB,
  OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
  UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA
  chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZER
  embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
  mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
  telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
  FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244
  consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

Flag description:
  two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by
  a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of
  which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black
  isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow
  yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green
  band and its arms by narrow white stripes

Economy - overview:
  South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant
  supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal,
  communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that
  ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure
  supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers
  throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to
  lower South Africa's high unemployment rate, and daunting economic
  problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty and lack
  of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. South
  African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic,
  focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to
  increase job growth and household income.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.5% industry: 30.3% services: 67.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 25% services: 45% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)

Budget:
  revenues: $65.91 billion
  expenditures: $70.62 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton,
wool, dairy products

Industries:
  mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium),
  automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and
  steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 93.5% hydro: 1.1% nuclear: 5.5% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and
equipment

Exports - partners:
UK 11.1%, US 9.1%, Japan 8.3%, Germany 6.3%, China 5.2%, Italy 4.5%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific
instruments, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Germany 14.9%, US 7%, China 6.9%, UK 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Japan
5.9%, Iran 5.8%, France 4.3% (2005)

Exchange rates:
rand per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003),
10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the system is the best developed and most
  modern in Africa
  domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
  cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
  radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
  centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
  Elizabeth, and Pretoria
  international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 146 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 67 under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 585 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 302 under 914 m: 249 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 100 km; gas 1,062 km; oil 966 km; refined products 1,354
km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 20,872 km
  narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,868 km electrified); 436 km
  0.610-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,815 GRT/39,295 DWT
  by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, UK 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay,
Saldanha Bay

Military branches:
  South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army,
  South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint
  Operations Command, Joint Support Command, Military Intelligence,
  Military Health Service (2005)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women have a long history of military service in noncombat roles, dating back to World War I (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 10,354,769
females age 18-49: 10,626,550 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,927,757
females age 18-49: 4,609,071 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 512,407
females age 18-49: 506,078 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule,
  former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces
  were integrated into the South African National Defense Force
  (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete

Disputes - international:
  South Africa has placed military along the border to stem the
  thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political
  persecution; managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the
  boundary in the Orange River

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 5,774 (Angola) 9,516 (Democratic
Republic of Congo) 7,118 (Somalia) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: South Africa is a source, transit, and
  destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for
  forced labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are trafficked
  internally - and occasionally to European and Asian countries - for
  sexual exploitation; women from other African countries are
  trafficked to South Africa and, less frequently, onward to Europe
  for sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked from
  neighboring countries for forced agricultural labor; Asian and
  Eastern European women are trafficked to South Africa for
  debt-bonded sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - South Africa is placed on the Tier
  2 Watch List for its failure to show increasing efforts to address
  trafficking in 2005

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and cocaine;
  cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit
  methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various
  east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana; attractive
  venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized
  criminal and narcotics activity in the region

Background:
  A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the
  Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows
  from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global
  ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet
  and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct
  border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the
  seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique
  ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which
  promotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a greater
  abundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the International
  Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within the
  Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by
  combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean,
  and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of
  Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with
  the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of the
  Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth
  largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean,
  Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).
  It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not
  imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary
  oceans by the US Government.

Geographic coordinates:
  60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique
  distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally
  encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies
  between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and
  encompasses 360 degrees of longitude

Area:
  total: 20.327 million sq km
  note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
  Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and
  other tributary water bodies

Climate:
  sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees
  Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and
  frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between
  ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to
  the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere
  on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south
  latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the
  Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees
  Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds
  from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter

Terrain:
  the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its
  extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic
  continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge
  lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133
  meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6
  million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square
  kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the
  Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
  perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
  transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
  times the flow of all the world's rivers

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich
  Trench
  highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
  probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the
  continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits,
  sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals -
  none exploited; krill, fishes

Natural hazards:
  huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller
  bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meter
  thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large
  annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by
  glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and
  large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October;
  most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue

Environment - current issues:
  increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic
  ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity
  (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish;
  illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years,
  especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more
  Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to
  affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental
  mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish
  note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong
  comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries

Environment - international agreements:
  the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements
  regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these
  agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling
  Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south
  [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees
  west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits
  sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
  Resources (regulates fishing)
  note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource
  exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front
  (Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic
  Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very
  cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the
  north

Geography - note:
  the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and
  Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best
  natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it
  is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar
  Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the
  south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current
  extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees
  south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South
  Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds

Economy - overview:
  Fisheries in 2003-04 landed 136,262 metric tons, of which 87%
  (118,166 tons) was krill and 8% (11,182 tons) Patagonian toothfish,
  compared to 142,555 tons in 2002-03 of which 83% (117,728 tons) was
  krill and 12% (16,479 tons) Patagonian toothfish (estimated fishing
  from the area covered by the Convention of the Conservation of
  Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly
  beyond the Southern Ocean area). International agreements were
  adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated
  fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376
  metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. In the 2004-05
  Antarctic summer 28,202 tourists, most of them seaborne
  (approximately 97%), visited the Southern Ocean and Antarctica,
  compared to 14,762 in 1999-2000.

Ports and terminals:
  McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
  note: few ports or harbors exist on southern side of Southern Ocean;
  ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; even
  then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most
  Antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and,
  except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private
  vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject
  to inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers (see Article 7); The
  Hydrographic Committee on Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic
  commission of International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is
  responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters
  in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provision
  of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in
  support of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is open
  to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the
  Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources and/or data to IHO
  Chart coverage of the area; members of HCA are Argentina, Australia,
  Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway,
  Russia, South Africa, Spain, and the UK (2005)

Transportation - note:
Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal

Disputes - international:
  Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but
  Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert
  claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the
  Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in
  extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations
  Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea
  ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or
  maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves
  (the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal
  claims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and
  150 degrees west

Background:
  The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie
  approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been
  under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period
  in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia,
  was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer
  Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated
  attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months
  later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a
  successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the
  Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and
  is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from
  the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of
  preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993,
  extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each
  island.

Location:
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east
of the tip of South America

Area:
  total: 3,903 sq km
  land: 3,903 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia
  Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist
  of eleven islands

Climate:
  variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year
  interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as
  snow

Terrain:
  most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and
  mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep,
  glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of
  volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some
  sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)

Natural hazards:
  the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that
  generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also
  subject to active volcanism

Geography - note:
  the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which
  provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th
  century, live on South Georgia

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March
  2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the
  British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on
  Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2006
  est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  conventional short form: none
  abbreviation: SGSSI

Dependency status:
  overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina;
  administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is
  concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen
  ELIZABETH II; Grytviken - formerly a whaling station on South
  Georgia - is a scientific base

Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate
from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms
  centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a
  shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur
  seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears
  above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM
  PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)

Economy - overview:
  Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential
  source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands
  receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of
  fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels.
  Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Disputes - international:
  Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly
  occupied the islands by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer
  seek settlement by force

Background:
  Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries
  ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent
  failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused
  the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic
  and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II,
  but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful
  transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco
  FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the
  EU in 1986), have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies in
  Europe and made it a global champion of freedom. Continuing
  challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and
  relatively high unemployment.

Location:
  Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean
  Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of
  France

Area:
  total: 504,782 sq km
  land: 499,542 sq km
  water: 5,240 sq km
  note: there are 2 autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17
  autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary
  Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of
  Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez
  de la Gomera

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,917.8 km
  border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
  Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

Climate:
  temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy
  along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and
  cool along coast

Terrain:
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources:
  coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten,
  mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin,
  potash, hydropower, arable land

Environment - current issues:
  pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents
  from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and
  quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.4% (male 3,000,686/female 2,821,325)
  15-64 years: 67.8% (male 13,751,963/female 13,653,426)
  65 years and over: 17.7% (male 2,993,496/female 4,176,946) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.65 years
  male: 76.32 years
  female: 83.2 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
  Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note -
  Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages
  are official regionally

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.9%
  male: 98.7%
  female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
  conventional short form: Spain
  local long form: Reino de Espana
  local short form: Espana

Capital:
  name: Madrid
  geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Spain is divided into two time zones, including the Canary
  Islands

Administrative divisions:
  17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular -
  comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas,
  singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares
  (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria,
  Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana,
  Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra,
  Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
  note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small
  islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez
  de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central
  government, are all located along the coast of Morocco and are
  collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de
  Soberania)

Independence:
  the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent
  kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th
  century AD and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian
  redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately,
  culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed
  the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered
  the forging of present-day Spain

Legal system:
civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir
  Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
  head of government: President of the Government and Prime Minister
  Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice
  President and Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of the Presidency)
  Maria Teresa FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004) and Second
  Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro SOLBES
  (since 18 April 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
  note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
  consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are
  non-binding
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and
  elected by the National Assembly; election last held 14 March 2004
  (next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed by the
  monarch on the proposal of the president
  election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE) elected
  president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52.29%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes
  Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members
  directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the
  regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of
  Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional
  representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March
  2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be
  held March 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 49%, PSOE
  38.9%, Entesa Catalona de Progress 5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC
  1.4%; seats by party - PP 102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress
  12, CiU 4, PNV 6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by
  party - PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 3.2%,
  CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU
  2, CC 3, other 8

Political parties and leaders:
  Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon IMAZ]; Canarian Coalition
  or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO Baute];
  Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition of
  the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro]
  and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y
  LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping
  four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA); Galician Nationalist
  Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of Independents from
  Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano
  RAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Joan Puigcercos
  BOIXASSA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis
  RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties
  including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor
  unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of
  Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or
  USO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers'
  Commissions or CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formed
  in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill)

International organization participation:
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
  EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
  NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNRWA,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos WESTENDORP
  chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340
  FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo AGUIRRE, Jr.
  embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
  mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642
  telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200
  FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303
  consulate(s) general: Barcelona

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red
  with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band;
  the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of
  Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on
  either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar

Economy - overview:
  The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging five
  percent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early
  1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994.
  Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita
  basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The
  center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully
  worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching
  the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR
  administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization,
  and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to
  that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration
  but remains high at 10.1%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003, 2.6% in 2004, and
  3.4% in 2005 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering
  European economy. The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has
  initiated economic and social reforms that are generally popular
  among the masses of people, but that are anathema to religious and
  other conservative elements. Adjusting to the monetary and other
  economic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment,
  and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges to
  Spain over the next few years.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 29.5% services: 66.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5.3% industry: 30.1% services: 64.6% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)

Budget:
  revenues: $440.9 billion
  expenditures: $448.4 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $12.8 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages,
  metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles,
  machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear,
  pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 50.4% hydro: 18.2% nuclear: 27.2% other: 4.1% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines,
other consumer goods

Exports - partners:
France 19.4%, Germany 11.4%, Portugal 9.5%, UK 8.5%, Italy 8.4%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,
foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments

Imports - partners:
Germany 15%, France 14.5%, Italy 8.5%, UK 5.8%, Netherlands 4.9%,
China 4.3% (2005)

Currency (code):
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions
  of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions with the member countries

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;
  teledensity is 45 main lines for each 100 persons
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian
  Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Television broadcast stations: 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters) note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 96 over 3,047 m: 16 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 61 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 44 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 14,873 km
  broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km
  0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 666,292 km
  paved: 659,629 km (including 12,009 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 6,663 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 169 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,902,839 GRT/1,874,161 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 13, chemical tanker 14, container 27,
  liquefied gas 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 49, petroleum tanker
  15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 2,
  vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 36 (Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 12, Italy 2, Mexico 3,
  Norway 7, UK 1, Uruguay 2, US 7)
  registered in other countries: 112 (Bahamas 12, Belize 3, Brazil 4,
  Cambodia 1, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Italy 1, Malta 6,
  Marshall Islands 3, Nigeria 1, Panama 53, Portugal 15, Saint Kitts
  and Nevis 2, UK 1, Venezuela 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna,
Tarragona, Valencia

Military branches:
  Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy
  (Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force
  (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 9,366,588
females age 20-49: 9,155,057 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 7,623,356
females age 20-49: 7,434,465 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 233,384
females age 20-49: 221,805 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
  remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty"
  arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK
  and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater
  autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves
  of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera,
  Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters;
  Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration
  into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish
  sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of
  interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of
  Badajoz

Illicit drugs:
  key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American
  cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market;
  destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian
  heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking
  organizations and organized crime

Background:
  The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or
  reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially
  by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by
  China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia
  and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively
  small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the
  Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing
  zone that overlaps a southern reef, but has not made any formal
  claim.

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China
  Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the
  southern Philippines

Area:
  total: less than 5 sq km
  land: less than 5 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts
  scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South
  China Sea

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural hazards:
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard

Geography - note:
  strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the
  central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls,
  shoals, and coral reefs

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several
  claimant states (2004)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Economy - overview:
  Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity
  to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the
  potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely
  unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves.
  Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Military - note:
  Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of
  which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the
  Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Disputes - international:
  all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and
  Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines;
  in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that
  encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not
  publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the
  "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,"
  which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code
  of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the
  Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
  seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

Background:
  The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C.,
  probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in
  about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed
  at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa
  A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th
  century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and
  established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th
  century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded
  to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was
  united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent
  in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between
  the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in
  1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic conflict that
  continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government
  and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formalized a cease-fire in
  February 2002, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest
monsoon (June to October)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Natural resources:
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay,
hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by
  poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining
  activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being
  polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air
  pollution in Colombo

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Population:
  20,222,240
  note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and
  armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand
  Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils
  have sought refuge in the West (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 24.1% (male 2,488,689/female 2,379,233)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 6,727,399/female 7,140,751)
  65 years and over: 7.3% (male 687,842/female 798,326) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 29.8 years
  male: 28.7 years
  female: 30.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.41 years
  male: 70.83 years
  female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri
  Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census
  provisional data)

Religions:
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%,
unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Languages:
  Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national
  language) 18%, other 8%
  note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken
  competently by about 10% of the population

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.3%
  male: 94.8%
  female: 90% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  conventional short form: Sri Lanka
  local long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di
  Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
  local short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankai
  former: Serendib, Ceylon

Capital:
  name: Colombo
  geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E
  time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)

Administrative divisions:
  8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western,
  Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
  note: in 1998 the Government of Sri Lanka proposed a merger of the
  former Northern and Eastern provinces; while this merger was never
  ratified, the Government treats North Eastern Province as a de facto
  singular administrative unit

Legal system:
  a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch,
  Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November 2005) holds
  the ceremonial title of prime minister
  head of government: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November
  2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 17 November 2005
  (next to be held 2011)
  election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSE elected president; percent of
  vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSE 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other
  1.3%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote
  on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by
  district to serve six-year terms)
  elections: last held 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -
  SLFP and JVP (no longer in formal UPFA alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.83%,
  TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others
  0.93%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, UNP dissident 1,
  TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, JHU dissidents 2, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4,
  Communist Party 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders:
  All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers
  Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D.
  GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF
  [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP
  [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
  or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna or JVP
  [Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP; Mahajana
  Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D. GUNAWARDENE];
  National Heritage Party or JHU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; National Unity
  Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organization
  of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sihala Urumaya or SU; Sri
  Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA];
  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka
  Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation
  Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA
  [R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V.
  ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil
  WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P.
  CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties,
  represented in either Parliament or provincial councils

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or
  LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a
  separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the
  National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

International organization participation:
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS
  (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard GOONETILLEKE chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028) FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr.
  embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
  mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
  telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500
  FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345

Flag description:
  yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal
  vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is
  a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and
  there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears
  as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

Economy - overview:
  In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import
  substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and
  export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food
  processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages,
  telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2003, plantation
  crops made up only 15% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while
  textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average
  annual rate of about 5.5% in the 1990s, but 2001 saw the first
  contraction in the country's history, by 1.4%, due to a combination
  of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown,
  and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to 5% between 2002 and
  2005. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East.
  They send home about $1 billion a year. The struggle by the Tamil
  Tigers of the north and east for a largely independent homeland
  continues to cast a shadow over the economy. In late December 2004,
  a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300
  missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5
  billion worth of property.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.8% industry: 27.6% services: 54.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 38% industry: 17% services: 45% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 28% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.804 billion
  expenditures: $5.469 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber,
coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish

Industries:
  processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural
  commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing,
  textiles; cement, petroleum refining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.7% hydro: 48.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies;
coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish

Exports - partners:
US 30.9%, UK 11.6%, India 7.3%, Belgium 4.8%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery
and transportation equipment

Imports - partners:
India 19.7%, China 9.9%, Singapore 7.2%, Iran 5.5%, Malaysia 4.6%,
Hong Kong 4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 100.498 (2005), 101.194 (2004),
96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002), 89.383 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly
  in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of national
  telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good
  international service (1999)
  domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
  microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
  and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition
  is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low
  (1999)
  international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia and
  Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 144,066 GRT/196,418 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, container 2, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 5, UAE 2)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Panama 5) (2006)

Military branches:
Sri Lankan Army, Sri Lankan Navy, Sri Lankan Air Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,933,217
females age 18-49: 5,153,597 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,789,627
females age 18-49: 4,281,043 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 174,049
females age 18-49: 167,201 (2005 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 353,000 (both Tamils and non-Tamils displaced due to Tamil conflict); 450,000 (resulting from 2004 tsunami) (2005)

Background:
  Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have
  dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956.
  Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the
  remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in
  northern economic, political, and social domination of largely
  non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in
  1972, but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related
  effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and,
  according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a
  period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with
  the signing of several accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty of
  January 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years,
  after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A
  separate conflict that broke out in the western region of Darfur in
  2003 has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million
  displaced; as of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling to
  stabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes
  from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad, and armed
  conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government
  support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian
  assistance to affected populations.

Area:
  total: 2,505,810 sq km
  land: 2.376 million sq km
  water: 129,810 sq km

Land boundaries:
  total: 7,687 km
  border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km,
  Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605
  km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 18 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by
region (April to November)

Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Natural resources:
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc,
tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations
  threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification;
  periodic drought

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 8,993,483/female 8,614,022)
  15-64 years: 54.9% (male 11,327,679/female 11,297,798)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 536,754/female 466,642) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.3 years
  male: 18.1 years
  female: 18.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.88 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 60.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 58.92 years
  male: 57.69 years
  female: 60.21 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5%
(mostly in south and Khartoum)

Languages:
  Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,
  Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
  note: program of "Arabization" in process

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 61.1%
  male: 71.8%
  female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
  conventional short form: Sudan
  local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
  local short form: As-Sudan
  former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Government type:
  Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party
  (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a
  power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
  Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in
  1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national
  elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.

Capital:
  name: Khartoum
  geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile),
  Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazirah (El
  Gezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah
  (Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile),
  Ash Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal), Gharb al
  Istiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahr
  al Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern
  Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei),
  Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal
  (Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shamal
  Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyah (Eastern
  Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (Warab)

Constitution:
  12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
  constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June
  1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially
  suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA,
  Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of
  Southern Sudan signed December 2005

Legal system:
  based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January 1991,
  the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a law in
  the northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of the
  northern states regardless of their religion; some separate
  religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
  the CPA following the civil war; Shari'a law will not apply to the
  southern states

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
  October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
  2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
  October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
  2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
  National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
  or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
  elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held
  no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
  Agreement
  election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;
  percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar
  Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined
  vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
  opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
  guarantees for a free and fair election
  note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary
  Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served
  concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,
  and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed
  president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for
  the first time in March 1996

Legislative branch:
  bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and Council of
  States (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats); pending
  elections and National Election Law, the Presidency appointed 450
  members to the National Assembly according to the provisions of the
  2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28% SPLM; 14% other
  Northerners; 6% other Southerners; 2 representatives from every
  state constitute the Council of States; terms in each chamber are
  five years following the first elections
  elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2008-2009
  timeframe)
  election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments
  under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court;
  National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial
  Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National
  Judiciary

Political parties and leaders:
  political parties in the Government of National Unity include:
  National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed OMAR]; Sudan People's
  Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements of
  the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the
  Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party
  [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan
al-TURABI]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA,
  NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires, Ad
  Interim Khidir HAROUN (since April 2001)
  chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Cameron
  HUME
  embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum
  mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829
  telephone: [249] (183) 774701
  FAX: [249] (183) 774137
  note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum;
  consular services are being established in Juba (southern Sudan)

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a
green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic
  policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces
  formidable economic problems, starting from its low level of per
  capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF
  macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and
  in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which,
  along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate.
  Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded
  export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at 8.6% in 2004.
  Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important sector,
  employing 80% of the work force, contributing 39% of GDP, and
  accounting for most of GDP growth, but most farms remain rain-fed
  and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - resulting from the
  long-standing civil war between the Muslim north and the
  Christian/pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural
  prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below
  the poverty line for years.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38.7% industry: 20.3% services: 41% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 7% services: 13% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $6.182 billion
  expenditures: $5.753 billion; including capital expenditures of $304
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic,
  sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet
  potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

Industries:
  oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap
  distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments,
  automobile/light truck assembly

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.1% hydro: 47.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts,
gum arabic, sugar

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

Imports - partners:
China 20.7%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 5.9%, Egypt 5.5%, Japan 5.1%,
India 4.8% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 243.61 (2005), 257.91 (2004),
260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
  standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
  1996 and have expanded substantially
  domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
  communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
  system with 14 earth stations
  international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 73 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 5,978 km
  narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for
  cotton plantations (2005)

Waterways:
4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers)
(2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,326 GRT/14,068 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1
  registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Saudi Arabia 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Army, Navy, Air Force,
Popular Defense Force

Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - three years (August 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 8,291,695
females age 18-49: 8,135,683 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,427,474
females age 18-49: 5,649,566 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 442,915
females age 18-49: 426,320 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia
  fighting since the mid-twentieth century have penetrated all of its
  border states that provide shelter for fleeing refugees and cover to
  disparate domestic and foreign conflicting elements; since 2003,
  Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military have driven about
  200,000 Darfur region refugees into eastern Chad; large numbers of
  Sudanese refugees have also fled to Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, the
  Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
  southern Sudan provides shelter to Ugandans seeking periodic
  protection from soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army; Sudan
  accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to
  demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by
  civil and ethnic fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundary
  extends into the southern Sudan, creating the "Ilemi Triangle";
  Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer triangular areas that
  extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd
  Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is
  economically developing the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of the Treaty
  Line; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water
  and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations from
  the Central African Republic along the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 110,927 (Eritrea) 5,023 (Chad) 7,983
  (Uganda) 14,812 (Ethiopia)
  IDPs: 5,300,000 - 6,200,000 (internal conflict since 1980s; ongoing
  genocide) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Sudan is a source country for men, women, and
  children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
  exploitation; Sudan may also be a transit and destination country
  for Ethiopian women trafficked for domestic servitude; boys are
  trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Qatar and the United
  Arab Emirates, for use as camel jockeys; small numbers of girls are
  reportedly trafficked within Sudan for domestic servitude, as well
  as for commercial sexual exploitation in small brothels in
  internally displaced persons (IDP) camps; the terrorist rebel
  organization "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) continues to abduct and
  forcibly conscript small numbers of children in Southern Sudan for
  use as cooks, porters, and combatants in its ongoing war against
  Uganda; some of these children are then trafficked across borders
  into Uganda or possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
  children are utilized by rebel groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces
  and associated militias in the ongoing conflict in Darfur; during
  the decades of civil war, thousands of Dinka women and children were
  enslaved by members of Baggara tribes and subjected to various forms
  of forced labor without remuneration, as well as physical and sexual
  abuse; with the cessation of the North-South conflict and the
  ongoing peace process, there were no known new abductions of Dinka
  by Baggara tribes during 2005; however, inter-tribal abductions of a
  different nature continue in Southern Sudan and warrant further
  investigation
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Background:
  First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then
  settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a
  Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers
  were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the
  Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian
  government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a
  socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a
  succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when
  international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In
  1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a
  democratically elected government - a four-party New Front coalition
  - returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since.

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
French Guiana and Guyana

Land boundaries: total: 1,707 km border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Environment - current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly
  tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for
  the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development;
  relatively small population, mostly along the coast

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 29% (male 65,412/female 62,069)
  15-64 years: 64.7% (male 145,913/female 138,076)
  65 years and over: 6.3% (male 12,223/female 15,424) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26.5 years
  male: 26 years
  female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.01 years
  male: 66.66 years
  female: 71.47 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors
  emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th
  century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%,
  "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in
  the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior)
  10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman
Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

Languages:
  Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo
  (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of
  Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca
  among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 88%
  male: 92.3%
  female: 84.1% (2000 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
  conventional short form: Suriname
  local long form: Republiek Suriname
  local short form: Suriname
  former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana

Capital:
  name: Paramaribo
  geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo,
  Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,
  Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Legal system:
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August
  2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12
  August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate
  receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National
  Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United
  People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and
  regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election
  last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN reelected president;
  percent of vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 62.9%, Rabin PARMESSAR
  35.4%, other 1.7%; note - after two votes in the parliament failed
  to secure a two-thirds majority for a candidate, the vote then went
  to a special session of the United People's Assembly on 3 August 2005

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NF 39.73%, NDP 22.2%,
  VVV 13.79%, A-Com 7.21%, A-1 5.86%, other 7.42%; seats by party - NF
  23, NDP 15, VVV 5, A-Com 5, A-1 3

Judicial branch:
Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court
(justices are nominated for life)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Amazone Party of Suriname or
  APS [Kenneth VAN GENDEREN], Democrats of the 21st Century or D-21
  [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen Nanan PANDAY],
  Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL], Trefpunt 2000 or
  T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); General Interior Development Party or ABOP
  [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire
  BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a
  coalition which includes A-Combination or A-Com [leader NA],
  Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 which split from the A-1 before
  the elections of May 2005 and are an independent, business-oriented
  party [Winston JESSURUN], National Party Suriname or NPS [Ronald
  VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ram SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur
  or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA
  [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or
  DOE [Marten SCHALKWIJK]; People's Alliance for Progress or VVV (a
  coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules
  WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD
  [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the
  Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression,
  Justice, and Perseverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL
  [Raymond SAPOEN]); Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU
  [Jim HOK]; Progressive Political Party or PPP [Surinder MUNGRA];
  Seeka [Paul ABENA]; Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj
  PANDAY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE];
  Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE];
  Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]

International organization participation:
  ACP, Caricom, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB,
  IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU,
  ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henry Lothar ILLES chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488 FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878 consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa Bobbie SCHREIBER HUGHES embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo mailing address: US Department of State, 3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington, DC, 20521-3390 telephone: [597] 472-900 FAX: [597] 425-690

Flag description:
  five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red
  (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a
  large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band

Economy - overview:
  The economy is dominated by the mining industry, which accounts for
  more than a third of GDP and subjects government revenues to mineral
  price volatility. The short-term economic outlook depends on the
  government's ability to control inflation and on the development of
  projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors. Suriname's economic
  prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to
  responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of
  structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition.
  The government of Ronald VENETIAAN, in his first term, implemented
  an austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control
  spending. Economic policies are likely to remain the same during
  VENETIAAN's second term. Prospects for local onshore oil production
  are good, as a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling
  was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie)
  signed exploration agreements with Repsol, Mearsk, and Occidental.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13% industry: 22% services: 65% (2001)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts;
beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products

Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food
processing, fishing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 25.2% hydro: 74.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Exports - partners:
Norway 23.5%, US 16.5%, Canada 16.1%, Belgium 9.7%, France 7.9%,
UAE 7.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
US 29.3%, Netherlands 17.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.7%, China 6.5%,
Japan 5.2% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $46 million Netherlands provided $37 million for project and
  program assistance, European Development Fund $4 million, Belgium $2
  million (2003)

Exchange rates:
  Surinamese dollars per US dollar - 2.7317 (2005), Surinamese
  guilders per US dollar - 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003), 2.3468
  (2002), 2.1785 (2001)
  note: during 1998, the exchange rate splintered into four distinct
  rates; in January 1999 the government floated the guilder, but
  subsequently fixed it when the black-market rate plunged; in January
  2004, the government introduced the Surinamese dollar as replacement
  for the guilder, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket

Telephone system:
  general assessment: international facilities are good
  domestic: microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 36 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,078 GRT/1,214 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 111,582
females age 18-49: 103,769 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 77,793
females age 18-49: 72,943 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere
  Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle
  of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic
  dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks United
  Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitration to
  resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the
  territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Illicit drugs:
  growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for
  Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for
  arms-for-drugs dealing

Background:
  First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands
  served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th
  centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years
  later it officially took over the territory.

Location:
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

Area:
  total: 61,020 sq km
  land: 61,020 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 4 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but
  not recognized by Russia

Climate:
  arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold
  winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of
  Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year

Terrain:
  wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast
  clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north
  coasts

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and
  cloudberry) (2005)

Natural hazards:
  ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for
  coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the
  northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic

Geography - note:
  northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main
  islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; site
  of future seed repository under construction by the Global Crop
  Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as
  Spitzbergen)

Dependency status:
  territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the
  Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in
  Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty
  was awarded to Norway

Capital:
  name: Longyearbyen
  geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
  head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001)
  and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA)
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
  governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
  Justice

Economy - overview:
  Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty
  of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit
  mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK,
  Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only
  companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on
  Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned
  coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the
  island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the
  local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer,
  and fox.

Budget:
  revenues: $11.5 million
  expenditures: $11.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1998 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.9984% hydro: 42.0016% nuclear: 0% other: 0%

Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004),
7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: probably adequate
  domestic: local telephone service
  international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
  unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Disputes - international: despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone

Background:
  Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the
  British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968.
  Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the monarchy
  (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political
  reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana
  as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS
  infection.

Land boundaries: total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

Natural resources:
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold
and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Environment - current issues:
  limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being
  depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil
  degradation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Population:
  1,136,334
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 40.7% (male 233,169/female 229,103)
  15-64 years: 55.8% (male 303,260/female 330,460)
  65 years and over: 3.6% (male 16,071/female 24,271) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.5 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 71.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 75.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 68.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 32.62 years
  male: 32.1 years
  female: 33.17 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral
  worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai,
  Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Languages:
English (official, government business conducted in English),
siSwati (official)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 81.6%
  male: 82.6%
  female: 80.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
  conventional short form: Swaziland
  local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
  local short form: eSwatini

Capital:
  name: Mbabane
  geographic coordinates: 26 18 S, 31 06 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)

Constitution:
the first constitution was signed into law in July 2005 and is
scheduled to be implemented in January 2006

Legal system:
  based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and
  Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
  head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14
  November 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
  the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
  by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the
  Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20
  appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the
  House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55
  elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be
  held October 2008)
  election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a
  nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local
  council of each constituency and for each constituency the three
  candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are
  narrowed to a single winner by a second round

Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed
by the monarch

Political parties and leaders:
  political parties are banned by the government under an emergency
  decree that will be revoked when the new constitution takes effect
  (January 2006)- the following are considered political associations;
  Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National Liberatory
  Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United
  Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ephraim Mandla HLOPHE
  chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUCKE embassy: Central Bank Building, Mahlokahla Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445 FAX: [268] 404-5959

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue;
  the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large
  black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated
  with feather tassels, all placed horizontally

Economy - overview:
  In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies
  more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has
  diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain
  important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in
  importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines
  remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short
  border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South
  Africa from which it receives about nine-tenths of its imports and
  to which it sends nearly two-thirds of its exports. Customs duties
  from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from
  South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income.
  The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign
  investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes
  floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of
  the population needed emergency food aid in 2004-05 because of
  drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been
  infected by HIV/AIDS.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.9% industry: 51.5% services: 36.6% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $805.6 million
  expenditures: $957.1 million; including capital expenditures of $147
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples,
sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Industries:
mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink
concentrates, textile and apparel

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 58% hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - imports: 821.4 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2004)

Exports - commodities:
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn,
refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners:
South Africa 59.7%, EU 8.8%, US 8.8%, Mozambique 6.2% (2004)

Imports - commodities:
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs,
petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
South Africa 95.6%, EU 0.9%, Japan 0.9%, Singapore 0.3% (2004)

Exchange rates:
emalangeni per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648
(2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
  domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and
  low-capacity, microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Military branches:
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes air
wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; both sexes are
eligible for military service (2005)

Background:
  A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not
  participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality
  was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic
  formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare
  elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in
  2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over
  the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic
  vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and
  economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU
  until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Land boundaries: total: 2,233 km border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of
  straits to high seas)
  exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly
cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad
  -2.41 m
  highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Natural resources:
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium,
arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Natural hazards:
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of
Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Environment - current issues:
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and
the Baltic Sea

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North
Seas

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242)
  65 years and over: 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.9 years
  male: 39.8 years
  female: 42 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.51 years
  male: 78.29 years
  female: 82.87 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities;
  foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs,
  Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Religions:
Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish,
Buddhist

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
  conventional short form: Sweden
  local long form: Konungariket Sverige
  local short form: Sverige

Capital:
  name: Stockholm
  geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas,
  Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar,
  Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane,
  Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens,
  Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands

Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973);
  Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of
  the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
  head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5
  October 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election
  last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
  election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175
  out of 349 votes

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held September
  2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%,
  Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian
  Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party -
  Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party
  28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the
prime minister and the cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
  Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran
  HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party
  spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party
  or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party (conservative)
  [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Social
  Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON]

International organization participation:
  AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN,
  EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM
  (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
  Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL,
  UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer),
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gunnar LUND chancery: 902 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch) telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64

Flag description:
  blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag;
  the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
  style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy - overview:
  Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century,
  Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed
  system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It
  has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external
  communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and
  iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented
  toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of
  industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50%
  of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and
  of jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted
  in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more
  than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, declining
  revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the
  Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of
  2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003, but picked up in 2004 and
  2005. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish
  workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September
  2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system,
  concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.1% industry: 28.2% services: 70.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2% industry: 24% services: 74% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.1% (1992)

Budget:
  revenues: $210.5 billion
  expenditures: $205.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
  iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone
  parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods,
  motor vehicles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 4% hydro: 50.8% nuclear: 43% other: 2.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron
and steel products, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 10.6%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.7%, UK 7.3%, Denmark 6.5%,
Finland 5.7%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor
vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:
Germany 17.5%, Denmark 8.9%, Norway 7.8%, UK 6.6%, Netherlands
6.2%, Finland 5.8%, France 5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863
(2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international
  facilities; automatic system
  domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
  traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
  additional telephone channels
  international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat,
  and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden
  shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries
  (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 155 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 36 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 100 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 91 (2006)

Railways:
total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 424,981 km
  paved: 132,339 km (including 1,544 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 292,642 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 198 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,703,834 GRT/2,382,754 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 28, chemical tanker 47, container 5,
  passenger 3, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll
  off 31, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 21
  foreign-owned: 37 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 3,
  Italy 7, Japan 2, Norway 7, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 161 (Bahamas 6, Bermuda 14, Cayman
  Islands 9, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, France 2, French
  Southern and Antarctic Lands 9, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia
  8, Malta 3, Netherlands 26, Netherlands Antilles 5, Norway 28,
  Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 12, UK 15,
  US 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Oxelosund,
Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg

Military branches:
Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish
Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age of 47 (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 1,838,427
females age 19-49: 1,774,659 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 1,493,668
females age 19-49: 1,441,257 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 58,724
females age 19-49: 55,954 (2005 est.)

Background:
  The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance
  among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined
  the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence
  from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and
  neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and
  the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The
  political and economic integration of Europe over the past half
  century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international
  organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its
  neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN
  member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and
  international organizations, but retains a strong commitment to
  neutrality.

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,852 km
  border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
  Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Climate:
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy
winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain:
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central
plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid
  rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural
  fertilizers; loss of biodiversity

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
  landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with
  southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has
  the highest elevations in the Alps

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.3% (male 637,585/female 591,297)
  15-64 years: 68.1% (male 2,585,062/female 2,539,345)
  65 years and over: 15.6% (male 480,198/female 690,447) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.1 years
  male: 39 years
  female: 41.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.51 years
  male: 77.69 years
  female: 83.48 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other
  Christian 0.4%, Muslim 4.3%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1%
  (2000 census)

Languages:
  German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian
  (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese
  1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000
  census)
  note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national
  languages, but only the first three are official languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
  conventional short form: Switzerland
  local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German);
  Confederation Suisse (French); Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
  local short form: Schweiz (German); Suisse (French); Svizzera
  (Italian)

Government type:
formally a confederation, but similar in structure to a federal
republic

Capital:
  name: Bern
  geographic coordinates: 46 57 N, 7 26 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular
  - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau,
  Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft,
  Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura,
  Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen,
  Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Constitution:
  revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament
  18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, officially
  entered into force 1 January 2000

Legal system:
  civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of
  legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general
  obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 8 January
  2006); Vice President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 8 January 2006);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 8 January
  2006); Vice President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 8 January 2006)
  cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal
  (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal
  Assembly usually from among its own members for a four-year term
  elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
  Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for a
  one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last
  held 7 December 2005 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Moritz LUENBERGER elected president; percent of
  Federal Assembly vote - NA; Micheline CALMY-REY elected vice
  president; percent of legislative vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German),
  Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian)
  consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil
  des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats
  - consists of two representatives from each canton and one from each
  half canton; members serve four-year terms) and the National Council
  or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio
  Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular
  vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons 19 October
  2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held);
  National Council - last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held
  October 2007)
  election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3;
  National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%,
  FDP 17.3%, CVP 14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%;
  seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13,
  other small parties 14

Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the
Federal Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste
  Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida
  Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic
  People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or
  CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito
  Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
  Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris LEUTHARD,
  president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische
  Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD,
  Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne
  KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party
  (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist
  Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida
  Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR, president];
  Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union
  Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC,
  Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and
  other minor parties

International organization participation:
  ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
  ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Urs ZISWILER
  chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
  FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
  York, San Francisco
  consulate(s): Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44

Flag description:
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that
does not extend to the edges of the flag

Economy - overview:
  Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market
  economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a
  per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European
  economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic
  practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their
  international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safehaven for
  investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and
  has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the
  anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to
  about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise
  to 1.8% in 2004-05. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than
  half the EU average.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.5% industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.6% industry: 26.3% services: 69.1% (1998)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 25.2% (1992)

Budget:
  revenues: $138.1 billion
  expenditures: $143.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.3% hydro: 59.5% nuclear: 37.1% other: 2% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
Germany 19.4%, US 10.9%, Italy 9.1%, France 8.7%, UK 5.4%, Spain
4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products,
textiles

Imports - partners:
Germany 31.6%, Italy 10.5%, France 10%, US 5.6%, Netherlands 4.8%,
Austria 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467
(2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
  domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
  international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 42 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 4,583 km
  standard gauge: 3,234 km 1.435-m gauge (3,223 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,339 km 1.000-m gauge (1,338 km electrified); 10 km
  0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 71,297 km
paved: 71,297 km (including 1,726 of expressways) (2004)

Waterways:
65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 27 ships (1000 GRT or over) 492,434 GRT/810,559 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 10, chemical tanker 3, container 4,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Monaco 2)
  registered in other countries: 320 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas
  2, Belize 1, Bermuda 2, Cyprus 4, France 2, French Southern and
  Antarctic Lands 1, Germany 1, Indonesia 3, Liberia 7, Malta 21,
  Marshall Islands 13, Mauritius 2, Morocco 1, Panama 226, Portugal 3,
  Russia 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Tonga 1, Turkey 1, UK
  3, Vanuatu 2) (2006)

Military branches:
  Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer
  Luftwaffe); Switzerland has no navy, but maintains a fleet of
  military patrol boats to patrol Swiss borders (2006)

Military service age and obligation: the Swiss Constitution states that "every Swiss male is obliged to do military service"; every Swiss male has to serve for at least 260 days in the armed forces; 19 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscripts receive 15 weeks of compulsory training, followed by 10 intermittent recalls for training over the next 22 years; women are accepted on a voluntary basis but are not drafted (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 1,707,694
females age 19-49: 1,662,099 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 1,375,889
females age 19-49: 1,342,945 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 46,319
females age 19-49: 43,829 (2005 est.)

Illicit drugs:
  a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering
  and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant
  legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and
  nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore
  entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and
  consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin

Background:
  Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I,
  France administered Syria until its independence in 1946. The
  country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a
  series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with
  Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic, but in
  September 1961 the two entities separated and the Syrian Arab
  Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a
  member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect,
  seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to
  the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan
  Heights to Israel, and over the past decade Syria and Israel have
  held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of
  President al-ASAD in July 2000, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was
  approved as president by popular referendum. Syrian troops -
  stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role -
  were withdrawn in April of 2005.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and
Turkey

Area:
  total: 185,180 sq km
  land: 184,050 sq km
  water: 1,130 sq km
  note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,253 km
  border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
  375 km, Turkey 822 km

Climate:
  mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild,
  rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with
  snow or sleet periodically in Damascus

Terrain:
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron
ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water
  pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate
  potable water

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)

Population:
  18,881,361
  note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied
  Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and
  about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37% (male 3,592,915/female 3,384,722)
  15-64 years: 59.7% (male 5,779,257/female 5,500,887)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 296,070/female 327,510) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.7 years
  male: 20.6 years
  female: 20.9 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 28.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.32 years
  male: 69.01 years
  female: 71.7 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%,
  Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus,
  Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Languages:
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely
understood; French, English somewhat understood

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 76.9%
  male: 89.7%
  female: 64% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic
  conventional short form: Syria
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
  local short form: Suriyah
  former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

Capital:
  name: Damascus
  geographic coordinates: 33 30 N, 36 18 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 30 September

Administrative divisions:
  14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al
  Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az
  Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus

Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

Legal system:
  based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; religious
  law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice
  President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10
  September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah al-DARDARI (since 14
  June 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president approved by popular referendum for a seven-year
  term (no term limits); referendum last held 10 July 2000 - after the
  death of President Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next
  to be held 2007); vice president appointed by the president; prime
  minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of
  vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%
  note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June, the Ba'th
  Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name
  to the People's Council on 25 June; he was approved by a popular
  referendum on 10 July

Legislative branch:
  unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents
  33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the
  constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF
  alliance) receives one-half of the seats

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and
  rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed
  for four-year terms by the President); High Judicial Council
  (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the President); Court of
  Cassation (national level); State Security Courts (hear cases
  related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious;
  hear cases related to marriage and divorce); Courts of First
  Instance (local level; include magistrate, summary, and peace courts)

Political parties and leaders:
  Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Ahmed al-AHMED]; National
  Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance
  (Ba'th) Party; the governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD,
  secretary general]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallal
  Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI];
  Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yuusuf
  Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI];
  Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Kurdish Democratic Alliance (includes several groups but has no
  designated leader); Kurdish Democratic Front (includes several
  groups but has no designated leader); Muslim Brotherhood (operates
  in exile in London) [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI]; National Democratic
  Front [Hassan Abd al-AZIM]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA
  chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael
  CORBIN
  embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus
  mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
  telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342
  FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, colors
  associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small green
  five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
  former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars
  represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to
  the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has
  three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line
  centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold
  Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design
  dates to 1980

Economy - overview:
  The Syrian Government estimates the economy grew by 4.5 percent in
  real terms in 2005, led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors,
  which together account for about half of GDP. Economic performance
  and the exchange rate on the informal market were hit by
  international political developments following the assassination in
  February of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI and the
  specter of international sanctions. Higher crude oil prices
  countered declining oil production and exports and helped to narrow
  the budget deficit and widen the current account surplus. The
  Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the
  last few years, including cutting interest rates, opening private
  banks, consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates, and
  raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the
  economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run
  economic constraints include declining oil production and exports,
  increasing pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population
  growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24.9% industry: 23% services: 51.9% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 27% services: 43% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $6.392 billion
  expenditures: $7.613 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $3.23 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets;
beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate
rock mining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.6% hydro: 42.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber,
clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Exports - partners:
Iraq 22.3%, Saudi Arabia 15.3%, Italy 8.4%, Germany 8.3%, Lebanon
7.7%, Egypt 4.3%, France 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food
  and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical
  products, plastics, yarn, paper

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 10.6%, China 5.6%, Egypt 5.4%, Italy 5.3%, UAE 5.2%,
Ukraine 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2005)

Debt - external:
$8.566 billion; note - excludes military debt and debt to Russia
(2005 est.)

Exchange rates:
  Syrian pounds per US dollar - (public sector rate): 11.225 (2005),
  11.225 (2004), 11.225 (2003), 11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001),
  (parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut): NA (2005), NA (2004),
  52.8 (2003), 52.4 (2002), 50.4 (2001), (official rate for repaying
  loans): 11.25 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant
  improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology
  domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
  1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq,
  Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Airports - with paved runways: total: 26 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 66 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 54 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,711 km
  standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 108 ships (1000 GRT or over) 386,603 GRT/563,506 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 93, container 1, livestock carrier 4,
  petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 11 (Lebanon 7, Romania 3, UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 130 (Cambodia 20, Comoros 4, Cyprus
  3, Dominica 1, Georgia 43, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 14, Lebanon 1,
  Malta 7, Mongolia 1, Panama 18, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Slovakia 2, unknown 5)
  (2006)

Military branches:
  Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army (includes Syrian Arab Navy),
  Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Force (includes Air Defense Command)
  (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
  obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women
  are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,356,413
females age 18-49: 4,123,339 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,453,888
females age 18-49: 3,421,558 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 225,113
females age 18-49: 211,829 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that
may understate actual spending

Disputes - international:
  Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN
  Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since
  1964; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in Golan Heights; international
  pressure prompts the removal of Syrian troops and intelligence
  personnel stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; 2004 Agreement
  and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 432,048 (Palestinian Refugees
  (UNRWA)) 14,391 (Iraq)
  IDPs: 170,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967
  Arab-Israeli War) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Syria is a destination country for women from
  South and Southeast Asia and Africa for domestic servitude and from
  Eastern Europe and Iraq for sexual exploitation; women are recruited
  for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of
  exploitation and involuntary servitude including long hours,
  non-payment of wages, withholding of passports and other
  restrictions on movement, and physical and sexual abuse; Eastern
  European women recruited for work in Syria as cabaret dancers are
  not permitted to leave their work premises without permission and
  have their passports withheld; some displaced Iraqi women and
  children are reportedly forced into sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Syria does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and
  Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank
  privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering

Background:
  In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan.
  Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the
  Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists
  fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946
  constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades,
  the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the
  native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan
  underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist
  to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the
  island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers."
  The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship
  between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual
  unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Location:
  Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea,
  South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off
  the southeastern coast of China

Area:
  total: 35,980 sq km
  land: 32,260 sq km
  water: 3,720 sq km
  note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy

Climate:
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to
August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Terrain:
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling
plains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw
  sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in
  endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's
  international status
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of
  Taiwan's international status

Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon
Strait

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.4% (male 2,330,951/female 2,140,965)
  15-64 years: 70.8% (male 8,269,421/female 8,040,169)
  65 years and over: 9.8% (male 1,123,429/female 1,131,152) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 34.6 years
  male: 34.1 years
  female: 35 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.43 years
  male: 74.67 years
  female: 80.47 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)
  note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan
  adjective: Taiwan

Ethnic groups:
Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

Religions:
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%,
other 2.5%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.1%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003)

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan former: Formosa

Capital:
  name: Taipei
  geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  includes central island of Taiwan plus numerous smaller islands
  near central island and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan
  is divided into 18 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5
  municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special
  municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural)
  counties: Chang-hua, Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung
  (county), Kin-men, Lien-chiang, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu,
  P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei (county), T'ai-tung,
  T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin
  municipalities: Chia-i, Chi-lung, Hsin-chu, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan
  special municipalities: Kao-hsiung city, T'ai-pei city
  note: Taiwan generally uses Wade-Giles system for romanization;
  special municipality of Taipei adopted standard pinyin romanization
  for street and place names within city boundaries, other local
  authorities have selected a variety of romanization systems

National holiday:
Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October
(1911)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000) and
  Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)
  head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) SU
  Tseng-chang (since 25 January 2006) and Vice Premier (Vice President
  of the Executive Yuan) TSAI Ing-wen (since 25 January 2006)
  cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 20 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008);
  premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the
  president on the recommendation of the premier
  election results: CHEN Shui-bian re-elected president; percent of
  vote - CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 50.1%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 49.9%

Legislative branch:
  Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41
  elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by
  participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese
  constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received
  by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote
  among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms);
  National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by
  parties and elected by proportional representation six to nine
  months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution, impeach
  president, or change national borders) - see note
  note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by National
  Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be
  reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments
  also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral
  legislature
  elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be
  held in December 2007); National Assembly - last held 14 May 2005;
  dissolved in June 2005
  election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP
  38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%;
  seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7,
  independents 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPP
  42.5%, KMT 38.9%, TSU 7%, PFP 6%, others 6.6%; seats by party - DPP
  127, KMT 117, TSU 21, PFP 18, others 17 (2005)

Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of
the Legislative Yuan)

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [YU Shyi-kun]; Kuomintang or
  KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou]; People First Party or PFP
  [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu)]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [SU
  Chin-chiang]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or
  NP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental
  groups
  note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the
  mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization
  and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's
  legislature have opened public debate on the island's national
  identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan
  currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate
  outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's
  people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan
  independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify
  with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement
  include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the
  UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the
  World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for
  Taiwan Nation Building

International organization participation:
  APEC, AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTO
  note: Taiwan has acquired observer status on the competition
  committee and special observer status on the Trade Committee of the
  OECD, and is seeking observer status with the backing of the US in
  WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people
  of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the
  Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US
  with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12
  other US cities

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2162-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2162-2251; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162

Flag description:
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Economy - overview:
  Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing
  guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities.
  In keeping with this trend, some large, government-owned banks and
  industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the
  primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is
  substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest.
  Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952.
  Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has
  overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and, in
  2005, Taiwan's third-largest source of imports after Japan and the
  US. Taiwan has benefited from cross-Strait economic integration and
  a sharp increase in world demand to achieve substantial growth in
  its export sector and a seven-year-high real GDP growth of 6.1% in
  2004. However, excess inventory, higher international oil prices,
  and rising interest rates dampened consumption in developed markets,
  and GDP growth dropped to 3.8% in 2005. The service sector, which
  accounts for 69% of Taiwan's GDP, has continued to expand, while
  unemployment and inflation rates have declined.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 25.9% services: 72.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 6% industry: 35.8% services: 58.2% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 6.7% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $41.67 billion
  expenditures: $50.26 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $14.4 billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish

Industries:
  electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles,
  iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles,
  consumer products, pharmaceuticals

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 6% nuclear: 22.6% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles,
plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)

Imports - partners:
Japan 25.3%, US 11.6%, China 11%, South Korea 7.3%, Saudi Arabia
4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004),
34.575 (2003), 33.8 (2002), 33.09 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000
for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every
  business and private need
  domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
  international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to
  Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
  Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 38 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,497 km
  narrow gauge: 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)
  note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar
  Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau) used to carry
  products and limited numbers of passengers (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 37,299 km
  paved: 35,621 km (including 1,789 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 1,678 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 112 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,798,992 GRT/4,652,921 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, container 25,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 7, roll
  on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 3)
  registered in other countries: 463 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Honduras
  2, Hong Kong 6, Italy 10, Liberia 69, Malta 2, Panama 308, Singapore
  59, UK 1, US 1, unknown 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung

Military branches:
  Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard
  Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service
  Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command

Military service age and obligation:
  19-35 years of age for military service; service obligation 16
  months (to be shortened to 12 months in 2008); women in Air Force
  service are restricted to noncombat roles (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 5,883,828
females age 19-49: 5,680,773 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 4,749,537
females age 19-49: 4,644,607 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 174,173
females age 19-49: 163,683 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines,
  Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002
  "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has
  eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of
  conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands are
  occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003, China
  and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the
  uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's
  unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea
  where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Taiwan is primarily a destination for men,
  women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual
  exploitation; women from China and Southeast Asian countries are
  trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and
  children, primarily from Vietnam, are trafficked through the use of
  fraudulent marriages, deceptive employment offers, and illegal
  smuggling for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; a
  significant share of foreign workers - primarily from Vietnam,
  Thailand, and the Philippines - are recruited legally for
  low-skilled jobs, and are subjected to forced labor or involuntary
  servitude by labor agencies or employers upon arrival in Taiwan; to
  a much lesser extent, there is internal trafficking of children for
  sexual exploitation and trafficking of a small and declining number
  of Taiwanese women to Japan for commercial sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Taiwan is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts
  over the past year to address trafficking, despite ample resources
  to do so, particularly the serious level of forced labor and sexual
  servitude among legally migrating Southeast Asian contract workers
  and brides

Illicit drugs:
  regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major
  problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin;
  renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem

Background:
  The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s,
  but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution
  of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and
  not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan became independent in
  1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the
  process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free
  market economy after its 1992-1997 civil war. There have been no
  major security incidents in recent years, although the country
  remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the
  international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has
  brought increased economic development assistance, which could
  create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is
  in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership
  and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,651 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870
  km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to
polar in Pamir Mountains

Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley
in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead,
zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Environment - current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in
  the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai
  Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain
  in the former USSR

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37.9% (male 1,396,349/female 1,375,168)
  15-64 years: 57.4% (male 2,091,476/female 2,108,889)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 154,162/female 194,771) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20.4 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 106.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 117.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.94 years
  male: 62.03 years
  female: 68 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6%
(2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.4%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
  conventional short form: Tajikistan
  local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
  local short form: Tojikiston
  former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Dushanbe
  geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994;
  head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
  head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January
  1999)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
  by the Supreme Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2006
  (next to be held November 2013); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: Emomali RAHMONOV reelected president; percent of
  vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 76.4%, Olimzon BOBOYEV 7.2%, other 16.4%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assembly
  of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (34
  seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local
  deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the
  former president; all serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 February and 13 March 2005 for the Assembly
  of Representatives (next to be held February 2010) and 25 March 2005
  for the National Assembly (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - PDPT 74.9%, CPT 13.6%, Islamic Revival Party 8.9%, other
  2.5%; seats by party - PDPT 51, CPT 5, Islamic Revival Party 2,
  independents 5; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT 2, independents 3

Political parties and leaders:
  Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir KARAKULOV]; Democratic
  Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV]; Islamic Revival Party [Said
  Abdullo NURI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimjon BOBOYEV];
  People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV];
  Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist
  Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT
  [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo
  NASREDDINOV]; Party of Justice [Abdurahim KARIMOV]; People's Unity
  Party [Abdumalik ABDULLOJONOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV];
  Socialist Party [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV]; note - this is the SPT that
  was disbanded, another pro-government SPT (listed above under
  political parties) replaced it; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]

International organization participation:
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
  IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA,
  OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Khamrokhon ZARIPOV
  chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
  FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Ave., Dushanbe 734003 mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189 telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00 FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50

Flag description:
  three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and
  green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is
  located in the center of the white stripe

Economy - overview:
  Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15
  former Soviet republics. Only 6% of the land area is arable; cotton
  is the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in
  amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry
  consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and
  small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food
  processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already
  weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in
  industrial and agricultural production. Even though 64% of its
  people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has
  experienced steady economic growth since 1997, but experienced a
  slight drop in its growth rate to 8% in 2005 from 10.6% in 2004.
  Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises
  would further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic
  situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of
  structural reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and
  the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached
  with Russia in December 2002, including a $250 million write-off of
  Tajikistan's $300 million debt to Russia. Tajikistan ranks third in
  the world in terms of water resources per head. A proposed
  investment to finish the hydropower dams Rogun and Sangtuda would
  substantially add to electricity production. If finished, Rogun will
  be the world's tallest dam.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.4% industry: 28.6% services: 48% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 67.2% industry: 7.5% services: 25.3% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 25.2% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $442.3 million
  expenditures: $542.6 million; including capital expenditures of $86
  million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries:
aluminum, zinc, lead; chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable
oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.9% hydro: 98.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 46.6%, Turkey 15.8%, Russia 9.1%, Uzbekistan 7.3%,
Latvia 4.9%, Iran 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Russia 19.3%, Kazakhstan 12.7%, Uzbekistan 11.5%, Azerbaijan 8.6%,
China 7%, Ukraine 6.2%, Romania 4.6%, Turkmenistan 4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705 (2004),
3.0614 (2003), 2.7641 (2002), 2.3722 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many
  towns are not linked to the national network
  domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave
  radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the
  Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to
  international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth
  stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Military branches:
Ground Troops, Air and Air Defense Troops, Mobile Troops (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,556,415
females age 18-49: 1,568,780 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,244,941
females age 18-49: 1,297,891 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 87,846
females age 18-49: 85,869 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede 1,000 sq km of Pamir
  Mountain range to China in return for China relinquishing claims to
  28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands, but neither state has published
  maps of ceded areas and demarcation has not yet commenced; talks
  continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefields;
  disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan

Illicit drugs:
  major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and,
  to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit
  cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan
  seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands
  third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium)

Background:
  Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early
  1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania
  in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first
  democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's
  semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to two
  contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite
  international observers' claims of voting irregularities.

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and
Mozambique

Area:
  total: 945,087 sq km
  land: 886,037 sq km
  water: 59,050 sq km
  note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,861 km
  border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217
  km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,
gold, natural gas, nickel

Natural hazards:
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought

Environment - current issues:
  soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of
  coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected
  marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and
  trade, especially for ivory

Geography - note:
  Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the
  largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
  second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
  world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

Population:
  37,445,392
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 43.7% (male 8,204,593/female 8,176,489)
  15-64 years: 53.6% (male 9,906,446/female 10,178,066)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 422,674/female 557,124) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.7 years
  male: 17.5 years
  female: 18 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 96.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 105.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 87.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 45.64 years
  male: 44.93 years
  female: 46.37 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, Rift Valley fever and plague are high
  risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more
  than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and
  Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African

Religions:
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%;
Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Languages:
  Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in
  Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,
  administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in
  Zanzibar), many local languages
  note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people
  living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili
  is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety
  of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the
  lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of
  most people is one of the local languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),
  English, or Arabic
  total population: 78.2%
  male: 85.9%
  female: 70.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
  conventional short form: Tanzania
  local long form: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
  local short form: Tanzania
  former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Capital:
  name: Dar es Salaam
  geographic coordinates: 6 48 S, 39 17 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is
  planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now meets
  there on a regular basis

Administrative divisions:
  26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma,
  Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza,
  Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida,
  Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar
  Urban/West

Independence:
  26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from
  UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19
  December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April
  1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed
  United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964

Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
  limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005);
  Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001); note -
  the president is both chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December
  2005); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);
  note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
  note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
  matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was reelected to
  that office on 30 October 2005
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of the National Assembly
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
  by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 14 December 2005(next to be held in December
  2010); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote
  - Jakaya KIKWETE 80.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 11.7%, Freeman MBOWE 5.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232 elected by
  popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the president, 5 to
  members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve
  five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that apply to
  the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts laws
  that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of
  Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar
  House of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by universal
  suffrage to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December
  2010)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - CCM 206, CUF 19, CHADEMA 5, other 2, women
  appointed by the president 37, Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - CCM 30, CUF 19; 1 seat was nullified with a rerun to take
  place soon

Judicial branch:
  Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court of
  Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court
  (consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the
  president; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;
  Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the
  higher courts)

Political parties and leaders:
  Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and
  Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
  (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or
  CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party [Christopher MTIKLA]
  (unregistered); Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine Lyatonga
  MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EADB, FAO, G-6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security
  Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125 FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael L. RETZER embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: [255] (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015 FAX: [255] (22) 2666-701, 2668-501

Flag description:
  divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower
  hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the
  lower triangle is blue

Economy - overview:
  Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy
  depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for almost half of
  GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force.
  Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops
  to only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured the
  processing of agricultural products and light consumer goods. The
  World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors
  have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date economic
  infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Long-term growth through
  2005 featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial
  increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Recent banking reforms
  have helped increase private-sector growth and investment. Continued
  donor assistance and solid macroeconomic policies supported real GDP
  growth of more than 6% in 2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43.2% industry: 17.2% services: 39.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 30.1% (1993)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.235 billion
  expenditures: $2.669 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from
  chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava
  (tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries:
  agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine);
  diamond, gold, and iron mining, salt, soda ash; cement, oil
  refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 18.9% hydro: 81.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
China 10.2%, Canada 8.6%, India 7.3%, Netherlands 5.2%, Japan 4.5%,
Kenya 4.4%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial
raw materials, crude oil

Imports - partners:
South Africa 12.2%, China 9.6%, India 7%, UAE 6.1%, Kenya 5.2%, UK
4.1% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - 1,128.93 (2005), 1,089.33
(2004), 1,038.42 (2003), 966.58 (2002), 876.41 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system operating below capacity and being
  modernized for better service; very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
  system under construction
  domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
  relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
  made digital
  international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 113 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 62 under 914 m: 33 (2006)

Railways: total: 3,690 km narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Waterways:
Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal avenues of
commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 24,801 GRT/31,507 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4
  registered in other countries: 2 (Honduras 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  1) (2006)

Military branches:
Tanzanian People's Defense Force (JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing, Air
Defense Command (includes air wing), National Service

Military service age and obligation: 15 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for compulsory military service upon graduation from secondary school; conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Disputes - international:
disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 443,706 (Burundi) 153,474 (Democratic
Republic of the Congo) 3,036 (Somalia) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian
  heroin and South American cocaine destined for South African,
  European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for
  southern Africa; money laundering remains a problem

Background:
  A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century.
  Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian
  country never to have been taken over by a European power. A
  bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In
  alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally
  following the conflict. Thailand is currently facing armed violence
  in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of
Thailand, southeast of Burma

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,863 km
  border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km,
  Malaysia 506 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to
  September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
  southern isthmus always hot and humid

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m

Natural resources:
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish,
gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Natural hazards:
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the
water table; droughts

Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Population:
  64,631,595
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22% (male 7,284,068/female 6,958,632)
  15-64 years: 70% (male 22,331,312/female 22,880,588)
  65 years and over: 8% (male 2,355,190/female 2,821,805) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 31.9 years
  male: 31.1 years
  female: 32.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 19.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.25 years
  male: 69.95 years
  female: 74.68 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis,
  and plague are high risks in some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US personnel who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Religions:
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000
census)

Languages:
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and
regional dialects

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.6%
  male: 94.9%
  female: 90.5% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
  conventional short form: Thailand
  local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai
  local short form: Prathet Thai
  former: Siam

Capital:
  name: Bangkok
  geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang
  Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi,
  Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng
  Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon
  (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha
  Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom,
  Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan,
  Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani,
  Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi,
  Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket,
  Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi
  Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut
  Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla,
  Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon
  Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

Constitution:
  constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997; abrogated
  on 19 September 2006 after coup; interim constitution promulgated on
  1 October 2006; junta has promised new constitution by October 2007

Legal system:
based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
  head of government: Interim Prime Minister SURAYUT Chulanon (since 1
  October 2006); Interim Deputy Prime Ministers KHOSIT Panpiamrat
  (since 9 October 2006); PRIDIYATHON Thewakun (since 9 October 2006)
  note: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat was overthrown on 19
  September 2006 in a coup led by General SONTHI Boonyaratglin
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  note: there is also a Privy Council
  elections: none; monarch is hereditary; according to 1997
  constitution, prime minister was designated from among members of
  House of Representatives; following national elections for House of
  Representatives, leader of party that could organize a majority
  coalition usually was appointed prime minister by king

Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consisted of the Senate
  or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen
  Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms); after coup in September 2006, junta appointed an
  interim National Assembly with 250 members to act as Senate and
  House of Representatives; body has no vote on government matters
  elections: Senate - last held 19 April 2006; House of
  Representatives - last held 6 February 2005; junta scheduled next
  general election by October 2007
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - NA; House of Representatives - (2005 election) percent of
  vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2

Political parties and leaders:
  Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT Wetchachiwa];
  People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK Laothamatas]; Thai
  Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA]; Thai
  Rak Thai Party or TRT [CHATURON Chaisang]

International organization participation:
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
  (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Virasakdi FUTRAKUL
  chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC
  20007-3681
  telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE
  embassy: 120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
  mailing address: APO AP 96546
  telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000
  FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131
  consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai

Flag description:
five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width),
white, and red

Economy - overview:
  With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy,
  and pro-investment policies, Thailand appears to have fully
  recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis. The country was
  one of East Asia's best performers in 2002-04. Boosted by increased
  consumption and strong export growth, the Thai economy grew 6.9% in
  2003 and 6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. Bangkok has
  pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in
  an effort to boost exports and to maintain high growth. In 2004,
  Thailand and the US began negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement. In
  late December 2004, a major tsunami took 8,500 lives in Thailand and
  caused massive destruction of property in the southern provinces of
  Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket. Growth slowed to 4.4% in 2005. The
  downturn can be attributed to high oil prices, weaker demand from
  Western markets, severe drought in rural regions, tsunami-related
  declines in tourism, and lower consumer confidence. Moreover, the
  THAKSIN administration's expansionist economic policies, including
  plans for multi-billion-dollar mega-projects in infrastructure and
  social development, has raised concerns about fiscal discipline and
  the health of financial institutions. On the positive side, the Thai
  economy performed well beginning in the third quarter of 2005.
  Export-oriented manufacturing - in particular automobile production
  - and farm output are driving these gains. In 2006, the economy
  should benefit from an influx of investment and a revived tourism
  sector; however, a possible avian flu epidemic could significantly
  harm economic prospects throughout the region.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.9% industry: 44.1% services: 46% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 49% industry: 14% services: 37% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $30.64 billion
  expenditures: $31.76 billion; including capital expenditures of $5
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans

Industries:
  tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages,
  tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric
  appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture,
  plastics, automobiles and automotive parts; world's second-largest
  tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 91.3% hydro: 6.4% nuclear: 0% other: 2.4% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry,
automobiles, computers and electrical appliances

Exports - partners:
US 15.5%, Japan 13.7%, China 8.3%, Singapore 6.8%, Hong Kong 5.6%,
Malaysia 5.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer
goods, fuels

Imports - partners:
Japan 22%, China 9.4%, US 7.4%, Malaysia 6.8%, UAE 4.8%, Singapore
4.5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
baht per US dollar - 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004), 41.485 (2003),
42.96 (2002), 44.432 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas
  like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is
  planned to be complete by 2006
  domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
  commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
  outpacing fixed lines
  international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for
  APCN submarine cable

Airports - with paved runways: total: 66 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Waterways: 4,000 km note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 400 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,808,509 GRT/4,317,320 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 145, chemical tanker 14, container
  21, liquefied gas 29, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
  tanker 91, refrigerated cargo 32, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 45 (China 1, Egypt 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway
  30, Singapore 6, UK 2)
  registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 9,
  Singapore 22, Tuvalu 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Royal Thai Army (RTA), Royal Thai Navy (RTN, includes Royal Thai
Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Knogtap Agard Thai, RTAF) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obligation - two years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 21-49: 14,903,855
females age 21-49: 15,265,854 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 21-49: 10,396,032
females age 21-49: 11,487,690 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 526,276
females age 21-49: 514,396 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern
  provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem
  terrorist activities; southeast Asian states have enhanced border
  surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on
  completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over
  several areas along Mekong River and Thai squatters; despite
  continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
  with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
  rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia and
  Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers;
  Cambodia claims Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and
  obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia
  by ICJ decision in 1962; ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand
  - to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops -
  resulting in Thailand sheltering about 120,000 Burmese refugees in
  2005; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric
  dam construction on the Salween River near the border;
  environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about
  China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the
  Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 120,814 (Burma)
IDPs: 6,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; illicit transit
  point for heroin en route to the international drug market from
  Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of
  cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring
  countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication
  efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in
  methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer
  of methamphetamine since the 1990s

Background:
  French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA,
  installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule well into the
  21st century. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted
  in the early 1990s, the government continued to be dominated by
  President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party
  has maintained power almost continually since 1967. Togo has come
  under fire from international organizations for human rights abuses
  and is plagued by political unrest. While most bilateral and
  multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen, the EU initiated a partial
  resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in late 2004
  based upon commitments by Togo to expand opportunities for political
  opposition and liberalize portions of the economy. Upon his death in
  February 2005, President EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure
  GNASSINGBE. The succession, supported by the military and in
  contravention of the nation's constitution, was challenged by
  popular protest and a threat of sanctions from regional leaders.
  GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure and in April 2005 held elections
  that legitimized his succession.

Land boundaries: total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Terrain:
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau;
low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural hazards:
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the
  use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and
  hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct
geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Population:
  5,548,702
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
  15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.3 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 18.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 57.42 years
  male: 55.41 years
  female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and
Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Languages:
  French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the
  two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled
  Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 60.9%
  male: 75.4%
  female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Togolese Republic
  conventional short form: Togo
  local long form: Republique togolaise
  local short form: none
  former: French Togoland

Capital:
  name: Lome
  geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime,
Plateaux, Savanes

Constitution:
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the
Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Legal system:
French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005);
  note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded
  by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April 2005
  validated the succession
  head of government: Prime Minister Yawovi AGBOYIBO (since 16
  September 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held
  NA); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected president; percent of
  vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas
  LAWSON 1%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1
  note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of
  the Forces for Change and the Action Committee for Renewal

Political parties and leaders:
  Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and
  Equality or MOCEP; Rally for the Support for Development and
  Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or
  RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or
  UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI,
  UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory ENGLE embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94 FAX: [228] 221 79 52

Flag description:
  five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating
  with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in
  the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of
  Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
  This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both
  commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment
  for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be
  imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export
  earnings, with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is
  the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate. The government's
  decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to
  implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment,
  and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly.
  Progress depends on follow-through on privatization, increased
  openness in government financial operations, progress toward
  legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors.
  Togo is working with donors to write a PRGF that could eventually
  lead to a debt reduction plan.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 39.5% industry: 20.4% services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $251.3 million
  expenditures: $292.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice,
millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Industries:
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts,
textiles, beverages

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.7% hydro: 1.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - imports:
500 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2003)

Exports - partners:
Ghana 21.1%, Burkina Faso 18.2%, Benin 11.5%, Mali 7.3%, India
5.8%, Nigeria 4% (2005)

Imports - partners:
France 17.8%, China 13.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.5%, Italy 4.5%, Spain
4.3% (2005)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave
  radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile
  cellular system
  domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional
  system
  international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Military branches:
Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
(2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,102,661
females age 18-49: 1,124,463 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 696,933
females age 18-49: 707,821 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international: in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Togo is a source, transit, and destination
  country for children, women, and men trafficked for forced labor and
  sexual exploitation; the majority of victims are children, and
  trafficking within the country is more prevalent than international
  trafficking; children are trafficked to work as domestic servants,
  produce porters, roadside sellers, agricultural laborers, and for
  sexual exploitation; Togolese women may be trafficked to Europe for
  forced labor and sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Togo is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for failure to show evidence of increased efforts to combat
  trafficking over the past year, particularly in the areas of
  prosecution and protection

Illicit drugs:
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money
laundering not a significant problem

Background:
  Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island
  groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in
  1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Location:
Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Land use:
  arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to
emigration to New Zealand

Geography - note:
  consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number
  of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three
  meters above sea level

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42% 15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
  note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on
  Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
  the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Dependency status:
  self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New
  Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward
  free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on
  self-governance, in February 2006, did not produce the two thirds
  majority vote necessary for changing the current political status

Capital:
  none; each atoll has its own administrative center
  time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution:
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND
  (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator
  David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
  head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates
  annually among the three Faipule (village leaders)
  cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau,
  consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku
  (village mayors), functions as a cabinet
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
  by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the
  head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves
  a one-year term

Legislative branch:
  unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional
  representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to
  serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats,
  Atafu has 8 seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers
  limited legislative power on the General Fono
  elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal
jurisdiction in Tokelau

International organization participation:
PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Economy - overview:
  Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of
  resources greatly restrain economic development and confine
  agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid
  from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public
  services, with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The
  principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage
  stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to
  families from relatives in New Zealand.

Budget:
  revenues: $430,800
  expenditures: $2.8 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (1987 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry,
goats; fish

Industries:
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited
craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system;
  domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
  international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
  government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
  earth stations

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: 1 radio station provides service to all islands (2002)

Background:
  Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its
  indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands"
  were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a
  constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900;
  it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of
  Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Location:
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds
of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May),
cool season (May to December)

Terrain:
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Natural hazards:
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on
Fonuafo'ou

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for
  agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish
  and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens
  native sea turtle populations

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 35.3% (male 20,679/female 19,843)
  15-64 years: 60.5% (male 34,399/female 34,964)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,059/female 2,745) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.7 years
  male: 20.1 years
  female: 21.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.82 years
  male: 67.32 years
  female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
  total population: 98.9%
  male: 98.8%
  female: 99% (1999 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
  conventional short form: Tonga
  local long form: Pule'anga Tonga
  local short form: Tonga
  former: Friendly Islands

Capital:
  name: Nuku'alofa
  geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W
  time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11
  February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16
  May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet currently consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by
  the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of
  the Legislative Assembly, including 2 each from the nobles and
  peoples representatives serving three year terms
  note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch,
  the cabinet, and two governors
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
  deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14
  reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, 9 for nobles
  selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9 elected by popular vote;
  members serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT
  70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of
  Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen
  and approved by Privy Council)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote
VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is
accredited to Tonga

Flag description:
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner

Economy - overview:
  Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow
  export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and
  vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up
  two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high
  proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains
  dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities
  overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest
  source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The
  government is emphasizing the development of the private sector,
  especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing
  increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably
  sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High
  unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation,
  pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service
  expenditures are major issues facing the government.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23% industry: 27% services: 50% (FY03/04 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 65% industry and services: 35% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $56.97 million
  expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9
  million (FY99/00 est.)

Agriculture - products: squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Economic aid - recipient:
$19.3 million Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million
(FY01/02)

Exchange rates:
pa'anga per US dollar - 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003),
2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications
  Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is
  accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted
  authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone,
  Internet, and television
  domestic: fully automatic switched network
  international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1, livestock
  carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo
  1
  foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force
(includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 25,420
females ag3 18-49: 24,827 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 19,840
females age 18-49: 21,342 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males ag3 18-49: 1,586
females age 18-49: 1,538 (2005 est.)

Background:
  First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British
  control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was
  hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was
  replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India
  between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the
  cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added
  another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The
  country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks
  largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing.
  Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Maritime claims:
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
  margin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's
largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.1% (male 109,936/female 104,076)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 398,657/female 361,093)
  65 years and over: 8.6% (male 41,162/female 50,918) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 31.2 years
  male: 30.8 years
  female: 31.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 25.05 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 23.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 66.76 years
  male: 65.71 years
  female: 67.86 years (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Ethnic groups:
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%,
unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%,
  Pentecostal 6.8%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day
  Adventist 4%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Capital:
  name: Port-of-Spain
  geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough
  corporations, 1 ward
  regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
  Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
  Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
  city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando
  borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
  ward: Tobago

Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
  2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
  December 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
  elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
  of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14
  February 2003 (next to be held in 2008); the president usually
  appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the
  House of Representatives
  election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent
  of electoral college vote - 43%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
  appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the
  opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the House of
  Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next
  to be held by October 2007)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
  55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16
  note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
  serving four-year terms; last election held January 2005; seats by
  party - PNM 11, DAC 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice
  and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
  president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader
  of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on
  the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court
  of Justice; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the
  highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London

Political parties and leaders:
  National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH];
  People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or
  TU [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo
  PANDAY]; Democratic Action Committee or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES], note -
  only active in Tobago

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
  chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
  embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
  mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
  telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376
  FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Flag description:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side to the lower fly side

Economy - overview:
  Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas,
  has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for
  international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not
  proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The
  economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus.
  Prospects for growth in 2006 are good as prices for oil,
  petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas are expected to remain
  high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support
  expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping
  with a rise in violent crime.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.7% industry: 57% services: 42.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $4.5 billion
  expenditures: $4.06 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $117.3 million (2005 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage,
cotton textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products,
fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live
animals

Imports - partners:
US 27.7%, Venezuela 13.3%, Brazil 11.8%, Japan 5.5%, Canada 4.2%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2842 (2005), 6.299
(2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002), 6.2332 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent international service; good local
  service
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
  Guyana

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,760 GRT/7,941 DWT
  by type: liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum
  tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Military branches:
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard
(includes air wing) (2004)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 290,715
females age 18-49: 258,410 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 202,958
females age 18-49: 173,797 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Barbados will assert its claim before the UN Convention on the Law
  of the Sea (UNCLOS) that the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's
  maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into its waters; Guyana has
  also expressed its intention to challenge this boundary as it may
  extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; producer of cannabis

Background:
  Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated
  in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate.
  Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was
  finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an
  independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib
  BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
  country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
  establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation.
  Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign
  relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for
  a more open political society.

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya

Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south

Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges
into the Sahara

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Land use:
  arable land: 17.05%
  permanent crops: 13.08%
  other: 69.87% (2005)

Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
  strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
  discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
  between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268)
  65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.3 years
  female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.12 years
  male: 73.4 years
  female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2005)

Languages:
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French
(commerce)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74.3%
  male: 83.4%
  female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
  conventional short form: Tunisia
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
  local short form: Tunis

Capital:
  name: Tunis
  geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin
  'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba
  (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili
  (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah),
  Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax
  (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse
  (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan
  (Zaghwan)

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
  1987)
  head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17
  November 1999)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be
  held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
  fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%,
  Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis
  al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members
  elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional
  associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential
  appointees; members serve six-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to
  be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005
  (next to be held July 2011)
  election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3,
  PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Political parties and leaders:
  Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally
  Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President
  Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social
  Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS
  [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
  Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic
  Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is
outlawed

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC,
  NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
  (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 107-000 FAX: [216] 71 107-090

Flag description:
  red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly
  encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are
  traditional symbols of Islam

Economy - overview:
  Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining,
  energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of
  economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the
  past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax
  structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social
  policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia
  relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9%
  in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism.
  Better rains in 2003 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth
  to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of
  combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to
  trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of
  the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in
  government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among
  the challenges ahead.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.2% industry: 31.8% services: 55% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 55% industry: 23% services: 22% (1995 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Budget:
  revenues: $7.322 billion
  expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets,
dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

Industries:
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism,
textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural
products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners:
France 30.9%, Italy 21.1%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.5%
(2005)

Imports - commodities:
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004),
1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be
  upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet
  access available
  domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
  cable, and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
  cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
  Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,153 km
  standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 18,997 km
  paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)

Merchant marine:
  total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo
  4 (2006)

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,441,741
females age 20-49: 2,406,362 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,035,431
females age 20-49: 2,000,757 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 108,817
females age 20-49: 103,087 (2005 est.)

Background:
  Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of
  the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was
  later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."
  Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging
  social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party
  rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950
  election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful
  transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have
  multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of
  instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980),
  which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political
  power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the
  ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then
  Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus
  in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since
  acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,"
  which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984
  by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's
  Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the
  Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives.
  After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents
  largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK
  announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK
  increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a
  member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the
  European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many
  reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to
  begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Location:
  Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey
  west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering
  the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the
  Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,648 km
  border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km,
  Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in
  Mediterranean Sea
  exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary
  agreed upon with the former USSR

Climate:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in
interior

Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several
mountain ranges

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources:
  coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite,
  borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone,
  magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable
  land, hydropower

Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc
extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
  strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea
  of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount
  Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far
  eastern portion of the country

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.5% (male 9,133,226/female 8,800,070)
  15-64 years: 67.7% (male 24,218,277/female 23,456,761)
  65 years and over: 6.8% (male 2,198,073/female 2,607,551) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.1 years
  male: 27.9 years
  female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.62 years
  male: 70.18 years
  female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001
est.)

Languages:
  Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian
  note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the Europe
  part of Turkey

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.5%
  male: 94.3%
  female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
  conventional short form: Turkey
  local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
  local short form: Turkiye

Capital:
  name: Ankara
  geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman,
  Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan,
  Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol,
  Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
  Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,
  Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel (Mersin), Igdir,
  Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,
  Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,
  Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
  Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt,
  Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
  Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Legal system:
  civil law system derived from various European continental legal
  systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR),
  although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European
  Convention on Human Rights

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
  2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  nomination of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a single
  seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held May
  2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among members
  of parliament
  election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
  ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
  note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
  Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
  ballot

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
  Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held in 2007); note
  - a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt
  on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to
  a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister, on
  14 March 2003
  election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
  DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other; seats by
  party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing
  the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by
  party as of 1 December 2005 - AKP 357, CHP 154, ANAVATAN 22, DYP 4,
  SHP 4, HYP 1, independents 4, vacant 4

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of
  State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court
  of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Anavatan Partisi (once was Motherland Party) or ANAVATAN [Erkan
  MUMCU]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic
  People's Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Felicity Party (sometimes
  translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin ERBAKAN]; Justice
  and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Liberal
  Democratic Party or LDP; Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet
  BAHCELI]; People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP
  [Yasr Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL];
  Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat KARAYALCIN]; True
  Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP
  [Mehmet AGAR]
  note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
  the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];
  Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman
  CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
  or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim
  USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Refik
  BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC];
  Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis
  GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or
  TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and
  Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation:
  AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
  ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC,
  OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description:
  red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward
  the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside
  the crescent opening

Economy - overview:
  Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and
  commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that still
  accounts for more than 35% of employment. It has a strong and
  rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major
  role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The
  largest industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts
  for one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition
  in international markets with the end of the global quota system.
  However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electronics
  industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix.
  Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong
  expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994,
  1999, and 2001. The economy is turning around with the
  implementation of economic reforms, and 2004 GDP growth reached 9%.
  Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low. Despite the strong
  economic gains in 2002-05, which were largely due to renewed
  investor interest in emerging markets, IMF backing, and tighter
  fiscal policy, the economy is still burdened by a high current
  account deficit and high debt. The public sector fiscal deficit
  exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large part to high interest payments,
  which accounted for about 37% of central government spending in
  2004. Prior to 2005, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey
  averaged less than $1 billion annually, but further economic and
  judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost
  FDI. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21 billion.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.7% industry: 29.8% services: 58.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 35.9% industry: 22.8% services: 41.2% (3rd qtr. 2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 30.7% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $93.58 billion
  expenditures: $115.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus;
livestock

Industries:
  textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal,
  chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber,
  paper

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 79.3% hydro: 20.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment

Exports - partners:
Germany 12.9%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, US 6.7%, France 5.2%, Spain
4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport
equipment

Imports - partners:
Germany 11.7%, Russia 11%, Italy 6.5%, China 5.9%, France 5%, US
4.6%, UK 4% (2005)

Currency (code):
Turkish lira (YTL); old Turkish lira (TRL) before 1 January 2005

Exchange rates:
  Turkish liras per US dollar - 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004), 1.5009
  (2003), 1.5072 (2002), 1.2256 (2001)
  note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish Lira (TRL) was converted to
  new Turkish Lira (YTL) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish
  Lira

Telephone system:
  general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion,
  especially with cellular telephones
  domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
  increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
  technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
  fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
  communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
  domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
  cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
  international: country code - 90; international service is provided
  by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
  Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
  and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
  satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 89 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Railways:
total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 347,553 km
  paved: 154,807 km (including 1,886 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 192,747 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 545 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,772,864 GRT/7,313,070 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 109, cargo 239, chemical tanker 50, container
  24, liquefied gas 6, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 50, petroleum
  tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 24, specialized
  tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Italy 3, Switzerland 1)
  registered in other countries: 411 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda
  8, Bahamas 8, Belize 11, Cambodia 26, Comoros 11, Dominica 3,
  Georgia 30, Isle of Man 3, North Korea 4, Liberia 1, Libya 2, Malta
  123, Marshall Islands 20, Netherlands Antilles 9, Panama 42, Russia
  63, Saint Kitts and Nevis 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25,
  Slovakia 8, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli
(Izmit), Toros

Military branches:
  Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes
  naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk Hava
  Kuvvetleri) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 16,756,323
females age 20-49: 16,051,706 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 13,905,901
females age 20-49: 13,335,812 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 679,734
females age 20-49: 659,090 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  in the early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large but badly
  equipped infantry force; there were 14 infantry divisions, but only
  one was mechanized, and out of 16 infantry brigades, only six were
  mechanized; the overhaul that has taken place since has produced
  highly mobile forces with greatly enhanced firepower in accordance
  with NATO's new strategic concept (2005)

Disputes - international:
  complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the
  Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq
  protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates
  waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in
  Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK
and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and
  - to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes;
  major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
  organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
  imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey
  and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas
  of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw
  concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls

Background:
  Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a
  Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the
  dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat NIYAZOV
  retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not
  tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a
  boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery
  projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is
  actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation
  routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,736 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379
  km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Terrain:
  flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the
  south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in
  west

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a
  lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates
  above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has
  dropped as low as -110 m)
  note: Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a
  water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina
  Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
  highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Environment - current issues:
  contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,
  pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation
  methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the
  flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's
  inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions of
  the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which
  occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 35.2% (male 913,988/female 863,503)
  15-64 years: 60.7% (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155)
  65 years and over: 4.1% (male 79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.8 years
  male: 20.9 years
  female: 22.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 72.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 61.83 years
  male: 58.43 years
  female: 65.41 years (2006 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.3%
  female: 98.3% (1999 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Turkmenistan
  local long form: none
  local short form: Turkmenistan
  former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch

Capital:
  name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
  geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty
  (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap
  Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
  Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct
  presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the
  chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of
  Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first
  direct presidential election occurred)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28
  December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (Halk
  Maslahaty); in November 2005, the People's Council voted down
  NIYAZOV's suggestion to hold presidential elections in 2009
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was
  unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council
  on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are
  appointed by the president
  election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
  opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%

Legislative branch:
  under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a
  unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative
  body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of whom are elected by popular
  vote and some of whom are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a
  unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms); membership is scheduled to
  be increased to 65 seats
  elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be
  held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be
  held December 2008)
  election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -
  all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of
  Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV
  note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of
  the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative
  organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and
  the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its
  supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the
  constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the
  president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and
  the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of
  making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative
  branches of government

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
  note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
  opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the
  two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been National
  Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic
  Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign
  Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the
  wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President
  NIYAZOV; UDPT is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is
  based out of Moscow

International organization participation:
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOV
  chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jennifer
  L. BRUSH
  embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat,
  Turkmenistan 774000
  mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
  telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
  FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14

Flag description:
  green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side,
  containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets)
  stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive
  branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon representing Islam
  with five white stars representing the regions or velayats of
  Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly
  side of the red stripe

Economy - overview:
  Turkmenistan is a largely desert country with intensive agriculture
  in irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of its
  irrigated land is planted in cotton; formerly it was the world's
  tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have led to an
  almost 50% decline in cotton exports. With an authoritarian
  ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally based social structure,
  Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform,
  hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient
  economy. Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2005,
  Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export
  routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term
  external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose by 20%
  to 30% per year in 2003-2005, largely because of higher
  international oil and gas prices. In 2005, Ashgabat sought to raise
  natural gas export prices to its main customers, Russia and Ukraine,
  from $44 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $66 per tcm. Overall
  prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread
  internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, the government's
  irrational use of oil and gas revenues, and its unwillingness to
  adopt market-oriented reforms. Turkmenistan's economic statistics
  are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide
  margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain.

GDP - real growth rate: IMF estimate: 6% note: official government statistics show 21.4% growth, but these estimates are widely regarded as unreliable (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.9% industry: 38% services: 41.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 48.2% industry: 13.8% services: 37% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.401 billion
  expenditures: $1.542 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - partners:
UAE 12.4%, Azerbaijan 10.9%, US 9.4%, Russia 8.9%, Ukraine 7.4%,
Turkey 7.2%, Iran 6.1%, Germany 5.3%, Kazakhstan 4.2% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  in recent years the unofficial rate has hovered around 24,000 to
  25,000 Turkmen manats to the dollar; the official rate has
  consistently been 5,200 manat to the dollar

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poorly developed
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwave
  radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased
  connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new
  telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new
  exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey
  via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Airports - with paved runways: total: 22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways)
(2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870 GRT/25,801 DWT
  by type: cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2,
  refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Artillery and Rocket Forces, Navy, Air and Air
Defense Forces (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - two years (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,132,833
females age 18-49: 1,162,569 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 759,978
females age 18-49: 940,179 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 56,532
females age 18-49: 55,413 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates
  water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; bilateral
  talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested
  oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; demarcation of land boundary
  with Kazakhstan has started but Caspian seabed delimitation remains
  stalled

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 12,085 (Tajikistan) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western
  European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound
  for Afghanistan

Background:
  The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when
  they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's
  independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965
  to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate
  governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982,
  the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas
  territory.

Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 31.9% (male 3,432/female 3,312)
  15-64 years: 64.4% (male 7,155/female 6,457)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 362/female 434) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.5 years
  male: 28.3 years
  female: 26.8 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.73 years
  male: 72.48 years
  female: 77.08 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other
14% (1990)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 98%
  male: 99%
  female: 98% (1970 est.)

People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound
for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and US

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
  abbreviation: TCI

Capital:
  name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
  geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Constitution:
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9
August 2006)

Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica
and The Bahamas

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
  head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August
  2003); note - the office of premier was created in the new
  constitution
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six
  ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the
  Legislative Council, and the attorney general
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party is appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (21 seats of which 15 are popularly
  elected; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;
  seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August
  2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now
  has 5

Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive
National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Flag description:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
  the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
  shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

Economy - overview:
  The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and
  offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for
  domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of
  tourists, accounting for more than half of the annual 93,000
  visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue also
  include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.

Labor force - by occupation: note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $47 million
  expenditures: $33.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1997-98 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction
materials

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fully digital system with international direct
  dialing
  domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
  available
  international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television
networks) (2004)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Disputes - international:
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

Background:
  In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the
  Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice
  Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
  Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate
  British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,
  Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"
  for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.

Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South
Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural hazards:
  severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were
  three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes
  in sea level

Environment - current issues:
  since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not
  potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with
  storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one
  desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion
  because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive
  clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral
  reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is
  concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and
  their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's
  underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to
  Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels
  should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the
  coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and
  Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao
  have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 30.2% (male 1,819/female 1,752)
  15-64 years: 64.7% (male 3,715/female 3,923)
  65 years and over: 5.1% (male 228/female 373) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.6 years
  male: 23.6 years
  female: 26 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 19.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 22.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 68.32 years
  male: 66.08 years
  female: 70.66 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist
1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Tuvalu
  local long form: none
  local short form: Tuvalu
  former: Ellice Islands
  note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's
  eight traditionally inhabited islands

Capital:
  name: Funafuti
  geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on
  Fongafale Islet

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
  the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime
  minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members
  of Parliament; election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be held
  following parliamentary elections in 2010)
  election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected Prime Minister in a
  Parliamentary election on 14 August 2006

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly
  (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

Judicial branch:
  High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its
  sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in
  Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to
Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Flag description:
  light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country
  with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Economy - overview:
  Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine
  coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral
  resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the
  primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average,
  visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the
  sale of stamps and coins and remittances from seamen on merchant
  ships abroad. About 1,000 Tuvaluans are being repatriated from
  Nauru, with the decline of phosphate resources there. Substantial
  income is received annually from an international trust fund
  established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also
  by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and
  conservative withdrawals, this fund has grown from an initial $17
  million to over $35 million in 1999. The US Government is also a
  major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988
  treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence on
  foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms,
  including privatization of some government functions and personnel
  cuts of up to 7%. Tuvalu derives around $1.5 million per year from
  the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. With merchandise
  exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance
  must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees,
  remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income
  from overseas investments.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.6% NA% industry: 27.2% NA% services: 56.2% NA%

Labor force - by occupation: note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $22.78 million
  expenditures: $14.23 million; including capital expenditures of $4.2
  million (2000 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Imports - commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Fiji 46.1%, Japan 18.9%, China 18.2%, Australia 7.7%, NZ 4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient:
$13 million; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US
(1999 est.)

Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar

Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095
(2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
  communications
  domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
  international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
  by satellite

Merchant marine:
  total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 196,790 GRT/256,436 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 37, chemical tanker 1, container 2,
  passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, specialized
  tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 43 (China 23, Hong Kong 8, Kenya 1, Russia 2,
  Singapore 6, Thailand 1, Turkey 2) (2006)

Background:
  The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda
  grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different
  political systems and cultures. These differences prevented the
  establishment of a working political community after independence
  was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79)
  was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla
  war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at
  least another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986
  has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. During
  the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and
  legislative elections.

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,698 km
  border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933
  km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km

Climate:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to
February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

Environment - current issues:
  draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation;
  overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake
  Victoria; poaching is widespread

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers

Population:
  28,195,754
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 50% (male 7,091,763/female 6,996,385)
  15-64 years: 47.8% (male 6,762,071/female 6,727,230)
  65 years and over: 2.2% (male 266,931/female 351,374) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 15 years
  male: 14.9 years
  female: 15.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 66.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 69.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 62.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 52.67 years
  male: 51.68 years
  female: 53.69 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping
  sickness) are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
  Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi 6%,
  Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro 3%,
  Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%, Rundi
  2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs
18%

Languages:
  English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used
  in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts),
  Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages,
  preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be
  taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan
  languages, Swahili, Arabic

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 69.9%
  male: 79.5%
  female: 60.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda

Capital:
  name: Kampala
  geographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 25 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  56 districts; Adjumani, Apac, Arua, Bugiri, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi,
  Busia, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido,
  Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese,
  Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi,
  Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara,
  Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakasongola,
  Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule,
  Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe
  note: as of a July 2005, 13 new districts were reportedly added
  bringing the total up to 69; the new districts are Amolatar, Amuria,
  Budaka, Butaleja, Ibanda, Kaabong, Kabingo, Kaliro, Kiruhura,
  Koboko, Manafwa, Mityana, Nakaseke; a total of nine more districts
  are in the process of being added

Constitution:
8 October 1995; in 2005 the constitution was amended removing
presidential term limits and legalizing a multiparty political system

Legal system:
  in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on
  English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
  seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief
  of state and head of government
  head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
  seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI
  (since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of state
  and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in
  the supervision of the cabinet
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected
  legislators
  elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  election last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president;
  percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, Kizza
  BESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (303 members - 214 directly elected by
  popular vote, 81 nominated by legally established special interest
  groups [women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 8 ex
  officio members; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  NA; note - election results had not been posted as of March 2006

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved
  by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the
  president)

Political parties and leaders:
  Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or DP
  [Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza
  BESIGYE]; Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA];
  National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]; National Resistance
  Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC
  [Miria OBOTE]
  note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's
  transition to a multi-party political system

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Popular Resistance Against a Life President or PRALP

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Edith G. SSEMPALA
  chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
  FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William
  FITZGERALD
  embassy: 1577 Ggaba Rd., Kampala
  mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
  telephone: [256] (41) 234-142
  FAX: [256] (41) 258-451

Flag description:
  six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black,
  yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and
  depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist
  side

Economy - overview:
  Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils,
  regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt.
  Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing
  over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export
  revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign
  countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and
  stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising
  producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum
  products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are
  especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and
  export earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solid
  performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of
  infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports,
  reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the
  return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. In 2000, Uganda
  qualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt
  relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145
  million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief
  added up to about $2 billion. Growth for 2001-02 was solid despite
  continued decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export.
  Growth in 2003-05 reflected an upturn in Uganda's export markets.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 31.1% industry: 22.2% services: 46.9% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 82% industry: 5% services: 13% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 21% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.845 billion
  expenditures: $1.904 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.9% hydro: 99.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural
products; gold

Exports - partners:
Kenya 15.1%, Belgium 9.9%, Netherlands 9.7%, France 7.1%, Germany
5.1%, Rwanda 4% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals

Imports - partners:
Kenya 32%, UAE 8.6%, South Africa 6.4%, India 5.7%, China 5.2%, UK
4.4%, US 4.1%, Japan 4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1,780.7 (2005), 1,810.3 (2004),
1,963.7 (2003), 1,797.6 (2002), 1,755.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have
  been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is
  essential; e-mail and Internet services are available
  domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and
  radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular
  systems for short-range traffic
  international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and
  Tanzania

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Waterways:
on Lake Victoria, 200 km on Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, and parts of
Albert Nile (2005)

Military branches:
Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force (UPDF): Army, Marine Unit, Air Wing

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty; the government has stated that recruitment below that age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,012,620
females age 18-49: 4,855,858 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,889,808
females age 18-49: 2,780,135 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups,
  rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces;
  Ugandan refugees have fled the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) into the
  southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; LRA forces
  have attacked Kenyan villages across the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 214,673 (Sudan) 18,902 (Rwanda)
  14,982 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  IDPs: 1,330,000-2,000,000 note - ongoing Lord's Resistance Army
  (LRA) rebellion, mainly in the north; LRA frequently attacks IDP
  camps (2005)

Background:
  Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan
  Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and
  most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and
  Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy
  of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation
  for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new
  Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the
  mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite
  continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain
  autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the
  18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by
  the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in
  1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of
  independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a
  brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22
  and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German
  and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more
  deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991
  with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the
  legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at
  economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass
  protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the
  authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow
  a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a
  reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal
  squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH
  to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime
  minister in August of 2006.

Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania,
and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

Land boundaries:
  total: 4,663 km
  border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km,
  Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia
  1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean
  coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west
  and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool
  along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across
  the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Terrain:
  most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus,
  mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the
  Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m

Natural resources:
  iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur,
  graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber,
  arable land

Environment - current issues:
  inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution;
  deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986
  accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds

Geography - note:
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia;
second-largest country in Europe

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 14.1% (male 3,377,868/female 3,203,738)
  15-64 years: 69.3% (male 15,559,998/female 16,831,486)
  65 years and over: 16.6% (male 2,635,651/female 5,102,075) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.98 years
  male: 64.71 years
  female: 75.59 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%,
  Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%,
  Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 19%, Orthodox (no particular
  jurisdiction) 16%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 9%,
  Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 1.7%,
  Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004 est.)

Languages:
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, small Romanian-, Polish-,
and Hungarian-speaking minorities

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Ukraine
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ukrayina
  former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian
  Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital:
  name: Kyiv (Kiev)
  geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic*
  (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular -
  misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea
  or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k,
  Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy,
  Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa,
  Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn'
  (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 24 August (1991); 22 January (1918), the day
  Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the
  day the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics united
  (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 4 August
  2006); First Deputy Prime Minister - Mykola AZAROV (since 5 August
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the
  only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are
  chosen by the president
  note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC
  originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the
  NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on
  domestic and international matters and advising the president; a
  Presidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts and
  provides policy support to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); note - a special repeat runoff
  presidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and Viktor
  YANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21
  November 2004 contest - won by Mr. YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated by
  the Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significant
  violations; under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1
  January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in naming
  the prime minister
  election results: Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent of
  vote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 51.99%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; allocated
  on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the
  national electoral vote; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party/bloc in 2002 - Party of
  Regions 32.1%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.3%, Our Ukraine 13.9%, SPU
  5.7%, CPU 3.7%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 186, Yuliya
  Tymoshenko Bloc 129, Our Ukraine 81, SPU 33, CPU 21

Political parties and leaders:
  Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; Fatherland
  Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Lytyvn-led People's Bloc
  group [Ihor SHAROV]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party of
  Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; People's
  Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party
  [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; People's Trust group [Anton KISSE]; PORA! (It's
  Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV]; Progressive Socialist Party
  [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Party
  of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Republican Party [Yuriy BOYKO];
  Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Viktor MEDVEDCHUK];
  Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman];
  Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Ukraine [Bohdan
  HUBSKYY]; Vidrodzhennya (Revival) [Anton KISSE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]

International organization participation:
  Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
  FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer), ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR
  chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606
  FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador William B. TAYLOR
  embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 04053 Kyiv
  mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850
  telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000
  FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow
represent grain fields under a blue sky

Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence was ratified in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. A dispute with Russia over pricing led to a temporary gas cut-off; Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in January 2006, which almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas, and could cost the Ukrainian economy $1.4-2.2 billion and cause GDP growth to fall 3-4%. Ukrainian government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework for businesses. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. GDP growth was 2.4% in 2005, down from 12.4% in 2004. The current account surplus reached $2.2 billion in 2005. The privatization of the Kryvoryzhstal steelworks in late 2005 produced $4.8 billion in windfall revenue for the government. Some of the proceeds were used to finance the budget deficit, some to recapitalize two state banks, some to retire public debt, and the rest may be used to finance future deficits.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18.7% industry: 45.2% services: 36.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 24% industry: 32% services: 44% (1996)

Unemployment rate:
  3.1% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
  underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization
  calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is around 9-10%
  (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 24.8% (2005)

Budget:
  revenues: $23.59 billion
  expenditures: $22.98 billion; note - this is the consolidated budget
  (January-September 2005)

Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk

Industries:
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and
transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 48.6% hydro: 7.9% nuclear: 43.5% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products,
chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products

Imports - partners:
Russia 35.5%, Germany 9.4%, Turkmenistan 7.4%, China 5% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995); IMF Extended Funds Facility $2.2 billion (1998)

Exchange rates:
hryvnia per US dollar - 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004), 5.3327
(2003), 5.3266 (2002), 5.3722 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan,
  running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines,
  international connections, and the mobile cellular system
  domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a
  telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
  more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be
  satisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunk
  system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is
  expanding at a high rate
  international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are
  a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three
  Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic
  Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
  additional international service is provided by the
  Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and
  by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik
  satellite systems

Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 193 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 55 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 93 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 306 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 274 (2006)

Railways:
total: 22,473 km
broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 169,447 km
  paved: 164,772 km (including 15 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 4,675 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 202 ships (1000 GRT or over) 782,456 GRT/911,201 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 151, container 4, passenger 6,
  passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, roll
  on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Russia 1)
  registered in other countries: 160 (Belize 7, Cambodia 17, Comoros
  14, Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Georgia 22, Liberia 16, Malta 24, Moldova
  3, Mongolia 1, Panama 8, Russia 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 4, Slovakia 8, unknown
  4) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Feodosiya, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni,
Yuzhnyy

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly),
Air Defense Forces (2002)

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 11,020,222
females age 18-49: 11,370,687 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,376,050
females age 18-49: 9,313,385 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 382,751
females age 18-49: 365,599 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to
  unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing
  border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is
  complete and parties have renewed discussions on demarcation; the
  dispute over the maritime boundary between Russia and Ukraine
  through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite
  a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level
  discussions; Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customs
  posts to monitor transit through Moldova's break-away Transnistria
  Region, which remains under OSCE supervision; in 2004 Ukraine and
  Romania took their dispute over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy
  (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary to the ICJ for
  adjudication; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation
  canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea

Illicit drugs:
  limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS
  consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West;
  limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point
  for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and
  Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved
  anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the
  Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and
  Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering
  regime continues to be monitored by FATF

Background:
  The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control
  of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In
  1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash
  Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United
  Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah.
  The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West
  European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate
  foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in
  the affairs of the region.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf,
between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Land boundaries: total: 867 km border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Terrain:
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast
desert wasteland; mountains in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a
vital transit point for world crude oil

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 24.9% (male 331,012/female 317,643)
  15-64 years: 71.2% (male 1,125,286/female 726,689)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 74,700/female 27,383)
  note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
  (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.55 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 2.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 14.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.57 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 75.44 years
  male: 72.92 years
  female: 78.08 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other
  expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
  note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 77.9%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
  local short form: none
  former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
  abbreviation: UAE

Government type:
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal
government and other powers reserved to member emirates

Capital:
  name: Abu Dhabi
  geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi),
  'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al
  Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwayn)

Legal system:
  federal court system introduced in 1971; applies to all emirates
  except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah, which are not fully
  integrated into the federal judicial system; all emirates have
  secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial matters
  and Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3
  November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November
  2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Rashid
  al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin
  Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
  SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN bin
  Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the
  seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional
  authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions
  federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)
  and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
  elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for
  five-year terms (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2004
  upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President
  ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime minister
  and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by
  a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum
  unanimously reaffirmed vice president

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad
  al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the
  constituent states to serve two-year terms)
  elections: President KHALIFA in December 2005 announced that
  indirect elections would be held in early 2006 for half of the seats
  in the FNC; the other half would be filled by appointment
  note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

International organization participation:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW,
  OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Saqr Ghobash Said GHOBASH
  chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
  20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
  FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
  consulate(s): New York, Houston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON
  embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4,
  Abu Dhabi
  mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
  telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
  FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603
  consulate(s) general: Dubai

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with
a wider vertical red band on the hoist side

Economy - overview:
  The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a
  sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas
  output (about 30% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate
  with the prices of those commodities. Since the discovery of oil in
  the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound
  transformation from an impoverished region of small desert
  principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At
  present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for
  more than 100 years. The government has increased spending on job
  creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its
  utilities to greater private sector involvement. Higher oil revenue,
  strong liquidity, and cheap credit in 2005 led to a surge in asset
  prices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. Any sharp
  correction to the UAE's equity markets could damage investor and
  consumer sentiment and affect bank asset quality. In April 2004, the
  UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with
  Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations
  toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 58.5% services: 37.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 7% industry: 15% services: 78% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $34.93 billion
  expenditures: $29.41 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.4
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement,
  fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, some
  boat building, handicrafts, textiles

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Japan 24.6%, South Korea 9.8%, Thailand 5.6%, India 4.3% (2005)

Imports - partners:
UK 10%, China 9.7%, US 9.4%, India 9.2%, Germany 5.9%, Japan 5.4%,
France 4.7%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

Economic aid - donor:
since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has
given about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries (2004)

Exchange rates:
  Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725 (2004),
  3.6725 (2003), 3.6725 (2002), 3.6725 (2001)
  note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital
  network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key
  centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
  domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
  international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
  submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
  tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi
  Arabia

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 23
  over 3,047 m: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 14
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 520 km; gas 2,580 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil
2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 1,088 km
paved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways) (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 656,003 GRT/891,837 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, container 6,
  liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, roll
  on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 10 (Greece 2, Kuwait 8)
  registered in other countries: 259 (Bahamas 16, Barbados 1, Belize
  5, Cambodia 1, Comoros 6, Cyprus 11, Dominica 2, Georgia 1, Hong
  Kong 2, India 6, Iran 1, Jordan 11, Kiribati 1, North Korea 6,
  Liberia 18, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5,
  Norway 1, Panama 105, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 19, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3,
  Singapore 7, Somalia 1, Sri Lanka 2, Syria 1, unknown 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Rashid, Mina'
Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Sharjan

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense
Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 653,181
females age 18-49: 497,394 (includes non-nationals; 2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 526,671
females age 18-49: 419,975 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 30,706
females age 18-49: 29,617 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text
  rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a
  treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement
  was not formally ratified; boundary agreement was signed and
  ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's
  Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the
  agreement and maps showing the alignment have not been published;
  Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran
  occupies

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: the United Arab Emirates is a destination
  country for men, women, and children trafficked from South and East
  Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for involuntary
  servitude and for sexual exploitation; an estimated 10,000 women
  from sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, South and East Asia, Iraq,
  Iran, and Morocco may be victims of sex trafficking in the UAE;
  women also migrate from Africa, and South and Southeast Asia to work
  as domestic servants, but may have their passports confiscated, be
  denied permission to leave the place of employment in the home, or
  face sexual or physical abuse by their employers; men from South
  Asia come to the UAE to work in the construction industry, but may
  be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as they are
  coerced to pay off recruitment and travel costs, sometimes having
  their wages denied for months at a time; victims of child camel
  jockey trafficking may still remain in the UAE, despite a July 2005
  law banning the practice; while all identified victims were
  repatriated at the government's expense to their home countries,
  questions persist as to the effectiveness of the ban and the true
  number of victims
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - UAE is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to show increased efforts to combat trafficking
  in 2005, particularly in its efforts to address the large-scale
  trafficking of foreign girls and women for commercial sexual
  exploitation

Illicit drugs:
  the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its
  proximity to Southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE's
  position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money
  laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal
  banking remains unregulated

Background:
  As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century,
  the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leading
  role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing
  literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched
  over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th
  century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars
  and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half
  witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself
  into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five
  permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of
  NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to
  foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its
  integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to
  remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being.
  Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The
  Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the
  Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter
  is suspended due to wrangling over the peace process.

Location:
  Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the
  island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North
  Sea, northwest of France

Area:
  total: 244,820 sq km
  land: 241,590 sq km
  water: 3,230 sq km
  note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in
  accordance with agreed upon boundaries

Climate:
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North
Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

Terrain:
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in
east and southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: The Fens -4 m
highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m

Natural resources:
  coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin,
  limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate,
  arable land

Environment - current issues:
  continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto
  Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to
  meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a
  20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims to reduce
  the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in
  landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at
  least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between
  1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to
  10.3%

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
  lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France
  and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily
  indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.5% (male 5,417,663/female 5,161,714)
  15-64 years: 66.8% (male 20,476,571/female 19,988,959)
  65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,087,020/female 5,477,226) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.54 years
  male: 76.09 years
  female: 81.13 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  white (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern
  Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed
  1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist)
  71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1%
  (2001 census)

Languages:
English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish
form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
  schooling
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and
  Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland,
  and Wales
  conventional short form: United Kingdom
  abbreviation: UK

Capital:
  name: London
  geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 10 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
  England: 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London boroughs, 12 cities
  and boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal boroughs
  boroughs: Barnsley, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton,
  Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Bury, Calderdale,
  Darlington, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Halton, Hartlepool,
  Kirklees, Knowsley, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes,
  North Tyneside, Oldham, Poole, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland,
  Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Sefton, Slough, Solihull,
  Southend-on-Sea, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport,
  Stockton-on-Tees, Swindon, Tameside, Thurrock, Torbay, Trafford,
  Walsall, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton
  counties (or unitary authorities): Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,
  Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon,
  Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire,
  Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire,
  Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire,
  Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire,
  Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire,
  West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire
  London boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent,
  Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney,
  Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon,
  Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge,
  Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham
  Forest, Wandsworth
  cities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds,
  Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield,
  Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminster
  districts: Bath and North East Somerset, East Riding of Yorkshire,
  North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,
  Rutland, South Gloucestershire, Telford and Wrekin, West Berkshire,
  Wokingham
  cities: City of Bristol, Derby, City of Kingston upon Hull,
  Leicester, City of London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth,
  Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, York
  royal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,
  Windsor and Maidenhead
  Northern Ireland: 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties
  districts: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,
  Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down,
  Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle,
  Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane
  cities: Belfast, Londonderry (Derry)
  counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County
  Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone
  Scotland: 32 council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus,
  Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee
  City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East
  Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles),
  Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian,
  Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and
  Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South
  Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire,
  West Lothian;
  Wales: 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties
  county boroughs: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,
  Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda Cynon
  Taff, Torfaen, Wrexham
  counties: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Denbighshire, Flintshire,
  Isle of Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, The Vale of
  Glamorgan
  cities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea

Dependent areas:
  Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin
  Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat,
  Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Ascension, South Georgia and the
  South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Independence:
  England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the
  union between England and Wales, begun in 1284 with the Statute of
  Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an Act of Union; in
  another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland agreed to
  permanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great
  Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of
  the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the
  Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six
  northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as
  Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United
  Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927

Legal system:
  common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental
  influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament
  under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir
  Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
  head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May
  1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually the prime minister

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of
  approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and
  House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is
  dissolved earlier)
  elections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as
  provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House
  of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain
  there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary
  peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to be
  held by May 2010)
  election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -
  Labor 35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%;
  seats by party - Labor 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62,
  other 31; note - as of 10 February 2006 party by seat in the House
  of Commons: Labor 353, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 63,
  Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn
  Fein 5 (but cannot vote), other 11
  note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly
  (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer
  of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of
  1999 and has been suspended four times the latest occurring in
  October 2002); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish
  Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly

Judicial branch:
  House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in
  Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of
  England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of
  Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts);
  Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary

Political parties and leaders:
  Conservative and Unionist Party [David CAMERON]; Democratic
  Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party
  [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Sir Menzies CAMPBELL];
  Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish National Party
  or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS];
  Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark
  DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Sir Reg EMPEY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British
Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress

International organization participation:
  AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C,
  CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5,
  G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
  OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UN
  Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL,
  UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
  WToO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Holmes TUTTLE embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040 telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000 FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124 consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh

Flag description:
  blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of
  England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of
  Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on
  the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland);
  properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union
  Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been
  the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth
  countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British
  overseas territories

Economy - overview:
  The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the
  quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the
  past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public
  ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs.
  Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by
  European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than
  2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil
  reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of
  the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly
  banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the
  largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in
  importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-03 as the global downturn,
  the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the "new economy"
  bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Output recovered in 2004, to
  3.2% growth, but fell in 2005, to 1.7%. Despite slower growth, the
  economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest
  rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic
  performance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to make a
  case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union
  (EMU). Critics point out that the economy is doing well outside of
  EMU, and public opinion polls show a majority of Britons are opposed
  to the euro. Meantime, the government has been speeding up the
  improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost
  in higher taxes and a widening public deficit.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.5% industry: 23.7% services: 75.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.5% industry: 19.1% services: 79.5% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 28.5% (1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $881.4 billion
  expenditures: $951 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

Industries:
  machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment,
  railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and
  parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals,
  coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing,
  textiles, clothing, other consumer goods

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 73.8% hydro: 0.9% nuclear: 23.7% other: 1.6% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners:
US 15.1%, Germany 10.5%, France 8.9%, Ireland 7.3%, Netherlands
5.5%, Belgium 5%, Spain 4.4% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Germany 12.8%, US 8.7%, France 7.1%, Netherlands 6.6%, China 5%,
Norway 4.7%, Belgium 4.6%, Italy 4% (2005)

Exchange rates:
British pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and
  international system
  domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
  fiber-optic systems
  international: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3
  Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;
  at least 8 large international switching centers

Airports - with paved runways: total: 334 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 149 914 to 1,523 m: 86 under 914 m: 58 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 137 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 112 (2006)

Pipelines:
  condensate 565 km; condensate/gas 6 km; gas 21,575 km; liquid
  petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,094 km; oil/gas/water 161 km; refined
  products 4,444 km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 17,156 km
  standard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,384 km electrified)
  broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2005)

Roadways: total: 387,674 km paved: 387,674 km (including 3,523 km of expressways) (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 449 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,049,317 GRT/11,731,680 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 24, cargo 54, chemical tanker 50, container
  146, liquefied gas 17, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 65, petroleum
  tanker 33, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 26, vehicle
  carrier 8
  foreign-owned: 215 (Australia 3, Denmark 46, Finland 1, France 4,
  Germany 76, Greece 7, Ireland 1, Italy 4, Netherlands 3, Norway 36,
  NZ 1, South Africa 5, Spain 1, Sweden 15, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 1,
  Turkey 2, US 6)
  registered in other countries: 368 (Algeria 13, Antigua and Barbuda
  7, Argentina 4, Australia 2, Bahamas 69, Barbados 5, Belgium 2,
  Bermuda 9, Brazil 1, Brunei 8, Cape Verde 1, Cayman Islands 10,
  Cyprus 6, Denmark 1, Finland 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  1, Georgia 4, Gibraltar 4, Greece 9, Hong Kong 43, India 1,
  Indonesia 2, Italy 3, South Korea 2, Liberia 41, Malta 8, Marshall
  Islands 12, Morocco 1, Netherlands 19, Netherlands Antilles 3,
  Norway 6, Panama 37, Papua New Guinea 6, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 13, Singapore 9, Slovakia 1, Spain 1, Thailand 2, Tonga
  1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London,
Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport

Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,607,724
females age 16-49: 14,028,738 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 12,046,268
females age 16-49: 11,555,893 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
  reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and
  Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in
  talks between the two countries; Spain disapproves of UK plans to
  grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the
  Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former
  inhabitants since their eviction in 1965; most Chagossians reside in
  Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship but no right to
  patriation in the UK; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by
  Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim
  in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim
  and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland
  dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf
  extends beyond 200 nm

Illicit drugs:
  producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic
  precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin
  American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center

Background:
  Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776
  and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of
  America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and
  20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the
  nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a
  number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences
  in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great
  Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II
  and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most
  powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low
  unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.

Location:
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Area:
  total: 9,631,420 sq km
  land: 9,161,923 sq km
  water: 469,497 sq km
  note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

Area - comparative:
  about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of
  Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger
  than Brazil); slightly larger than China; almost two and a half
  times the size of the European Union

Land boundaries:
  total: 12,034 km
  border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska),
  Mexico 3,141 km
  note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and
  is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified

Climate:
  mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in
  Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River,
  and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter
  temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in
  January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes
  of the Rocky Mountains

Terrain:
  vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in
  east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged,
  volcanic topography in Hawaii

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

Natural resources:
  coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold,
  iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum,
  natural gas, timber

Natural hazards:
  tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;
  hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes
  in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires
  in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major
  impediment to development

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the
  US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning
  of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and
  fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the
  western part of the country require careful management;
  desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes

Geography - note:
  world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and
  by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest point
  in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.4% (male 31,095,847/female 29,715,872)
  15-64 years: 67.2% (male 100,022,845/female 100,413,484)
  65 years and over: 12.5% (male 15,542,288/female 21,653,879) (2006
  est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.85 years
  male: 75.02 years
  female: 80.82 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
  white 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native
  1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2% (2003 est.)
  note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US
  Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American
  descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican
  origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group
  (white, black, Asian, etc.)

Religions:
Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)

Languages:
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and
Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: United States of America
  conventional short form: United States
  abbreviation: US or USA

Government type:
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Capital:
  name: Washington, DC (capital)
  geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
  2007
  note: the United States is divided into six time zones

Administrative divisions:
  50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
  California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*,
  Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
  Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
  Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
  Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
  Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
  Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,
  Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dependent areas:
  American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,
  Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island,
  Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin
  Islands, Wake Island
  note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
  the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a
  political relationship with all four political units: the Northern
  Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US
  (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands
  signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21
  October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact
  of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau
  concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1
  October 1994)

Legal system:
  federal court system based on English common law; each state has
  its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana's) is
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001);
  Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January
  2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
  state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible
  for a second term); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be
  held 4 November 2008)
  election results: George W. BUSH reelected president; percent of
  popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 50.9%, John KERRY
  (Democratic Party) 48.1%, other 1.0%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, one-third are
  renewed every two years; 2 members are elected from each state by
  popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular
  vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held on
  November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
  (next to be held on November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2;
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - Democratic Party 232, Republican Party 203

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and
  confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to
  serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States
  District Courts; State and County Courts

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party; Libertarian Party
[Steve DAMERELL]; Republican Party [Ken MEHLMAN]

International organization participation:
  AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
  partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE
  (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G- 8,
  G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
  PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
  UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Flag description:
  13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating
  with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
  bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset
  horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows
  of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes
  represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design
  and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags,
  including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

Economy - overview:
  The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in
  the world, with a per capita GDP of $42,000. In this market-oriented
  economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the
  decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods
  and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business
  firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western
  Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off
  surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they
  face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than
  foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the
  forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in
  medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has
  narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology
  largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor
  market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the
  professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and
  more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage,
  and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in
  household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The
  response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the
  remarkable resilience of the economy. The war in March-April 2003
  between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation
  of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the
  military. The rise in GDP in 2004 and 2005 was undergirded by
  substantial gains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused
  extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a
  small impact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices
  in 2005 and 2006 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the
  economy continued to grow through mid-2006. Imported oil accounts
  for about two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems include
  inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising
  medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and
  budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower
  economic groups.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 20.4% services: 78.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.9%, managerial, professional, and technical 34.7%, sales and office 25.4%, other services 16.3% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.119 trillion
  expenditures: $2.466 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork,
poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products

Industries:
  leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and
  technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,
  aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
  processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 5.6% nuclear: 20.7% other: 2.3% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial
  supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors,
  aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications
  equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0%
  (2003)

Exports - partners:
Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.3%, Japan 6.1%, China 4.6%, UK 4.3% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
  agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil
  8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment,
  motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery),
  consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture,
  toys) (2003)

Imports - partners:
Canada 16.9%, China 15%, Mexico 10%, Japan 8.2%, Germany 5% (2005)

Exchange rates:
  British pounds per US dollar - 0.5500 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
  (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001); Canadian dollars per US dollar
  - 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488
  (2001); Japanese yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004),
  115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001); euros per US dollar -
  0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175
  (2001); Chinese yuan per US dollar - 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004),
  8.2770 (2003), 8.2770 (2002), 8.2271 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose
  communications system
  domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
  relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
  telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
  telephone traffic throughout the country
  international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;
  satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16
  Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
  Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 5,119
  over 3,047 m: 189
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 221
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,426
  914 to 1,523 m: 2,337
  under 914 m: 946 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 9,739
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 157
  914 to 1,523 m: 1,728
  under 914 m: 7,847 (2006)

Roadways:
  total: 6,407,637 km
  paved: 4,164,964 km (including 74,950 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 2,242,673 km (2004)

Waterways:
  41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
  note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
  Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)

Merchant marine:
  total: 465 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,590,325 GRT/13,273,133 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 67, cargo 91, chemical tanker
  20, container 76, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker
  76, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, specialized tanker 1,
  vehicle carrier 20
  foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 4, Denmark 24, Germany 2,
  Greece 1, Malaysia 4, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Singapore 2, Sweden
  5, Taiwan 1)
  registered in other countries: 700 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia
  3, Bahamas 121, Belize 5, Bermuda 27, Cambodia 8, Canada 2, Cayman
  Islands 41, Comoros 2, Cyprus 7, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 21,
  Ireland 2, Isle of Man 3, Italy 15, North Korea 3, South Korea 7,
  Liberia 93, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 143, Netherlands
  13, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 13, Panama 94, Peru 1,
  Philippines 8, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Qatar 1, Russia 1, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 7, Spain 7,
  Sweden 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, UK 6, Vanuatu 1, Wallis and Futuna
  1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
  Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los
  Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City
  note: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana Ports) on the
  Mississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons of cargo annually

Military branches:
  Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard; note -
  Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland
  Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age; 17 years of age with written parental consent
(2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 67,742,879
females age 18-49: 67,070,144 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 54,609,050
females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,143,873
females age 18-49: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and
  infrastructure in the border region strain water-sharing
  arrangements with Mexico; the US has stepped up efforts to stem
  nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world
  from crossing illegally into the US from Mexico; illegal immigrants
  from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the Dominican Republic,
  attempt to enter the US through Florida by sea; 1990 Maritime
  Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma
  ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at
  Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the
  disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; US and Canada seek
  greater cooperation in monitoring people and commodities crossing
  the border; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a
  maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from
  Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can
  terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US
  has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the
  right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other
  state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 52,868 refugees
  during FY03/04 including: 13,331 (Somalia), 6,000 (Laos), 3,482
  (Ukraine), 2,959 (Cuba), 1,787 (Iran); note - 32,229 refugees had
  been admitted as of 30 June 2005

Illicit drugs:
  world's largest consumer of cocaine, shipped from Colombia through
  Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and
  increasingly methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of high-quality
  Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana,
  depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine;
  money-laundering center

Background: The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere. Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.

Location:
  Oceania
  Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km)
  southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
  Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361
  km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and
  Australia
  Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km)
  south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
  Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km)
  southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the
  Marshall Islands
  Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km)
  south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
  Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km)
  northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago,
  about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
  Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km)
  south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa

Geographic coordinates:
  Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W
  Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W
  Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W
  Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W
  Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W
  Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W
  Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W

Area:
  total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged -
  6,937 sq km
  Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km;
  submerged - 127 sq km
  Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
  submerged - 136 sq km
  Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged
  - 147 sq km
  Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
  submerged - 274 sq km
  Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km;
  submerged - 1,958 sq km
  Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km;
  submerged - 2,349 sq km
  Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km;
  submerged - 1,946 sq km

Area - comparative:
  Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
  DC
  Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of
  The Mall in Washington, DC
  Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
  DC
  Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Coastline:
  Baker Island: 4.8 km
  Howland Island: 6.4 km
  Jarvis Island: 8 km
  Johnston Atoll: 34 km
  Kingman Reef: 3 km
  Midway Islands: 15 km
  Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km

Climate:
  Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall,
  constant wind, burning sun
  Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry;
  consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature
  variation
  Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to
  February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by
  prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual
  rainfall occurs during the winter
  Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area
  of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and
  southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between
  4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year

Terrain:
  low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs
  that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains,
  which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island,
  unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m;
  Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location -
  less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra
  Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m

Natural hazards:
  Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef
  surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
  Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
  less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
  Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA

Environment - current issues:
  Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural
  fresh water resources
  Kingman Reef: none
  Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA

Geography - note:
  Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting
  of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
  nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
  and marine wildlife
  Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands,
  which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and
  East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging;
  the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference
  Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
  to the public
  Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge
  and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form
  of wildlife observation and photography
  Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make
  the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island
  territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed
  stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and
  Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and
  educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
  Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military
  and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all
  US government personnel had left the island
  Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish
  and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the
  atoll
  Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and
  Wildlife staff

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis
  Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll

Dependency status:
  unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington,
  DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
  Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
  note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly
  privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
  Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US
  Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded
  areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm
  territorial sea or within the lagoon

Airports:
  Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered
  with vegetation and unusable
  Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling
  stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred
  NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but
  were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
  Johnston Atoll: 1 - closed and not maintained
  Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii
  and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937
  and 1938
  Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for
  sale except emergencies
  Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)

Ports and terminals:
  Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none;
  offshore anchorage only
  Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island
  Midway Islands: Sand Island
  Palmyra Atoll: West Lagoon

Background:
  Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military
  stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an
  important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate
  province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later
  and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The
  administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century
  established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. A
  violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros,
  launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to
  military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the
  rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its
  hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until
  1985. In 2004, the left-of-center EP-FA Coalition won national
  elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control
  previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's
  political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Argentina and Brazil

Land boundaries: total: 1,564 km border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural hazards:
  seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional
  violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts,
  floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather
  barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes
  from weather fronts

Environment - current issues: water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
  second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of
  the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is
  grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22.9% (male 399,409/female 386,136)
  15-64 years: 63.9% (male 1,087,180/female 1,104,465)
  65 years and over: 13.3% (male 185,251/female 269,491) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 32.7 years
  male: 31.3 years
  female: 34.2 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 12.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.33 years
  male: 73.12 years
  female: 79.65 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically
nonexistent)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends
  church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other
  31%

Languages:
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the
Brazilian frontier)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 97.6%
  female: 98.4% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
  conventional short form: Uruguay
  local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
  local short form: Uruguay
  former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

Capital:
  name: Montevideo
  geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends
  second Sunday in March

Administrative divisions:
  19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas,
  Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida,
  Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera,
  Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres

Constitution:
  27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973,
  new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two
  constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7
  January 1997

Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005)
  and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March
  2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
  parliamentary approval
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive
  terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October
  2009)
  election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote
  - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING
  10.3%; other 4.1%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber
  of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote
  in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de
  Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to
  be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31
  October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
  election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber
  of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
  - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected
for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party
  (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular
  Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge
  LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael
  MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro
  Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Socialist
  Party of Uruguay or Socialists [Reinaldo GARGANO]; Uruguayan
  Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization);
  Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's
  association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional
  organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions);
  Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students;
  Uruguayan Construction League

International organization participation:
  CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM
  (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois
  chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
  FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
  consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires James D. NEALON embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777 FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611

Flag description:
  nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating
  with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner
  with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with
  16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy

Economy - overview:
  Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented
  agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of
  social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during
  1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn,
  stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems
  of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in
  2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in
  Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a
  massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped
  by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis.
  The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged,
  and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF
  helped stem the damage. A debt swap with private-sector creditors in
  2003 extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's then
  $11.3 billion of public debt and helped restore public confidence.
  The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of high commodity
  prices for Uruguayan exports, a competitive peso, growth in the
  region, and low international interest rates, but slowed to 6.1% in
  2005.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.3% industry: 31.1% services: 59.6% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1997)

Budget:
  revenues: $4.468 billion
  expenditures: $4.845 billion; including capital expenditures of $193
  million (2005 est.)

Industries:
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment,
petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.7% hydro: 99.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 18.6%, Brazil 15.6%, Mexico 6.9%, Argentina 6.1%, Spain 4.1%,
Germany 4% (2005)

Imports - partners:
Argentina 18.9%, Brazil 18.5%, Paraguay 14%, US 8.6%, China 6.2%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004),
28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002), 13.319 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fully digitalized
  domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
  nationwide microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 56 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 31 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,073 km
  standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
  note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in
  partial use (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,259 GRT/19,725 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum
  tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Liberia 3,
  Spain 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Fray Bentos, Colonia, Juan Lacaze

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in
wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 764,408
females age 18-49: 760,341 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 637,445
females age 18-49: 631,046 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the
  Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with
  Argentina

Background:
  Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff
  resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually
  suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the
  Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain
  led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies,
  which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain
  rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to
  gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its
  mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism
  by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of
  human rights and democratization.

Land boundaries:
  total: 6,221 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km,
  Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Coastline:
0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern
portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Climate:
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters;
semiarid grassland in east

Terrain:
  mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat
  intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr
  Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded
  by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m
highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead
and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Environment - current issues:
  shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of
  chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then
  blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to
  desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the
  heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human
  health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination
  from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including
  DDT

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked
countries in the world

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.9% (male 4,572,721/female 4,403,405)
  15-64 years: 62.3% (male 8,420,174/female 8,594,478)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 539,336/female 777,020) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 22.7 years
  male: 22 years
  female: 23.3 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 69.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 74.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 65.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.58 years
  male: 61.19 years
  female: 68.14 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%,
Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.3%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan
  conventional short form: Uzbekistan
  local long form: Ozbekiston Respublikasi
  local short form: Ozbekiston
  former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch

Capital:
  name: Tashkent (Toshkent)
  geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 69 18 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous
  republic* (respublika), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati,
  Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan
  Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi),
  Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo
  Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent
  Shahri**, Toshkent Viloyati, Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Legal system:
evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial
system

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when
  he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
  head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYAYEV (since 11
  December 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with
  approval of the Supreme Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term,
  extended by constitutional amendment in 2002); election last held 9
  January 2000 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister, ministers,
  and deputy ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote
  - Islom KARIMOV 91.9%, Abdulkhafiz JALALOV 4.2%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an Upper
  House or Senate (100 seats; 84 members are elected by regional
  governing councils to serve five-year terms and 16 are appointed by
  the president) and a Lower House or Legislative Chamber (120 seats;
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 26 December 2004 and 9 January 2005 (next to be
  held December 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - LDPU 41, NDP 32, Fidokorlar 17, MTP 11, Adolat 9,
  unaffiliated 10
  note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed
by the Supreme Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Dilorom TOSHMUHAMMADOVA,
  chairman]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or
  MTP [Xurshid DOSTMUHAMMADOV, chief]; Liberal Democratic Party of
  Uzbekistan or LDPU [Adham SHODMONOV, chairman]; People's Democratic
  Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Asliddin RUSTAMOV, first
  secretary]; Self-Sacrificers Party or Fidokorlar National Democratic
  Party [Ahtam TURSUNOV, chief]; note - Fatherland Progress Party
  merged with Self-Sacrificers Party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Birlik (Unity)
  Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic
  Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992; Ezgulik
  Human Rights Society [Vasilia INOYATOVA]; Free Farmers' Party or
  Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigara KHIDOYATOVA]; Human Rights Society of
  Uzbekistan [Tolib YAKUBOV, chairman]; Independent Human Rights
  Society of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]; Mazlum; Sunshine
  Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

International organization participation:
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Abdulaziz KAMILOV chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jon PURNELL
  embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent
  100093
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450
  FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green
  separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12
  white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Economy - overview:
  Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 11% consists of
  intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of its
  population lives in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan
  is now the world's second-largest cotton exporter and fifth largest
  producer; it relies heavily on cotton production as the major source
  of export earnings. Other major export earners include gold, natural
  gas, and oil. Following independence in September 1991, the
  government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with
  subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. While aware
  of the need to improve the investment climate, the government still
  sponsors measures that often increase, not decrease, its control
  over business decisions. A sharp increase in the inequality of
  income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of society since
  independence. In 2003, the government accepted the obligations of
  Article VIII under the International Monetary Fund (IMF), providing
  for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls
  and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of
  convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further
  stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or
  restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Potential
  investment by Russia and China in Uzbekistan's gas and oil industry
  would increase economic growth prospects. In November 2005, Russian
  President Vladimir PUTIN and Uzbekistan President KARIMOV signed an
  "alliance" treaty, which included provisions for economic and
  business cooperation. Russian businesses have shown increased
  interest in Uzbekistan, especially in mining, telecom, and oil and
  gas. In December 2005, the Russians opened a "Trade House" to
  support and develop Russian-Uzbek business and economic ties.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 34.2% industry: 22.9% services: 43% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 44% industry: 20% services: 36% (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 22% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.815 billion
  expenditures: $2.917 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Industries:
textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold
petroleum, natural gas, chemicals

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 88.2% hydro: 11.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
cotton 41.5%, gold 9.6%, energy products 9.6%, mineral fertilizers,
ferrous metals, textiles, food products, automobiles (1998)

Exports - partners:
Russia 24.6%, China 12.3%, Turkey 7.1%, Ukraine 5.6%, Bangladesh
4.9%, Poland 4.3%, Tajikistan 4.2% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 49.8%, foodstuffs 16.4%, chemicals, metals
(1998)

Imports - partners:
Russia 26.7%, South Korea 15.3%, Germany 8.9%, China 7.2%,
Kazakhstan 6.4%, Turkey 4.7%, Ukraine 4.7% (2005)

Exchange rates:
Uzbekistani soum per US dollar - 1,020 (2005), 971.265 (2004),
771.029 (2002), 423.832 (2002), 236.61 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of
  modernization
  domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and
  technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent (Toshkent) and
  Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in
  industrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks
  had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System
  for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile
  Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)
  international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave
  radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased
  connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the
  completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
  fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian
  facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides
  an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite
  earth stations - NA (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus two repeaters that relay Russian programs), 1 cable rebroadcaster in Tashkent; approximately 20 stations in regional capitals (2003)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 34 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 27 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 under 914 m: 25 (2006)

Railways: total: 3,950 km broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,340,220
females age 18-49: 6,432,072 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,609,621
females age 18-49: 5,383,233 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 324,722
females age 18-49: 317,062 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and
  Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river
  states; delimitation with Kazakhstan complete with demarcation
  underway; border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is
  hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 39,202 (Tajikistan) 5,238
  (Afghanistan)
  IDPs: 3,000 (forced population transfers by government from villages
  near Tajikistan border) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Uzbekistan is a source and, to a lesser extent,
  a transit country for women trafficked to Asia and the Middle East
  for the purpose of sexual exploitation; women from other Central
  Asian countries and China are trafficked through Uzbekistan; men are
  trafficked for purposes of forced labor in the construction and
  agricultural industries to Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and
  Kyrgyzstan; men and women are also trafficked within the country
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Uzbekistan is placed on Tier 3 because it
  failed to fulfill commitments by the country to take additional
  steps during 2005, including the adoption of comprehensive
  anti-trafficking legislation, criminal code amendments to raise
  trafficking penalties, support to the country's first trafficking
  shelter, and approval of a national action plan

Illicit drugs:
  transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a
  lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation
  of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic
  consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop
  eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals
  bound for Afghanistan

Background:
  Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language,
  migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceeding European
  exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts
  for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to
  this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in
  the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium,
  which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the
  new name of Vanuatu was adopted.

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Area:
  total: 12,200 sq km
  land: 12,200 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
  tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October;
  moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by
  cyclones from December to April

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural hazards:
  tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption
  on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes
  minor earthquakes; tsunamis

Environment - current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands;
several of the islands have active volcanoes

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 34,804/female 33,331)
  15-64 years: 63.7% (male 67,919/female 65,138)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 4,027/female 3,650) (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 53.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 56.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 51.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.85 years
  male: 61.34 years
  female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%,
  Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous
  beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%,
  unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)

Languages:
  local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or
  Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified
  0.7% (1999 Census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74%
  male: NA
  female: NA

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
  conventional short form: Vanuatu
  local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu
  local short form: Vanuatu
  former: New Hebrides

Capital:
  name: Port-Vila (on Efate)
  geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E
  time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Legal system:
unified system being created from former dual French and British
systems

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16 August
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 11 December
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister Sato KILMAN (since 11 December 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
  responsible to Parliament
  elections: president elected for a five-year term by an electoral
  college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional
  councils; election for president last held 16 August 2004 (next to
  be held in 2009); following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime
  minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime
  minister last held 29 July 2004 (next to be held following general
  elections in 2008)
  election results: Kalkot Matas KELEKELE elected president, with 49
  votes out of 56, after several ballots on 16 August 2004

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  NUP 10, UMP 8, VP 8, VRP 4, MPP 3, VGP 3, other and independent 16;
  note - political party associations are fluid
  note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture
  and language

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after
  consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the
  opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on
  the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders:
  Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or
  MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Hem LINI]; Union of
  Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land
  Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Greens Party or VGP [Moana
  CARCASSES]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
  SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
  (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does, however, have
a Permanent Mission to the UN

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua
New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag description:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black
  isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a
  black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
  points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
  centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
  namele leaves, all in yellow

Economy - overview:
  This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale
  agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population.
  Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000
  visitors in 2004, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral
  deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum
  deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market.
  Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is
  hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports,
  vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main
  markets and between constituent islands. GDP growth rose less than
  3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the
  government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore
  financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to
  boost tourism. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a
  second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main
  suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 26% industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Agriculture - products:
copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables;
beef; fish

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Thailand 46.5%, India 14.1%, Poland 7.9%, Turkey 7.7%, Japan 6.9%
(2005)

Imports - partners:
Australia 18.4%, Japan 16.6%, Singapore 14.7%, Poland 8.5%, NZ
7.2%, Fiji 6.3% (2005)

Exchange rates:
vatu per US dollar - NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19 (2003), 139.2
(2002), 145.31 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 28
  914 to 1,523 m: 10
  under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 51 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,340,132 GRT/1,908,687 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2,
  petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 2,
  vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 5, Denmark 6, Estonia 1,
  Japan 28, Poland 5, Russia 1, Switzerland 2, US 1) (2006)

Military branches:
  no regular military forces; security forces comprise the Vanuatu
  Police Force (VPF) and paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF),
  which includes Vanuatu's naval force, known as the Police Maritime
  Wing (PMW); border security in Vanuatu is the joint responsibility
  of the Customs and Inland Revenue Service, VPF, VMF, and PMW (2003)

Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France

Background:
  Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse
  of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada,
  which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th
  century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military
  strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social
  reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since
  1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, has promoted a
  controversial policy of "democratic socialism," which purports to
  alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization
  and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a
  weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a
  politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian
  border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the
  petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible
  mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and
  indigenous peoples.

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Land boundaries: total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 15 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Terrain:
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains
(llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals,
hydropower, diamonds

Environment - current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations

Geography - note:
on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel
Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 26 years
  male: 25.4 years
  female: 26.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.54 years
  male: 71.49 years
  female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous
people

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.4%
  male: 93.8%
  female: 93.1% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
  conventional short form: Venezuela
  local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
  local short form: Venezuela

Capital:
  name: Caracas
  geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district*
  (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia
  federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar,
  Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito
  Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva
  Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
  note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled
  island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
  1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April
  2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
  1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006
  (next to be held December 2012)
  note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new
  constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an
  election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of
  this new constitution
  election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of
  vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 63%, Manuel ROSALES 37%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three
  seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
  elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other
  25), opposition 0

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia
  (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single
  12-year term)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democrats or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ]; Democratic Action
  or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose
  ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice
  First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector
  MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or
  PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups;
  Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization
  dominated by the Democratic Action)

International organization participation:
  CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM,
  OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
  chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214
  FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
  New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
  embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle
  Arriba, Caracas 1080
  mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
  telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411
  FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with
  the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of
  eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

Economy - overview:
  Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector,
  accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export
  earnings, and over half of government operating revenues. Government
  revenue also has been bolstered by increased tax collection, which
  has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by almost 50%. Tax revenue is
  the primary source of non-oil revenue, which accounts for 53% of the
  2006 budget. A disastrous two-month national oil strike, from
  December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic
  activity. The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining by
  9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. Output recovered strongly in
  2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and strong consumption growth.
  Venezuela continues to be an important source of crude oil for the
  US market. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental
  problems.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 41.9% services: 54.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13% industry: 23% services: 64% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $39.63 billion
  expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef,
pork, milk, eggs; fish

Industries:
petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron
ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.7% hydro: 68.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural
products, basic manufactures

Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
construction materials

Exchange rates:
bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607
(2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern and expanding
  domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
  substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
  substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
  installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
  digital multimedia services
  international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1
  PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in
  the construction of an international fiber-optic network

Airports - with paved runways: total: 129 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 60 under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 246 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 90 under 914 m: 147 (2006)

Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km; refined
products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006)

Waterways:
  7,100 km
  note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing
  vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/1,327,924 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, container 1,
  liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 18
  foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico 3, Panama 1,
  Russia 1, Spain 1)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 1, Panama 14) (2006)

Military branches:
  National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN): Ground
  Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces
  (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air
  Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or
  National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,236,012
females age 18-49: 6,137,622 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,907,947
females age 18-49: 5,151,843 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 252,396
females age 18-49: 237,300 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana,
  preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has
  expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before
  the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that
  Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into
  their waters; dispute with Colombia over Los Monjes islands and
  maritime boundary near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized
  illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's
  shared border region resulting in several thousand residents
  migrating away from the border; US, France, and the Netherlands
  recognize Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island,
  which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a
  large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
  Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest
  Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation and
  other states' recognition of it

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and forced labor; women and children from Colombia,
  China, Peru, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic are trafficked to
  and through Venezuela and subjected to commercial sexual
  exploitation or forced labor; Venezuelans are trafficked internally
  and to Western Europe, particularly Spain and the Netherlands, and
  to countries in the Caribbean region for commercial sexual
  exploitation; Venezuela is a transit country for illegal migrants
  from other countries in the region and for Asian nationals, some are
  believed to be trafficking victims
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Venezuela does not fully comply with the
  minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
  making significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing
  of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of
  cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia
  bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related
  money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia
  and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily
  targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by
  Colombian insurgents on border

Background:
  The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed
  by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam
  declared independence after World War II, but France continued to
  rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH.
  Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the
  Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military
  aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster
  the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a
  cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese
  forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule.
  Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country
  experienced little economic growth because of conservative
  leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi
  moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have
  committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted
  structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce
  more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to
  experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant
  Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and
  the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious
  persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to
  Vietnamese settlers.

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin,
and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Land boundaries: total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May
to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Terrain:
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly,
mountainous in far north and northwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and
gas deposits, forests, hydropower

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding,
especially in the Mekong River delta

Environment - current issues:
  logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to
  deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing
  threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits
  potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population
  migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh
  City

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across
at its narrowest point

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27% (male 11,826,457/female 10,983,069)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 28,055,941/female 28,614,553)
  65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,924,562/female 2,998,384) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 25.9 years
  male: 24.8 years
  female: 27.1 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 70.85 years
  male: 68.05 years
  female: 73.85 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis,
  and plague are high risks in some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US personnel who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Ethnic groups:
Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa
1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% (1999 census)

Religions:
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%,
Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

Languages:
  Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second
  language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages
  (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90.3%
  male: 93.9%
  female: 86.9% (2002)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
  conventional short form: Vietnam
  local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
  local short form: Viet Nam
  abbreviation: SRV

Capital:
  name: Hanoi
  geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities
  (thanh pho, singular and plural)
  provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba
  Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh
  Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai,
  Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong,
  Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai
  Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh
  Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang
  Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh,
  Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen
  Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai
  municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006);
  Vice President Truong My HOA (since 25 July 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June
  2006); Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006),
  Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and
  Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime
  minister and confirmed by National Assembly
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its
  members for five-year term; election last held 27 June 2006; prime
  minister appointed by the president from among the members of the
  National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime
  minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers
  confirmed by National Assembly
  election results: Nguyen Minh TRIET elected president; percent of
  National Assembly vote - 94%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime
  minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 92%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 90%, other 10% (the
  10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for
  election); seats by party - CPV 447, CPV-approved 51

Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year
term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)

Political parties and leaders:
only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN
  chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737
  FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
  consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MARINE embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [84] (4) 772-1500 FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Economy - overview:
  Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in the last
  30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of
  financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a
  centrally-planned economy. Substantial progress was achieved from
  1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of
  development and significantly reducing poverty. Growth averaged
  around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian financial
  crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy and
  temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress toward a
  market-oriented economy. GDP growth averaged 6.8% per year from 1997
  to 2004 even against the background of the Asian financial crisis
  and a global recession, and growth hit 8% in 2005. Since 2001,
  however, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to
  economic liberalization and international integration. They have
  moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the
  economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries.
  Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry
  into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December
  2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and
  economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US doubled in 2002 and
  again in 2003. Vietnam hopes to become a member of the WTO in 2006.
  Among other benefits, accession would allow Vietnam to take
  advantage of the phase out of the Agreement on Textiles and
  Clothing, which eliminated quotas on textiles and clothing for WTO
  partners on 1 January 2005. Agriculture's share of economic output
  has continued to shrink, from about 25% in 2000 to 21% in 2005. Deep
  poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per
  day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of
  China, India, and the Philippines. Vietnam is working to promote job
  creation to keep up with the country's high population growth rate.
  However, high levels of inflation have prompted Vietnamese
  authorities to tighten monetary and fiscal policies.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.9% industry: 41% services: 38.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 56.8% industry: 37% services: 6.2% (July 2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $11.64 billion
  expenditures: $12.95 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8
  billion (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews,
sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood

Industries:
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal,
steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 43.7% hydro: 56.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments,
shoes

Exports - partners:
US 21.2%, Japan 13.3%, Australia 8.4%, China 7.5%, Singapore 5.3%,
Germany 5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel
products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Imports - partners:
China 16.3%, Singapore 12.8%, Taiwan 11.7%, Japan 10.4%, South
Korea 9.9%, Thailand 6.8% (2005)

Economic aid - recipient: $2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 (2004)

Exchange rates:
dong per US dollar - 15,746 (2005), (2004), 15,510 (2003), 15,280
(2002), 14,725 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into
  modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its
  performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors
  domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
  Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
  microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially
  increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
  international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 26 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate/gas 432 km; gas 163 km; oil 50 km; refined products 206
km (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,600 km
  standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
  dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m
  gauges (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 267 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,423,936 GRT/2,191,858 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 23, cargo 202, chemical tanker 4, container 5,
  liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
  on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Honduras
  1, Mongolia 8, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, unknown
  2) (2006)

Military branches:
  People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes
  People's Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard), Air and
  Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command),
  People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces
  (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service; females may
  volunteer for active duty military service; conscript service
  obligation - 2 years (3-4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of age
  (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self
  Defense Forces (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 21,341,813
females age 18-49: 21,430,808 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 16,032,358
females age 18-49: 17,921,241 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 915,572
females age 18-49: 864,161 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check
  the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese
  squatters and armed encroachments along border; after years of
  Cambodia claiming Vietnam had moved or destroyed boundary markers,
  in 2005, after much domestic debate, Cambodia ratified an agreement
  with Vietnam that settled all but a small portion of the land
  boundary; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is
  hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands; in 2004,
  Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commission agrees to erect missing
  markers in two adjoining provinces; demarcation of the China-Vietnam
  boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary
  delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004,
  implementation has been delayed; China occupies Paracel Islands also
  claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with
  China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the
  Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
  the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally
  binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants;
  Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the
  Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China,
  the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
  seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

Illicit drugs:
  minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for
  Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic
  opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding
  crackdowns

Background: During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Climate:
  subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low
  humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season
  September to November

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m

Natural hazards:
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts
and floods; occasional earthquakes

Geography - note:
  important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane
  for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural
  deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22.4% (male 12,261/female 12,056)
  15-64 years: 66.4% (male 34,174/female 37,949)
  65 years and over: 11.2% (male 5,385/female 6,780) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 37.1 years
  male: 36.2 years
  female: 38 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.05 years
  male: 75.24 years
  female: 83.09 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups:
black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000
census)

Languages:
English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French
Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90-95% est.
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2005 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
  conventional short form: Virgin Islands
  former: Danish West Indies
  abbreviation: USVI

Dependency status:
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations
  between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the
  Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Capital:
  name: Charlotte Amalie
  geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
  divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
  islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do
not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
  January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
  2001)
  head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
  January 1999)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections
  for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant
  governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year
  terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21
  November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
  election results: John DeJONGH elected governor and takes office in
  January 2007; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP
  42.7%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve two-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3
  note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the
  US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006
  (next to be held November 2008); results - Donna M. CHRISTENSEN
  (Democrat) reelected

Judicial branch:
  US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit
  jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges
  appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens'
Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

Flag description:
  white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the
  large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle
  holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other
  with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a
  blue panel

Economy - overview:
  Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP
  and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year.
  The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles,
  electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural
  sector is small, with most food being imported. International
  business and financial services are small but growing components of
  the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at
  Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from
  storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to
  support construction projects in the private sector, to expand
  tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Industries:
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling,
construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system with total digital switching,
  uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
  domestic: full range of services available
  international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections
  (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Background:
  The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An
  important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December
  1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end
  of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a
  stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft
  transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been
  used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. All
  operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated
  in August 2006 with the approach of super typhoon Loke (category 5),
  which struck the island with sustained winds of 250 kph and a 6 m
  storm surge inflicting major damage. A US Air Force assessment and
  repair team returned to the island in September and restored limited
  function to the airfield and facilities. The future status of
  activities on the island will be determined upon completion of the
  survey and assessment.

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the
way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Terrain:
  atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up
  on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands
  are part of the rim

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 6 m

Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing
location for transpacific flights

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor
  personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were
  present (July 2006 est.)

Dependency status:
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
  DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are
  conducted by the US Air Force

Economy - overview:
  Economic activity is limited to providing services to military
  personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
  manufactured goods must be imported.

Telephone system:
  general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the
  Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
  domestic: NA
  international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0
  note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
  provided by satellite (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
  0
  note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
  provided by satellite (2005)

Transportation - note:
  there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake
  Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency
  landing is available

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US; launch support facility is
  part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS)
  administered by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC)

Background:
  The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and
  Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a
  protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of
  the islands voted to become a French overseas territory.

Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of
the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Area:
  total: 274 sq km
  land: 274 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island),
  Ile Alofi, and 20 islets

Climate:
  tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season
  (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity);
  average temperature 26.6 degrees C

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain)
  largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel
  source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the
  mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion;
  there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of
  natural fresh water resources

Net migration rate:
  NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
  Caledonia (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: NA years
  male: NA years
  female: NA years

Nationality:
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Languages:
Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%,
French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 50%
  male: 50%
  female: 50% (1969 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
  conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna
  local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
  local short form: Wallis et Futuna

Capital:
  name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
  geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
  1995), represented by High Administrator Richard DIDIER (since 19
  July 2006)
  head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione
  KANIMOA (since January 2001)
  cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three
  members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the
  Territorial Assembly
  note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the
  advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the
  Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by
  the members of the assembly

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7
  note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and
  one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -
  elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September
  2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now
  UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002
  (next to be held by in 2007); results - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1

Judicial branch:
  none; justice generally administered under French law by the high
  administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary
  law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Political parties and leaders:
  Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or
  MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU];
  Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union
  Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie
  Francaise or UDF

Flag description:
  unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles
  triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the
  islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles
  are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of
  France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist
  quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag

Economy - overview:
  The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with
  about 80% labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and
  vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the
  population is employed in government. Revenues come from French
  Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South
  Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New
  Caledonia.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89
(2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 681

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 110,428 GRT/56,830 DWT
  by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 7
  foreign-owned: 8 (France 5, French Polynesia 2, US 1) (2006)

Background:
  The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
  Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,
  provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of
  Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West
  Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and
  responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of the
  interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
  A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and
  Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo
  Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional
  areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995
  Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol
  Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998
  Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh
  Agreement. The DOP provided that Israel would retain responsibility
  during the transitional period for external and internal security
  and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct
  negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank
  began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed
  by a second intifada that broke out in September 2000. In April 2003
  the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final
  settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the
  two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic
  Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has
  been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that
  both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Longtime
  Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in November 2004 and Mahmud
  ABBAS was elected PA President in January 2005, bringing hope of a
  turning point in the conflict. Israel and the PA agreed in February
  2005 to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments, focused on security issues,
  in an effort to move the peace process forward. Progress has been
  slow because of different interpretations of the verbal agreement by
  the two sides.

Area:
  total: 5,860 sq km
  land: 5,640 sq km
  water: 220 sq km
  note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
  of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
  Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
  depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Climate:
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm
to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren
in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Geography - note:
  landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
  aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem
  settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August
  2005 est.)

Population:
  2,460,492
  note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the
  West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.9% (male 541,110/female 515,202)
  15-64 years: 53.7% (male 676,427/female 644,347)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 35,440/female 47,966) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.3 years
  male: 18.2 years
  female: 18.5 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 19.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 17.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.27 years
  male: 71.5 years
  female: 75.15 years (2006 est.)

Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),
English (widely understood)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.9%
  male: 96.3%
  female: 87.4% (2003 est.)

Economy - overview:
  The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian
  Authority (PA)- has experienced a general decline in economic growth
  and a degradation in economic conditions made worse since the second
  intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the
  result of the Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border
  closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which
  disrupted labor and commodity market relationships. In 2001, and
  even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas
  resulted in the destruction of much capital plant, the disruption of
  administrative structure, and widespread business closures.
  Including the Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than 100,000
  Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israeli
  settlements, or in joint industrial zones, have lost their jobs.
  International aid of $2 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in
  2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some
  reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high
  unemployment and limited trade opportunities, due to continued
  closures both within the West Bank and externally, stymied growth.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9% industry: 28% services: 63% note: includes Gaza Strip (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 18.4% industry: 24% services: 57.6% (April-June 2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $964 million
  expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA;
  note - these budget data include Gaza Strip (2004)

Industries:
  generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles,
  soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the
  Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the
  settlements and industrial centers

Electricity - production:
  NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East
  Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to
  Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
  the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most
  Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian
  municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own
  electricity from small power plants

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004),
4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Disputes - international:
  West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
  subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
  status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel
  continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along
  parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew
  from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005;
  since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision
  Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor
  ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
  incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
  region

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 699,817 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)) (2005)

Background:
  Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara
  (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in
  1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the
  Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991
  UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status
  has been repeatedly postponed.

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Mauritania and Morocco

Land boundaries: total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Climate:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce
fog and heavy dew

Terrain:
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces
rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m

Natural hazards:
  hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and
  spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely
  restricting visibility

Environment - international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: NA years
  male: NA years
  female: NA years

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2005)

Nationality: noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Western Sahara
  former: Spanish Sahara

Government type:
  legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved;
  territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front
  for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in
  February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the
  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed
  ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in
  April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania,
  under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to
  its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector
  shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control;
  the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of
  African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued
  sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6
  September 1991

Capital:
  none
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Economy - overview:
  Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate
  mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The
  territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural
  production, and most of the food for the urban population must be
  imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by
  the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed
  contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which
  has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in
  Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Agriculture - products:
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep,
goats (kept by nomads); fish

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2004)

Imports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2004)

Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744
(2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: sparse and limited system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by
  microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to
  Rabat, Morocco

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Disputes - international:
  Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty
  remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
  effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the
  Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a
  referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all
  brokered proposals

Background:
  Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world
  wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast
  colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from
  the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the
  landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance
  and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in
  North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the
  environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and
  water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h)
  the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of
  the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population
  continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930,
  3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6
  billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued exponential
  growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances
  in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal
  weapons of war).

Map references:
Physical Map of the World, Political Map of the World, Standard
Time Zones of the World

Area:
  total: 510.072 million sq km
  land: 148.94 million sq km
  water: 361.132 million sq km
  note: 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land

Land boundaries:
  the land boundaries in the world total 250,708 km (not counting
  shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border
  14 other countries
  note: 44 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include:
  Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan,
  Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic,
  Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary,
  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
  Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay,
  Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland,
  Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia,
  Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly
  landlocked

Coastline:
  356,000 km
  note: 98 nations and other entities are islands that border no other
  countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and
  Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
  Baker Island, Barbados, Bassas da India, Bermuda, Bouvet Island,
  British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde,
  Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling)
  Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Cyprus,
  Dominica, Europa Island, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe
  Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands, Glorioso Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard
  Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man,
  Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll,
  Juan de Nova Island, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives,
  Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated
  States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa
  Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern
  Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines,
  Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts
  and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and
  the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore,
  Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
  Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and
  Tobago, Tromelin Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
  Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

Maritime claims:
  a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make
  the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as
  described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:
  territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive
  economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of
  continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary
  situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from
  extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200nm

Climate:
  a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates -
  bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that
  separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

Terrain:
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the
Pacific Ocean

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
  note: in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is
  the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific
  Ocean
  highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:
  the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the
  depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and
  plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality
  (especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose
  serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only
  beginning to address

Natural hazards:
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural
disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)

Environment - current issues: large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion

Geography - note:
the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just
about one-third of the 13-billion-year age estimated for the universe

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.4% (male 919,219,446/female 870,242,271)
  15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,152,066,888/female 2,100,334,722)
  65 years and over: 7.4% (male 213,160,216/female 270,146,721)
  note: some countries do not maintain age structure information, thus
  a slight discrepancy exists between the total world population and
  the total for world age structure (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 48.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 50.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 46.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.77 years
  male: 63.16 years
  female: 66.47 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
  Christians 33.03% (of which Roman Catholics 17.33%, Protestants
  5.8%, Orthodox 3.42%, Anglicans 1.23%), Muslims 20.12%, Hindus
  13.34%, Buddhists 5.89%, Sikhs 0.39%, Jews 0.23%, other religions
  12.61%, non-religious 12.03%, atheists 2.36% (2004 est.)

Languages:
  Mandarin Chinese 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi 2.82%,
  Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese 1.99%,
  Standard German 1.49%, Wu Chinese 1.21% (2004 est.)
  note: percents are for "first language" speakers only

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 82%
  male: 87%
  female: 77%
  note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults
  are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh,
  Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the
  illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low
  literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West
  Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around
  one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)

Legal system:
all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court

Economy - overview: Global output rose by 4.4% in 2005, led by China (9.3%), India (7.6%), and Russia (5.9%). The other 14 successor nations of the USSR and the other old Warsaw Pact nations again experienced widely divergent growth rates; the three Baltic nations continued as strong performers, in the 7% range of growth. Growth results posted by the major industrial countries varied from no gain for Italy to a strong gain by the United States (3.5%). The developing nations also varied in their growth results, with many countries facing population increases that erode gains in output. Externally, the nation-state, as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing control over international flows of people, goods, funds, and technology. Internally, the central government often finds its control over resources slipping as separatist regional movements - typically based on ethnicity - gain momentum, e.g., in many of the successor states of the former Soviet Union, in the former Yugoslavia, in India, in Iraq, in Indonesia, and in Canada. Externally, the central government is losing decisionmaking powers to international bodies, notably the EU. In Western Europe, governments face the difficult political problem of channeling resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment and strengthen incentives to seek employment. The addition of 80 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine. Because of their own internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries devote insufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least from an economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized. The introduction of the euro as the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, poses economic risks because of varying levels of income and cultural and political differences among the participating nations. The terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuated a further growing risk to global prosperity, illustrated, for example, by the reallocation of resources away from investment to anti-terrorist programs. The opening of war in March 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq added new uncertainties to global economic prospects. After the coalition victory, the complex political difficulties and the high economic cost of establishing domestic order in Iraq became major global problems that continued into 2006.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
GWP (gross world product): $60.63 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 32% services: 64% (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 42%
  industry: 21%
  services: 37% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
  non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
  unemployment

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 29.4% (2000 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): developed countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries 5% to 20% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in individual cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflation in one Third World countries (Zimbabwe); inflation rates have declined for most countries for the last several years, held in check by increasing international competition from several low wage countries (2005 est.)

Industries:
  dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers,
  robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment;
  most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small
  portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to
  these technological forces; the accelerated development of new
  industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating already
  grim environmental problems

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Exports - commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services

Exports - partners:
US 15.6%, Germany 7.4%, China 5.7%, France 4.9%, UK 4.7%, Japan
4.5% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services

Imports - partners:
China 9.3%, US 9%, Germany 9%, Japan 6.1%, France 4.2% (2005)

Debt - external:
  $36.89 trillion
  note: this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt,
  both public and private (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$154 billion official development assistance (ODA) (2004)

Railways:
  total: 1,115,205 km
  broad gauge: 257,481 km
  standard gauge: 671,413 km
  narrow gauge: 186,311 km (2003)

Roadways: total: 32,345,165 km paved: 19,403,061 km unpaved: 12,942,104 km (2002)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: aggregate real expenditure on arms worldwide has increased in the beginning of the 21st century, with the largest increase in the US; a rough estimate for 2005 is $1.2 trillion (at puchasing power parity) (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: roughly 2% of gross world product (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  stretching over 250,000 km, the world's 329 international land
  boundaries separate the 193 independent states and 73 dependencies,
  areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entities;
  ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and language have divided states
  into separate political entities as much as history, physical
  terrain, political fiat, or conquest, resulting in sometimes
  arbitrary and imposed boundaries; maritime states have claimed
  limits and have so far established over 130 maritime boundaries and
  joint development zones to allocate ocean resources and to provide
  for national security at sea; boundary, borderland/resource, and
  territorial disputes vary in intensity from managed or dormant to
  violent or militarized; most disputes over the alignment of
  political boundaries are confined to short segments and are today
  less common and less hostile than borderland, resource, and
  territorial disputes; undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and
  unmanaged boundaries, however, encourage illegal cross-border
  activities, uncontrolled migration, and confrontation; territorial
  disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they
  may be brought on by resource competition; ethnic and cultural
  clashes continue to be responsible for much of the territorial
  fragmentation around the world; disputes over islands at sea or in
  rivers frequently form the source of territorial and boundary
  conflict; other sources of contention include access to water and
  mineral (especially petroleum) resources, fisheries, and arable
  land; nonetheless, most nations cooperate to clarify their
  international boundaries and to resolve territorial and resource
  disputes peacefully; regional discord today prevails not so much
  between the armed forces of independent states as between stateless
  armed entities that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local
  populations, leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant
  refugees, hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental
  degradation

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated
  that in December 2004 there was a global population of 9.2 million
  refugees, the lowest number in 25 years, and as many as 25 million
  IDPs in over 49 countries (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: about 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly women
  and children, are trafficked annually across national borders, not
  including millions trafficked within their own countries; at least
  80% of the victims are female; 75% of all victims are trafficked
  into commercial sexual exploitation; roughly two-thirds of the
  global victims are trafficked intra-regionally within East Asia and
  the Pacific (260,000 to 280,000 people) and Europe and Eurasia
  (170,000 to 210,000 people)

Illicit drugs:
  cocaine: worldwide coca cultivation in 2004 amounted to 166,200
  hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the
  worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine
  production of 645 metric tons in 2004 marked the lowest level of
  Andean cocaine production in the past 10 years; Colombia conducts
  aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and Bolivian
  Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing areas; 376
  metric tons of export-quality cocaine are documented to have been
  seized in 2003, and 26 metric tons disrupted (jettisoned or
  destroyed); consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to
  have been 800 metric tons
  opiates: worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation reached 258,630
  hectares in 2004; potential opium production of 5,444 metric tons
  was highest total recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s;
  Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 91% of
  the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 7% of global
  opium - continued to diminish in importance in the world opium
  market; Latin America produced 2% of global opium, but most refined
  into heroin destined for United States; if all opium processed into
  pure heroin, the potential global production would be 632 metric
  tons of heroin in 2004

Background:
  North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The
  British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port
  of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South
  Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist
  orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis
  from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility
  between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the
  Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement in 1994
  was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a
  delimitation of their border.

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea,
between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Area:
  total: 527,970 sq km
  land: 527,970 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR
  or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of
  Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)

Land boundaries: total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
  mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western
  mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry,
  harsh desert in east

Terrain:
  narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged
  mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the
  desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold,
lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of
potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea
and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.4% (male 5,067,762/female 4,881,333)
  15-64 years: 51% (male 5,568,078/female 5,375,263)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 275,878/female 287,874) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.6 years
  male: 16.6 years
  female: 16.6 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 59.88 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 64.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 54.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.12 years
  male: 60.23 years
  female: 64.11 years (2006 est.)

Religions:
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of
Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 50.2%
  male: 70.5%
  female: 30% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Yemen
  conventional short form: Yemen
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah
  local short form: Al Yaman
  former: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and
  People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

Capital:
  name: Sanaa
  geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan, Ad
  Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit,
  'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah,
  San'a', Shabwah, Ta'izz
  note: for electoral and administrative purposes, the capital city of
  Sanaa is treated as an additional governorate

Independence:
  22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the merger of the
  Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the
  Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen
  (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen had become
  independent in November of 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South
  Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

Legal system:
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local
tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990,
  the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the merger
  of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab
  Mansur al-HADI (since 3 October 1994)
  head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Qadir BA JAMAL; Deputy
  Prime Ministers Rashid Muhammad al-ALIMI, Alawi Salah al-SALAMI,
  Ahmad Muhammad Abdallah al-SUFAN
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  advice of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
  election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held September
  2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and
  deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of
  vote - Ali Abdallah SALIH 77.2%, Faisal bin SHAMLAN 21.8%

Legislative branch:
  a new constitutional amendment ratified on 20 February 2001 created
  a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats;
  members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives
  (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  GPC 228, Islah 47, YSP 7, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab
  Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 14

Political parties and leaders:
  there are more than 12 political parties active in Yemen, some of
  the more prominent are: General People's Congress or GPC [President
  Ali Abdallah SALIH]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Shaykh
  Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR]; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdal Malik
  al-MAKHLAFI]; National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM];
  Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]

International organization participation:
  AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS
  (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahab Abdallah al-HAJRI chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760 FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. KRAJESKI
  embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa
  mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
  telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266
  FAX: [967] (1) 303-182

Flag description:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
  similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and of
  Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription), in a
  horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag
  of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band

Economy - overview:
  Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, has reported
  meager growth since 2000. Its economic fortunes depend mostly on
  oil. Oil revenues increased in 2005 due to higher prices. Yemen was
  on an IMF-supported structural adjustment program designed to
  modernize and streamline the economy, which led to substantial
  foreign debt relief and restructuring. However, government
  dedication to the program waned in 2001 for political reasons. Yemen
  is struggling to control excessive spending and rampant corruption.
  The people have grown increasingly upset over the economic
  situation. In July 2005, a reduction in fuel subsidies sparked
  riots; over 20 Yemenis were killed and hundreds were injured.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.5% industry: 47.2% services: 39.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2003)

Budget:
  revenues: $5.616 billion
  expenditures: $5.719 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy
products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

Industries:
  crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production
  of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts;
  small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial ship repair

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
China 36.5%, Chile 19.2%, Thailand 12.5%, Japan 5.4%, South Korea
4.4%, US 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:
UAE 14.6%, Saudi Arabia 11.6%, China 9.1%, Kuwait 5%, India 4.5%
(2005)

Exchange rates:
Yemeni rials per US dollar - 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004), 183.45
(2003), 175.63 (2002), 168.67 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been
  made to create a national telecommunications network
  domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
  cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
  systems
  international: country code - 967; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to
  Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 16
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 30
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,400 GRT/18,072 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll
  on/roll off 1
  registered in other countries: 9 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 3, North Korea
  2, Panama 3) (2006)

Military branches:
Army (includes Special Forces), Navy (includes Marines), Unified
Yemen Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2006)

Military service age and obligation: in May 2001, Yemen's National Defense Council abolished compulsory military service and authorized a voluntary program for military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,058,223
females age 18-49: 3,868,112 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,790,705
females age 18-49: 2,792,406 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 236,517
females age 18-49: 230,641 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Yemen protests Eritrea fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to
  Yemen by the ICJ in 1999; Saudi Arabia still maintains the
  concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the
  border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities;
  Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a
  security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in
  sections of the boundary

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 63,511 (Somalia) (2005)

Background:
  The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the
  [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by
  the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining
  spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia
  upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper
  prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991
  brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996
  saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001
  was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a
  legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate
  Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anti-corruption
  campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former
  President Frederick CHILUBA and some officials of his administration.

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,664 km
  border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania
  338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
hydropower

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and
  refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously
  threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations;
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water
  treatment presents human health risks

Geography - note:
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with
Zimbabwe

Population:
  11,502,010
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,673,891/female 2,656,268)
  15-64 years: 51.3% (male 2,925,910/female 2,969,324)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 117,877/female 158,740) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.3 years
  female: 16.7 years (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 86.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 94.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 79.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 40.03 years
  male: 39.76 years
  female: 40.31 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Languages:
English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda,
Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
  total population: 80.6%
  male: 86.8%
  female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
  conventional short form: Zambia
  former: Northern Rhodesia

Capital:
  name: Lusaka
  geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka,
Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Constitution:
24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term
limits

Legal system:
  based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
  Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
  Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 September 2006
  (next to be held 2011); vice president appointed by the president
  election results: Levy MWANAWASA reelected president; percent of
  vote - Levy MWANAWASA 43.0%, Michael SATA 29.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA
  25.3%, Godfrey MIYANDA 1.6%, Winright NGONDO 0.8%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by
  popular vote, eight members are appointed by the president, to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%,
  UNIP 8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%;
  seats by party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP
  1, independents 1; seats not determined 2

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by
  the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil
  and criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders:
  Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum for
  Democracy and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage Party or
  HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger
  CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy
  MWANAWASA, acting president]; National Leadership for Development or
  NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE]; National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU];
  Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP
  [Gwendoline KONIE]; United National Independence Party or UNIP
  [Francis NKHOMA, president]; United Party for National Development
  or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin
  MWILA]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carmen M. MARTINEZ embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 250-955 FAX: [260] (1) 252-225

Flag description:
  green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side),
  black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of
  the flag

Economy - overview:
  Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's
  economic growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% needed to reduce
  poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned copper
  mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated
  by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining
  to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output
  has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and
  the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2005,
  helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues
  with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a
  new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter of 2004.
  A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still
  has a serious problem with high public debt.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22% industry: 29% services: 48.9% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 41% (1998)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.688 billion
  expenditures: $1.866 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers,
  tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle,
  goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides

Industries:
copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages,
chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.5% hydro: 99.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - commodities:
copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton

Exports - partners:
Switzerland 28.7%, South Africa 18.6%, UK 14.4%, Democratic
Republic of the Congo 5.4%, Tanzania 5.1%, Zimbabwe 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products,
electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

Exchange rates:
Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004),
4,733.3 (2003), 4,398.6 (2002), 3,610.9 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the best
  in Sub-Saharan Africa
  domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger
  towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;
  Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal
  (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
  international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 10
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 101
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 64
  under 914 m: 32 (2006)

Railways:
  total: 2,173 km
  narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
  note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
  (TAZARA) (2005)

Waterways:
2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula
rivers) (2005)

Military branches:
Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force, Police,
National Service

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,219,739
females age 18-49: 2,159,688 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,043,702
females age 18-49: 953,328 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and
  Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto
  recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia
  boundary in the river

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 88,842 (Angola) 66,248 (Democratic
Republic of the Congo) 5,791 (Rwanda) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small
  amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and
  possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled
  with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it
  an unattractive venue for money launderers

Background:
  The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa
  Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored
  whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its
  independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more
  complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country
  (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising
  finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe)
  in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been
  the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated
  the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land
  redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus of
  white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread
  shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation,
  MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his
  reelection. Opposition and labor strikes in 2003 were unsuccessful
  in pressuring MUGABE to retire early; security forces continued
  their brutal repression of regime opponents. The ruling ZANU-PF
  party used fraud and intimidation to win a two-thirds majority in
  the March 2005 parliamentary election, allowing it to amend the
  constitution at will and recreate the Senate, which had been
  abolished in the late 1980s. In April 2005, Harare embarked on
  Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization
  program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or
  businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition,
  according to UN estimates.

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,066 km
  border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa
  225 km, Zambia 797 km

Terrain:
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld);
mountains in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m
highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Natural resources:
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore,
vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with
  Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on
  the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water

Population:
  12,236,805
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 37.4% (male 2,307,170/female 2,265,298)
  15-64 years: 59.1% (male 3,616,528/female 3,621,190)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 199,468/female 227,151) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 19.9 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20 years (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
  and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 51.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 48.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 39.29 years
  male: 40.39 years
  female: 38.16 years (2006 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Ethnic groups:
African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%,
white less than 1%

Religions:
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian
25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Languages:
English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele,
sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
  total population: 90.7%
  male: 94.2%
  female: 87.2% (2003 est.)

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
  conventional short form: Zimbabwe
  former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia

Capital:
  name: Harare
  geographic coordinates: 17 50 S, 31 03 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
  8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*,
  Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
  Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South,
  Midlands

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31
  December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999)
  and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since
  31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999)
  and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the
  House of Assembly
  elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper
  signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each
  province) and elected by popular vote for a six-year term (no term
  limits); election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next to be held March
  2008); co-vice presidents appointed by the president
  election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent
  of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 56.2%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 41.9%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of a House of Assembly (150 seats -
  120 elected by popular vote for five-year terms, 12 nominated by the
  president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by their peers,
  and eight occupied by provincial governors appointed by the
  president) and a Senate (66 seats - 50 elected by popular vote for a
  five-year term, six nominated by the president, 10 nominated by the
  Council of Chiefs)
  elections: House of Assembly last held 31 March 2005 (next to be
  held in 2010), Senate last held 26 November 2005 (next to be held in
  2010)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  ZANU-PF 59.6%, MDC 39.5%, other 0.9%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 78,
  MDC 41, independents 1; Senate - percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF
  73.7%, MDC 20.3%, other 4.4%, independents 1.6%; seats by party -
  ZANU-PF 43, MDC 7

Political parties and leaders:
  African National Party or ANP; Movement for Democratic Change or
  MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; Peace Action is Freedom for All or PAFA;
  United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party [Daniel
  SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga
  [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or
  ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or
  ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]; Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Wellington CHIBEBE]; National
  Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Zimbabwe Congress
  of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Lovemore MATOMBO]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Machivenyika T. MAPURANGA chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100 FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. DELL embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 and 250-594 FAX: [263] (4) 796-488

Flag description:
  seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red,
  yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black
  with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing
  the long history of the country is superimposed on a red
  five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes
  peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral wealth, red -
  blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native
  people

Economy - overview:
  The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult
  economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable fiscal
  deficit, an overvalued exchange rate, soaring inflation, and bare
  shelves. Its 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic
  Republic of the Congo, for example, drained hundreds of millions of
  dollars from the economy. Badly needed support from the IMF has been
  suspended because of the government's arrears on past loans, which
  it began repaying in 2005. The official annual inflation rate rose
  from 32% in 1998, to 133% at the end of 2004, and 585% at the end of
  2005, although private sector estimates put the figure much higher.
  Meanwhile, the official exchange rate fell from 24 Zimbabwean
  dollars per US dollar in 1998 to 96,000 in mid-January 2006. The
  government's land reform program, characterized by chaos and
  violence, has badly damaged the commercial farming sector, the
  traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider
  of 400,000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food
  products.

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.9% industry: 24.3% services: 57.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 66% industry: 10% services: 24% (1996)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 266.8% official data; private sector estimates are much higher (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.409 billion
  expenditures: $1.905 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep,
goats, pigs

Industries:
  mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous
  metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement,
  chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47% hydro: 53% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports - partners:
South Africa 32.8%, China 7.4%, Japan 6.3%, Zambia 5.2%,
Netherlands 5%, US 4.6%, Italy 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2005)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals,
fuels

Economic aid - recipient:
$178 million; note - the EU and the US provide food aid on
humanitarian grounds (2000 est.)

Exchange rates:
  Zimbabwean dollars per US dollar - 4,303.28 (2005), 5,068.66
  (2004), 697.424 (2003), 55.036 (2002), 55.052 (2001)
  note: these are official exchange rates; non-official rates vary
  significantly

Telephone system:
  general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but
  now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding
  requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed
  but unused main lines
  domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
  radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
  installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet
  connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
  and for some of the smaller ones
  international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
  Gweru)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 386 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 187 under 914 m: 194 (2006)

Railways: total: 3,077 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2005)

Military branches:
Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of
Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,778,404
females age 18-49: 2,681,531 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,304,424
females age 18-49: 1,115,096 (2005 est.)

Disputes - international:
  Botswana has built electric fences and South Africa has placed
  military along the border to stem the flow of thousands of
  Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political persecution;
  Namibia has supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to
  plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi
  River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly
  delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 400,000-450,000 (MUGABE-led political violence, human rights
violations, land reform, and economic collapse) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and
  sexual exploitation; children may be trafficked internally for
  forced agricultural labor, domestic servitude, and sexual
  exploitation; women and girls are lured out of the country to South
  Africa, China, Egypt, and Zambia with false job or scholarship
  promises that result in domestic servitude or commercial sexual
  exploitation; there are reports of South African employers demanding
  sex from undocumented Zimbabwean workers under threat of
  deportation; women and children from Malawi, Zambia, and the
  Democratic Republic of the Congo transit Zimbabwe en route to South
  Africa; small numbers of South African girls are trafficked to
  Zimbabwe for domestic labor
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Zimbabwe does not fully comply with the
  minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
  making significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
  transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax,
  and methamphetamines destined for the South African and European
  markets

Albania
  $18.87 billion
  note: Albania has a large gray economy that may be as large as 50%
  of official GDP (2005 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  $23.09 billion
  note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much
  as 50% of official GDP (2005 est.)

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: $16.81 billion; north Cyprus: $4.54
billion (2005 est.)

Kiribati
  $142.9 million
  note: supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources
  (2004 est.)

Korea, North
  $40 billion
  note: North Korea does not publish any reliable National Income
  Accounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing power
  parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus
  Maddison in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was
  extrapolated to 2005 using estimated real growth rates for North
  Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator;
  the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2005 est.)

Macedonia $15.94 billion note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2005 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of $277 million; note - supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually (2002 est.)

Monaco
  $870 million
  note: Monaco does not publish national income figures; the estimates
  are extremely rough (2000 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands $900 million note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  $48.3 million
  note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60
  million (2003 est.)

Kuwait
  3.52%
  note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of
  expatriates (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan
  IMF estimate: 6%
  note: official government statistics show 21.4% growth, but these
  estimates are widely regarded as unreliable (2005 est.)

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: $21,600 (2005 est.); north Cyprus: $7,135
(2004 est.)

Akrotiri
overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator
who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

American Samoa
  unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US;
  administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the
  Interior

Aruba
  member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
  autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from
  the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense
  and foreign affairs

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
territory of Australia; administered by
the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services

Baker Island
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
  Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge
  system

Bassas da India
possession of France; administered by the
Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Bouvet Island
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar
Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

British Indian Ocean Territory overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

Christmas Island
  non-self governing territory of Australia;
  administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional
  Services

Clipperton Island
possession of France; administered by France from
French Polynesia by a high commissioner of the Republic

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  non-self governing territory of Australia;
  administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport
  and Regional Services

Cook Islands
  self-governing in free association with New Zealand;
  Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand
  retains responsibility for external affairs and defense, in
  consultation with the Cook Islands

Coral Sea Islands
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra
by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories

Dhekelia
overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator
who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Europa Island
possession of France; administered by the
Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
overseas territory of the UK; also
claimed by Argentina

Faroe Islands
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing
overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948

French Polynesia
overseas lands of France; overseas territory of
France from 1946-2004

French Southern and Antarctic Lands overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)

Glorioso Islands
possession of France; administered by the
Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Greenland
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark since 1979

Guam
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy
  relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the
  Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Heard Island and McDonald Islands territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage

Howland Island
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
  Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge
  system

Iles Eparses
  possessions of France; administered by the Senior
  Administrator of the Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands (TAAF), resident in Reunion

Jan Mayen
  territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from
  Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however,
  authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian
  Defense Communication Service

Jarvis Island
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
  Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge
  system

Johnston Atoll
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
  Honolulu, HI, by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, and the
  Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as
  part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Juan de Nova Island
possession of France; administered by the
Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Kingman Reef
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the
  Department of the Interior
  note: on 1 September 2000, the Department of the Interior accepted
  restoration of its administrative jurisdiction over Kingman Reef
  from the Department of the Navy; Executive Order 3223 signed 18
  January 2001 established Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge to be
  administered by the Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service; this
  refuge is managed to protect the terrestrial and aquatic wildlife of
  Kingman Reef out to the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea limit

Midway Islands
  unincorporated territory of the US; formerly
  administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy; on 31 October
  1996, through a presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and
  control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife
  Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National
  Wildlife Refuge system

Navassa Island
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered by
  the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, from
  the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto
  Rico; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and
  maintenance of Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on
  the southern side of the island; there has also been a private claim
  advanced against the island

Netherlands Antilles
  an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the
  Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954;
  Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Niue
  self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974;
  Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
  responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these
  responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised
  at the request of the Government of Niue

Norfolk Island
  territory of Australia; Canberra administers
  Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the
  Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories

Northern Mariana Islands
  commonwealth in political union with the
  US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US
  Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs

Palmyra Atoll
  incorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but
  administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service
  of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs
  of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine
  excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within
  the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon

Puerto Rico
  unincorporated, organized territory of the US with
  commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US
  conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  overseas territory of
  the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland
  Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the
  Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken -
  formerly a whaling station on South Georgia - is a scientific base

Svalbard
  territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department
  of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing
  in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920)
  sovereignty was awarded to Norway

Tokelau
  self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau
  and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves
  toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum
  on self-governance, in February 2006, did not produce the two thirds
  majority vote necessary for changing the current political status

Tromelin Island
possession of France; administered by the
Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  unincorporated
  territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish
  and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of
  the National Wildlife Refuge system
  note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly
  privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
  Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US
  Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded
  areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm
  territorial sea or within the lagoon

Virgin Islands
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US with
  policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the
  jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the
  Interior

Wake Island
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
  Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the
  island are conducted by the US Air Force

Afghanistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN
  embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul
  mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6180
  telephone: [00 93] (20) 230-0436
  FAX: [00 93] (20) 230-1364

Albania
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES
  embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
  mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles,
  VA 20189-9510
  telephone: [355] (4) 247285
  FAX: [355] (4) 232222

Algeria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD
  embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers
  mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers
  telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55
  FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79

Andorra
  the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US
  Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in
  Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in
  Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de
  Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (3) 280-2227;
  FAX: [34] (3) 205-5206

Angola
  chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia EFIRD
  embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of
  Luanda), Luanda
  mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda;
  pouch: US Embassy Luanda,US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place,
  Washington, DC 20521-2550
  telephone: [244] (222) 64-1000
  FAX: [244] (222) 64-1232

Antigua and Barbuda
  the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and
  Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados
  is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina
  chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE
  embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
  mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO
  address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
  telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533
  FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240

Armenia
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Anthony F. GODFREY
  embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 375082
  mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State,
  7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
  telephone: [374](10) 464-700
  FAX: [374](10) 464-742

Aruba
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General
to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba

Australia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.
  embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital
  Territory 2600
  mailing address: APO AP 96549
  telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600
  FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970
  consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Austria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Susan R. McCAW
  embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0
  FAX: [43] (1) 3100682

Azerbaijan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE
  embassy: 83 Azadliyg Prospecti, Baku AZ1007
  mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050
  Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050
  telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337
  FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671

Bahamas, The
  chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD
  embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
  mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197,
  Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC
  20521-3370
  telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
  FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222

Bahrain
  chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE
  embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club),
  Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
  mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE
  09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
  telephone: [973] 1724-2700
  FAX: [973] 1727-0547

Bangladesh
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia A. BUTENIS
  embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
  mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000
  telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500
  FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744

Barbados
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN
  embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street,
  Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown
  mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055
  telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950
  FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379

Belarus
  chief of mission: Ambassador Karen B. STEWART
  embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002
  mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723
  telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348
  FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853

Belgium
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS
  embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
  mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
  telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111
  FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725

Belize
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER
  embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane, Belize City
  mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Belize City
  telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163
  FAX: [501] 223-0802

Benin
  chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL
  embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
  mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou
  telephone: [229] 30-06-50
  FAX: [229] 30-06-70

Bermuda
  chief of mission: Consul General Gregory W. SLAYTON
  consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3
  mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate
  General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place,
  Washington, DC 20520-5300
  telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
  FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233

Bhutan
  the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations,
  although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US
  Embassy in New Delhi (India)

Bolivia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG
  embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz
  mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
  telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000
  FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L.
  McELHANEY
  embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
  mailing address: use street address
  telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
  FAX: [387] (33) 659-722
  branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar

Botswana
  chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN
  embassy: address NA, Gaborone
  mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone
  telephone: [267] 353982
  FAX: [267] 312782

Brazil
  chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL
  embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal
  Cep 70403-900, Brasilia
  mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030
  telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000
  FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136
  consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
  consulate(s): Recife

Brunei
  chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON
  embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri
  Begawan, BS8811
  mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar
  Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam
  telephone: [673] 222-0384
  FAX: [673] 222-5293

Bulgaria
  chief of mission: Ambassador John Ross BEYRLE
  embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407
  mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State,
  5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
  telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
  FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320

Burkina Faso
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON
  embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4
  mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US
  Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC
  20521-2440
  telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23
  FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90, 50-31-23-68

Burma
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shari
  VILLAROSA
  embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
  mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
  telephone: [95] (1) 379-880, 379-881
  FAX: [95] (1) 256-018

Burundi
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER
  embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
  mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
  telephone: [257] 223454
  FAX: [257] 222926

Cambodia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. MUSSOMELI
  embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
  mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546
  telephone: [855] (23) 728-000
  FAX: [855] (23) 728-600

Cameroon
  chief of mission: Ambassador Niels MARQUARDT
  embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
  mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US
  Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
  telephone: [237] 220 15 00; Consular: [237] 220 16 03
  FAX: [237] 220 16 20; Consular FAX: [237] 220 17 52
  branch office(s): Douala

Canada
  chief of mission: Ambassador David H. WILKINS
  embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8
  mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430
  telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470
  FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082
  consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto,
  Vancouver, Winnipeg

Cape Verde
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roger D. PIERCE
  embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo n6, Praia
  mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
  telephone: [238] 2-60-89-00
  FAX: [238] 2-61-13-55

Central African Republic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff

Chad
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marc M. WALL
  embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena
  mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena
  telephone: [235] 516-211
  FAX: [235] 515-654

Chile
  chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY
  embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
  mailing address: APO AA 34033
  telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
  FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710

China
  chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
  embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing
  mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
  telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831
  FAX: [86] (10) 6532-3178
  consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau,
  Shanghai, Shenyang

Colombia
  chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD
  embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831
  mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA 34038
  telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811
  FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197

Comoros
the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador
to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roger
  MEECE
  embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
  mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828
  telephone: [243] (88) 43608
  FAX: [243] (88) 43467

Congo, Republic of the
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
  d'Affaires Mark BIEDLINGMAIER
  embassy: NA
  mailing address: NA
  telephone: [243] (88) 43608
  note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in
  the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310
  Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)

Costa Rica
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE
  embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose
  mailing address: APO AA 34020
  telephone: [506] 519-2000
  FAX: [506] 519-2305

Cote d'Ivoire
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS
  embassy: Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan
  mailing address: B. P. 1866, Abidjan 01
  telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79
  FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59

Croatia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert A. BRADTKE
  embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb
  mailing address: use street address
  telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200
  FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373

Cuba
  none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss
  Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Michael E. PARMLY; address:
  USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado,
  Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator
  assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in
  Cuba is Switzerland

Cyprus
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald L. SCHLICHER
  embassy: corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi,
  Nicosia
  mailing address: P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia
  telephone: [357] (22) 393939
  FAX: [357] (22) 780944

Czech Republic
  chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. GRABER
  embassy: Trziste 15, 11801 Prague 1
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [420] 257 022 000
  FAX: [420] 257 022 809

Denmark
  chief of mission: Ambassador James P. CAIN
  embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen
  mailing address: PSC 73, APO AE 09716
  telephone: [45] 33 41 71 00
  FAX: [45] 35 43 02 23

Djibouti
  chief of mission: Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON
  embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
  mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
  telephone: [253] 35 39 95
  FAX: [253] 35 39 40

Dominica
the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US
Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica

Dominican Republic
  chief of mission: Ambassador Hans H. HERTELL
  embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo
  Navarro, Santo Domingo
  mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500
  telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171
  FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437

East Timor
  chief of mission: Ambassador Grover Joseph REES
  embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili
  mailing address: US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place,
  Washington, DC 20521-8250
  telephone: (670) 332-4684
  FAX: (670) 331-3206

Ecuador
  chief of mission: Ambassador Linda L. JEWELL
  embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
  mailing address: APO AA 34039
  telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890
  FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052
  consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

Egypt
  chief of mission: Ambassador Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr.
  embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo
  mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900
  telephone: [20] (2) 797-3300
  FAX: [20] (2) 797-3200

El Salvador
  chief of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY
  embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La
  Libertad, San Salvador
  mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
  telephone: [503] 2278-4444
  FAX: [503] 2278-5522

Equatorial Guinea
  chief of mission: the US ambassador to Cameroon is
  accredited to Equatorial Guinea
  embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note
  - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries
  should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon
  mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US
  Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
  telephone: [237] 220 15 00
  FAX: [237] 220 16 20

Eritrea
  chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI
  embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara
  mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
  telephone: [291] (1) 120004
  FAX: [291] (1) 127584

Estonia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aldona Zofia WOS
  embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [372] 668-8100
  FAX: [372] 668-8134

Ethiopia
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Vicki HUDDLESTON
  embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
  telephone: [251] (1) 517-4000
  FAX: [251] (1) 517-4888

European Union
  chief of mission: Ambassador C. Boyden GRAY
  embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels
  mailing address: same as above
  telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222
  FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
none (overseas territory of the
UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Fiji
  chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Miles DINGER
  embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva
  mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva
  telephone: [679] 331-4466
  FAX: [679] 330-0081

Finland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn WARE
  embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
  mailing address: APO AE 09723
  telephone: [358] (9) 616250
  FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

France
  chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON
  embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
  mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777
  telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
  FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
  consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg

Gabon
  chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
  embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
  mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville
  telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92
  FAX: [241] 74 55 07

Gambia, The
  chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph D. STAFFORD, III
  embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul
  mailing address: P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul
  telephone: [220] 439-2856, 437-6169, 437-6170
  FAX: [220] 439-2475

Georgia
  chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
  embassy: 11 George Balanchine St., T'bilisi 0131
  mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060
  telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00
  FAX: [995] (32) 53-23-10

Germany
  chief of mission: Ambassador William R. TIMKEN, Jr.
  embassy: Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin; note - a new
  embassy will be built near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; ground
  was broken in October 2004 and completion is scheduled for 2008
  mailing address: PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265
  telephone: [49] (030) 2385 174
  FAX: [49] (030) 8305-1215
  consulate(s) general: Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg,
  Leipzig, Munich

Ghana
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
  embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra
  mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
  telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348
  FAX: [233] (21) 701-813

Greece
  chief of mission: Ambassador Charles P. RIES
  embassy: 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens
  mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108
  telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951
  FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282
  consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki

Grenada
  chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is
  accredited to Grenada
  embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's
  mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's
  telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176
  FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820

Guatemala
  chief of mission: Ambassador James M. DERHAM
  embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
  mailing address: APO AA 34024
  telephone: [502] 2326-4000
  FAX: [502] 2326-4654

Guinea
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson C. MCDONALD
  embassy: Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle
  mailing address: B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif
  de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry
  telephone: [224] 30-42-08-61
  FAX: [224] 30-42-08-73

Guinea-Bissau
  the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in
  the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President
  VIEIRA and military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal is
  accredited to Guinea-Bissau

Guyana
  chief of mission: Ambassador David M. ROBINSON
  embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
  mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170
  Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170
  telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909
  FAX: [592] 225-8497

Haiti
  chief of mission: Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON
  embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
  telephone: [509] 222-0200
  FAX: [509] 223-9038

Holy See (Vatican City)
  chief of mission: Ambassador Francis ROONEY
  embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome
  mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624
  telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428
  FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346

Honduras
  chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. FORD
  embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa
  mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa
  telephone: [504] 236-9320, 238-5114
  FAX: [504] 236-9037

Hong Kong
  chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM
  consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
  mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006
  telephone: [852] 2523-9011
  FAX: [852] 2845-1598

Hungary
  chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY
  embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest
  mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest
  Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270
  telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400
  FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764

Iceland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carol VAN VOORST
  embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik
  mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place,
  Washington, D.C. 20521-5640
  telephone: [354] 562-9100
  FAX: [354] 562-9118

India
  chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD
  embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000
  FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017
  consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai
  (Bombay)

Indonesia
  chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE
  embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110
  mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520
  telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000
  FAX: [62] (21) 3435-9922
  consulate(s) general: Surabaya
  consulate(s): Medan; Denpasar (consular agency)

Iraq
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
  embassy: Baghdad
  mailing address: APO AE 09316
  telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular
  Section
  FAX: NA

Ireland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. FOLEY
  embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [353] (1) 668-8777
  FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946

Israel
  chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES
  embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903
  mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830
  telephone: [972] (3) 519-7575
  FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390
  consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission,
  established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign
  government

Italy
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI
  embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome
  mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
  telephone: [39] (06) 46741
  FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356
  consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Jamaica
  chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON
  embassy: Mutual Life Building, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston 5
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
  FAX: [1] (876) 935-6001

Japan
  chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER
  embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
  mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004
  telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
  FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862
  consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
  consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya

Jordan
  chief of mission: Ambassador David M. HALE
  embassy: Abdoun, Amman
  mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box
  5, APO AE 09892-0200
  telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000
  FAX: [962] (6) 592-0121

Kazakhstan
  chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
  embassy: Ak Bulak 4, Str. 23-22, Building #3, Astana 010010
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [7] (3172) 70-21-00
  FAX: [7] (3172) 34-08-90

Kenya
  chief of mission: Ambassador William M. BELLAMY
  embassy: US Embassy, United Nations Ave., Gigiri; P. O. Box 606
  Village Market Nairobi
  mailing address: Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
  telephone: [254] (20) 537-800
  FAX: [254] (20) 537-810

Kiribati
the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador
to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati

Korea, North
none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents
the US as consular protecting power

Korea, South
  chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW
  embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
  mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550
  telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
  FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Kuwait
  chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
  embassy: Bayan 36302, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the
  Bayan palace), Kuwait City
  mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE
  09880-9000
  telephone: [965] 259-1001
  FAX: [965] 538-0282

Kyrgyzstan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marie L. YOVANOVITCH
  embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
  FAX: [996] (312) 551-264

Laos
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
  embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane
  mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546
  telephone: [856] 21-26 7000
  FAX: [856] 21-26 7074

Latvia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Catherine TODD BAILEY
  embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510
  mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE
  09723
  telephone: [371] 703-6200
  FAX: [371] 782-0047

Lebanon
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey D. FELTMAN
  embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Akwar facing the Municipality)
  mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; PSC 815, Box
  2, FPO AE 09836-0002; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place,
  Washington, DC 20521-6070
  telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600
  FAX: [961] (4) 544136

Lesotho
  chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY
  embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)
  mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho
  telephone: [266] 22 312666
  FAX: [266] 22 310116

Liberia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH
  embassy: 111 United Nations Drive, P. O. Box 10-0098, Mamba Point,
  1000 Monrovia, 10
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [231] 226-370 through 226-380
  FAX: [231] 226-148

Libya
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad
  Interim Gregory L. BERRY
  embassy: Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel, Souq At-Tlat Al-Qadim, Tripoli
  mailing address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC
  20521-8850
  telephone: [218] 21-335-1848

Liechtenstein
the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein, but
the US Ambassador to Switzerland is also accredited to Liechtenstein

Lithuania
  chief of mission: Ambassador John A. CLOUD
  embassy: Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
  mailing address: American Embassy, Almeny gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106
  telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500
  FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510

Luxembourg
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ann WAGNER
  embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City
  mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE
  09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box
  9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail)
  telephone: [352] 46 01 23
  FAX: [352] 46 14 01

Macau
the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by
the US Consulate General in Hong Kong

Macedonia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
  embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
  mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State,
  7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
  telephone: [389] 2 311-6180
  FAX: [389] 2 311-7103

Madagascar
  chief of mission: Ambassador James D. MCGEE
  embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101
  mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
  telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56
  FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39

Malawi
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  David GILMOUR
  embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road
  mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
  telephone: [265] (1) 773 166
  FAX: [265] (1) 770 471

Malaysia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAFLEUR
  embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 50440
  mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
  telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
  FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207

Maldives
  the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US
  Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic
  visits there

Mali
  chief of mission: Ambassador Terrence P. MCCULLEY
  embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako
  mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako
  telephone: [223] 222-5470
  FAX: [223] 222-3712

Malta
  chief of mission: Ambassador Molly BORDONARO
  embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana,
  VLT 01
  mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, CMR01
  telephone: [356] 2561 4000
  FAX: [356] 21 243229

Marshall Islands
  chief of mission: Ambassador Greta N. MORRIS
  embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall
  Islands 96960-1379
  telephone: [692] 247-4011
  FAX: [692] 247-4012

Mauritania
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Steven KOUTSIS
  embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish
  Embassy), Nouakchott
  mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
  telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663
  FAX: [222] 525-1592

Mauritius
  chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE
  embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
  mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US
  mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State,
  Washington, DC 20521-2450
  telephone: [230] 202-4400
  FAX: [230] 208-9534

Mexico
  chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio O. GARZA, Jr.
  embassy: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico,
  Distrito Federal
  mailing address: P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000
  telephone: [52] (55) 5080-2000
  FAX: [52] (55) 5511-9980
  consulate(s) general: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana
  consulate(s): Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo

Micronesia, Federated States of
  chief of mission: Ambassador Suzanne
  K. HALE
  embassy: 101 Upper Pics Road, Kolonia
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, 96941
  telephone: [691] 320-2187
  FAX: [691] 320-2186

Moldova
  chief of mission: Ambasador Michael D. KIRBY
  embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300
  FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044

Monaco
  the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Consul
  General in Marseille (France) under the authority of the US
  ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco

Mongolia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mark C. MINTON
  embassy: Big Ring Road, 11th Micro Region, Ulaanbaatar
  mailing address: PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002; P.O. Box 1021,
  Ulaanbaatar-13
  telephone: [976] (11) 329095
  FAX: [976] (11) 320776

Morocco
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas T. RILEY
  embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat
  mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 09718
  telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65
  FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61
  consulate(s) general: Casablanca

Mozambique
  chief of mission: Ambassador Helen LA LIME
  embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo
  mailing address: P. O. Box 783, Maputo
  telephone: [258] (1) 492797
  FAX: [258] (1) 490448

Namibia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Joyce BARR
  embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek
  mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek
  telephone: [264] (61) 221601
  FAX: [264] (61) 229792

Nauru
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to
Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Nepal
  chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY
  embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [977] (1) 411-1179
  FAX: [977] (1) 441-9963

Netherlands
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roland E. ARNALL
  embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague
  mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
  telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209
  FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688
  consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Netherlands Antilles
  chief of mission: Consul General Robert E.
  SORENSON
  consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
  mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
  telephone: [599] (9) 4613066
  FAX: [599] (9) 4616489

New Zealand
  chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK
  embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP
  96531-1034
  telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000
  FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490
  consulate(s) general: Auckland

Nicaragua
  chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. TRIVELLI
  embassy: Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
  mailing address: P.O. Box 327
  telephone: [505] 266-6010
  FAX: [505] 266-3861

Niger
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernadette M. ALLEN
  embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
  mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey
  telephone: [227] 73 31 69
  FAX: [227] 73 55 60

Nigeria
  chief of mission: Ambassador John CAMPBELL
  embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
  mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
  telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
  FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353

Norway
  chief of mission: Ambassador Benson K. WHITNEY
  embassy: Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244 Oslo; note - the embassy will
  move to Huseby in the near future
  mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707
  telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50
  FAX: [47] (22) 44 33 63, 56 27 51

Oman
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gary A. GRAPPO
  embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
  mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos,
  Muscat
  telephone: [968] 24-698989
  FAX: [968] 24-699771

Pakistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan CROCKER
  embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200
  telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000
  FAX: [92] (51) 2276427
  consulate(s) general: Karachi
  consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar

Palau
  chief of mission: US ambassador to the Philippines is
  accredited to Palau
  embassy: Koror (no street address)
  mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940
  telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
  FAX: [680] 488-2911

Panama
  chief of mission: Ambassador William A. EATON
  embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 0816-02561,
  Zona 5, Panama City 5
  mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002
  telephone: [507] 207-7000
  FAX: [507] 227-1964

Papua New Guinea
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. FITTS
  embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby
  mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby PI, US Department of State,
  Washington DC 20521-4240
  telephone: [675] 321-1455
  FAX: [675] 321-3423

Paraguay
  Ambassador James C. CASON
  embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion
  mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
  telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
  FAX: [595] (21) 213-728

Peru
  chief of mission: Ambassador J. Curtis STRUBLE
  embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima 33
  mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima),
  APO AA 34031-5000
  telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000
  FAX: [51] (1) 618-2397

Philippines
  chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney
  embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 1000, Manila
  mailing address: PSC 500, FPO AP 96515-1000
  telephone: [63] (2) 528-6300
  FAX: [63] (2) 522-4361

Poland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE
  embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
  mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State,
  Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
  telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000
  FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688
  consulate(s) general: Krakow

Portugal
  chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred J. HOFFMAN Jr.
  embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
  mailing address: Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83, APO AE
  09726
  telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
  FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
  consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Qatar
  chief of mission: Ambassador Chase UNTERMEYER
  embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha
  mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha
  telephone: [974] 488 4101
  FAX: [974] 488 4176

Romania
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas F. TAUBMAN
  embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
  mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State,
  5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)
  telephone: [40] (21) 200-3300
  FAX: [40] (21) 200-3442
  information office: Cluj-Napoca

Russia
  chief of mission: Ambassador William J. BURNS
  embassy: Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow
  mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721
  telephone: [7] (495) 728-5000
  FAX: [7] (495) 728-5090
  consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg

Rwanda
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael ARIETTI
  embassy: 337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
  mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
  telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03
  FAX: [250] 57 2128

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts
  and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint
  Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US
Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  the US does not have an embassy in
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is
  accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa
  chief of mission: US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited
  to Samoa
  embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor,
  Beach Road, Apia
  mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia, 0815
  telephone: [685] 21436/21452/21631/22696
  FAX: [685] 22030

San Marino
the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US
Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino

Sao Tome and Principe
  the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome
  and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and
  Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the
  islands

Saudi Arabia
  chief of mission: Ambassador James C. OBERWETTER
  embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh
  mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307;
  International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693
  telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
  FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989
  consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Senegal
  chief of mission: Ambassador Janice L. JACOBS
  embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar
  mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar
  telephone: [221] 823-4296
  FAX: [221] 822-2991

Serbia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael C. POLT
  embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade
  mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070
  telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344
  FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230
  note: there is a branch office in Pristina at 30 Nazim Hikmet 38000
  Prstina, Kososvo; telephone: [381] (38) 549-516; FAX:[381] (38)
  549-890

Seychelles
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the
ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to the Seychelles

Sierra Leone
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL
  embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
  FAX: [232] (22) 225471

Singapore
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD
  embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
  mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001
  telephone: [65] 6476-9100
  FAX: [65] 6476-9340

Slovakia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rodolphe "Skip" M. VALLEE
  embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
  mailing address: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava
  telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338
  FAX: [421] (2) 5443-0096

Slovenia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas B. ROBERTSON
  embassy: Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana
  mailing address: American Embassy Ljubljana, US Department of State,
  7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140
  telephone: [386] (1) 200-5500
  FAX: [386] (1) 200-5555

Solomon Islands
  the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands
  (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is
  accredited to the Solomon Islands

Somalia
  the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are
  represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations
  Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831;
  telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157

South Africa
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jendayi E. FRAZER
  embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
  mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
  telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
  FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244
  consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
none (overseas
territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Spain
  chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo AGUIRRE, Jr.
  embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
  mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642
  telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200
  FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303
  consulate(s) general: Barcelona

Sri Lanka
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr.
  embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
  mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
  telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500
  FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345

Sudan
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Cameron HUME
  embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum
  mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829
  telephone: [249] (183) 774701
  FAX: [249] (183) 774137
  note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum;
  consular services are being established in Juba (southern Sudan)

Suriname
  chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa Bobbie SCHREIBER HUGHES
  embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo
  mailing address: US Department of State, 3390 Paramaribo Place,
  Washington, DC, 20521-3390
  telephone: [597] 472-900
  FAX: [597] 425-690

Swaziland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Lewis LUCKE
  embassy: Central Bank Building, Mahlokahla Street, Mbabane
  mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane
  telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445
  FAX: [268] 404-5959

Sweden
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD
  embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm
  mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State,
  5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch)
  telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00
  FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64

Switzerland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY
  embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11
  FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44

Syria
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Michael CORBIN
  embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus
  mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus
  telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342
  FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938

Taiwan
  none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the
  people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial
  instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has
  offices in the US and Taiwan; US office at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite
  1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX:
  [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road,
  Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2162-2000, FAX:
  [886] (2) 2162-2251; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung,
  Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237; and
  the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building,
  Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei,
  Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2)
  2757-7162

Tajikistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON
  embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Ave., Dushanbe 734003
  mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189
  telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00
  FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50

Tanzania
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael L. RETZER
  embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam
  mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam
  telephone: [255] (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015
  FAX: [255] (22) 2666-701, 2668-501

Thailand
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE
  embassy: 120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
  mailing address: APO AP 96546
  telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000
  FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131
  consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai

Togo
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory ENGLE
  embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome
  mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome
  telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94
  FAX: [228] 221 79 52

Tonga
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to
Fiji is accredited to Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
  embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
  mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
  telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376
  FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Tunisia
  chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC
  embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [216] 71 107-000
  FAX: [216] 71 107-090

Turkey
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON
  embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara
  mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
  telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
  FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
  consulate(s) general: Istanbul
  consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Turkmenistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
  d'Affaires Jennifer L. BRUSH
  embassy: No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat,
  Turkmenistan 774000
  mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070
  telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
  FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14

Tuvalu
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador
to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Uganda
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  William FITZGERALD
  embassy: 1577 Ggaba Rd., Kampala
  mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
  telephone: [256] (41) 234-142
  FAX: [256] (41) 258-451

Ukraine
  chief of mission: Ambassador William B. TAYLOR
  embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 04053 Kyiv
  mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850
  telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000
  FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085

United Arab Emirates
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON
  embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4,
  Abu Dhabi
  mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
  telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
  FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603
  consulate(s) general: Dubai

United Kingdom
  chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Holmes TUTTLE
  embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE
  mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040
  telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000
  FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124
  consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh

Uruguay
  chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires James D. NEALON
  embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200
  mailing address: APO AA 34035
  telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777
  FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611

Uzbekistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jon PURNELL
  embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent
  100093
  mailing address: use embassy street address
  telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450
  FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Vanuatu
the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador
to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Venezuela
  chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
  embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle
  Arriba, Caracas 1080
  mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
  telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411
  FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991

Vietnam
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MARINE
  embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
  mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002
  telephone: [84] (4) 772-1500
  FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510
  consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Yemen
  chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. KRAJESKI
  embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa
  mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
  telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266
  FAX: [967] (1) 303-182

Zambia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carmen M. MARTINEZ
  embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka
  mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
  telephone: [260] (1) 250-955
  FAX: [260] (1) 252-225

Zimbabwe
  chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. DELL
  embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
  mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare
  telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 and 250-594
  FAX: [263] (4) 796-488

Arctic Ocean
  sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes;
  the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route
  (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways

Atlantic Ocean
  Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two
  important waterways; significant domestic commercial and
  recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south
  Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US

Georgia
  transportation network is in poor condition resulting from
  ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network
  lacks maintenance and repair

Howland Island
  Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the
  west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has
  since been rebuilt; named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART

Iles Eparses
aids to navigation - lighthouses: Europa Island 18m;
Juan de Nova Island (W side) 37m; Tromelin Island (NW point) 11m

Midway Islands
airfield serves as an emergency landing site for
commercial aircraft crossing the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean
Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast
Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)

Saint Helena
  there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan
  da Cunha; an international airport for Saint Helena is in
  development for 2010

Southern Ocean
Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through
the Panama Canal

Wake Island
  there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from
  Wake Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency
  landing is available

Afghanistan
  0-14 years: 44.6% (male 7,095,117/female 6,763,759)
  15-64 years: 53% (male 8,436,716/female 8,008,463)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 366,642/female 386,300) (2006 est.)

Albania
  0-14 years: 24.8% (male 464,954/female 423,003)
  15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,214,942/female 1,158,562)
  65 years and over: 8.9% (male 148,028/female 172,166) (2006 est.)

Algeria
  0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,722,076/female 4,539,713)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 11,133,802/female 10,964,502)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 735,444/female 834,554) (2006 est.)

American Samoa
  0-14 years: 34.7% (male 10,388/female 9,654)
  15-64 years: 62.4% (male 18,698/female 17,350)
  65 years and over: 2.9% (male 633/female 1,071) (2006 est.)

Andorra
  0-14 years: 14.7% (male 5,456/female 4,994)
  15-64 years: 71.4% (male 26,632/female 24,172)
  65 years and over: 14% (male 4,918/female 5,029) (2006 est.)

Angola
  0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,678,185/female 2,625,933)
  15-64 years: 53.5% (male 3,291,954/female 3,195,688)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 148,944/female 186,367) (2006 est.)

Anguilla
  0-14 years: 22.8% (male 1,557/female 1,510)
  15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,878/female 4,608)
  65 years and over: 6.9% (male 412/female 512) (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  0-14 years: 27.6% (male 9,716/female 9,375)
  15-64 years: 68.5% (male 23,801/female 23,524)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,020/female 1,672) (2006 est.)

Argentina
  0-14 years: 25.2% (male 5,153,164/female 4,921,625)
  15-64 years: 64.1% (male 12,804,376/female 12,798,731)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 1,740,118/female 2,503,819) (2006
  est.)

Armenia
  0-14 years: 20.5% (male 322,189/female 286,944)
  15-64 years: 68.4% (male 949,975/female 1,085,484)
  65 years and over: 11.1% (male 133,411/female 198,369) (2006 est.)

Aruba
  0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849)
  15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140)
  65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217) (2006 est.)

Australia
  0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,031,313/female 1,936,802)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,881,863/female 6,764,709)
  65 years and over: 13.1% (male 1,170,589/female 1,478,806) (2006
  est.)

Austria
  0-14 years: 15.4% (male 645,337/female 614,602)
  15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,782,712/female 2,749,620)
  65 years and over: 17.1% (male 567,752/female 832,857) (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan
  0-14 years: 25.8% (male 1,046,501/female 1,011,492)
  15-64 years: 66.3% (male 2,573,134/female 2,706,275)
  65 years and over: 7.8% (male 246,556/female 377,661) (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The
  0-14 years: 27.5% (male 41,799/female 41,733)
  15-64 years: 66.1% (male 98,847/female 102,074)
  65 years and over: 6.4% (male 7,891/female 11,426) (2006 est.)

Bahrain
  0-14 years: 27.4% (male 96,567/female 94,650)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 280,272/female 202,451)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 12,753/female 11,892) (2006 est.)

Bangladesh
  0-14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894)
  15-64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female 2,361,435) (2006 est.)

Barbados
  0-14 years: 20.1% (male 28,160/female 28,039)
  15-64 years: 71.1% (male 97,755/female 101,223)
  65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,508/female 15,227) (2006 est.)

Belarus
  0-14 years: 15.7% (male 825,823/female 791,741)
  15-64 years: 69.7% (male 3,490,442/female 3,682,950)
  65 years and over: 14.6% (male 498,976/female 1,003,079) (2006 est.)

Belgium
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099)
  15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565)
  65 years and over: 17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006 est.)

Belize
  0-14 years: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678)
  15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.)

Benin
  0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138)
  15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.)

Bermuda
  0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,146/female 6,098)
  15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,562/female 22,954)
  65 years and over: 12.2% (male 3,479/female 4,534) (2006 est.)

Bhutan
  0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947)
  15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078)
  65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.)

Bolivia
  0-14 years: 35% (male 1,603,982/female 1,542,319)
  15-64 years: 60.4% (male 2,660,806/female 2,771,807)
  65 years and over: 4.6% (male 182,412/female 227,720) (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female
  336,978)
  15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665)
  65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.)

Botswana
  0-14 years: 38.3% (male 319,531/female 309,074)
  15-64 years: 57.9% (male 460,692/female 488,577)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,374/female 38,585) (2006 est.)

Brazil
  0-14 years: 25.8% (male 24,687,656/female 23,742,998)
  15-64 years: 68.1% (male 63,548,331/female 64,617,539)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 4,712,675/female 6,769,028) (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331)
  15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340)
  65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.)

Brunei
  0-14 years: 28.1% (male 54,411/female 52,134)
  15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,129/female 123,017)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,584/female 6,169) (2006 est.)

Bulgaria
  0-14 years: 13.9% (male 527,881/female 502,334)
  15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,496,054/female 2,579,680)
  65 years and over: 17.3% (male 527,027/female 752,391) (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso
  0-14 years: 46.8% (male 3,267,202/female 3,235,190)
  15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,513,559/female 3,538,623)
  65 years and over: 2.5% (male 140,083/female 208,315) (2006 est.)

Burma
  0-14 years: 26.4% (male 6,335,236/female 6,181,216)
  15-64 years: 68.5% (male 16,011,723/female 16,449,626)
  65 years and over: 5.1% (male 1,035,853/female 1,368,979) (2006 est.)

Burundi
  0-14 years: 46.3% (male 1,884,825/female 1,863,200)
  15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,051,451/female 2,082,017)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 83,432/female 125,143) (2006 est.)

Cambodia
  0-14 years: 35.6% (male 2,497,595/female 2,447,754)
  15-64 years: 61% (male 4,094,946/female 4,370,159)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 180,432/female 290,541) (2006 est.)

Cameroon
  0-14 years: 41.2% (male 3,614,430/female 3,531,047)
  15-64 years: 55.5% (male 4,835,453/female 4,796,276)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 260,342/female 303,154) (2006 est.)

Canada
  0-14 years: 17.6% (male 2,992,811/female 2,848,388)
  15-64 years: 69% (male 11,482,452/female 11,368,286)
  65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,883,008/female 2,523,987) (2006
  est.)

Cape Verde
  0-14 years: 37.9% (male 80,594/female 79,126)
  15-64 years: 55.3% (male 113,450/female 119,423)
  65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,542/female 17,844) (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
  0-14 years: 20.7% (male 4,708/female 4,700)
  15-64 years: 70.9% (male 15,707/female 16,504)
  65 years and over: 8.4% (male 1,793/female 2,024) (2006 est.)

Central African Republic
  0-14 years: 41.9% (male 907,629/female
  897,153)
  15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,146,346/female 1,173,268)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 71,312/female 107,648) (2006 est.)

Chad
  0-14 years: 47.9% (male 2,396,393/female 2,369,261)
  15-64 years: 49.3% (male 2,355,940/female 2,550,535)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 107,665/female 164,407) (2006 est.)

Chile
  0-14 years: 24.7% (male 2,035,278/female 1,944,754)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 5,403,525/female 5,420,497)
  65 years and over: 8.2% (male 555,075/female 775,090) (2006 est.)

China
  0-14 years: 20.8% (male 145,461,833/female 128,445,739)
  15-64 years: 71.4% (male 482,439,115/female 455,960,489)
  65 years and over: 7.7% (male 48,562,635/female 53,103,902) (2006
  est.)

Christmas Island
  0-14 years: NA
  15-64 years: NA
  65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  0-14 years: NA
  15-64 years: NA
  65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Colombia
  0-14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563)
  15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.)

Comoros
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 148,009/female 147,038)
  15-64 years: 54.3% (male 185,107/female 190,139)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 9,672/female 10,983) (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  0-14 years: 47.4% (male
  14,906,488/female 14,798,210)
  15-64 years: 50.1% (male 15,597,353/female 15,793,350)
  65 years and over: 2.5% (male 632,143/female 933,007) (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  0-14 years: 46.4% (male 864,407/female
  853,728)
  15-64 years: 50.7% (male 930,390/female 945,545)
  65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,430/female 63,814) (2006 est.)

Cook Islands
  0-14 years: 34.1% (male 2,718/female 2,388)
  15-64 years: 59.5% (male 4,531/female 4,395)
  65 years and over: 6.4% (male 489/female 469) (2001 census)

Costa Rica
  0-14 years: 28.3% (male 590,261/female 563,196)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 1,359,750/female 1,329,346)
  65 years and over: 5.7% (male 108,041/female 124,667) (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  0-14 years: 40.8% (male 3,546,674/female 3,653,990)
  15-64 years: 56.4% (male 5,024,575/female 4,939,677)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 238,793/female 251,134) (2006 est.)

Croatia
  0-14 years: 16.2% (male 373,638/female 354,261)
  15-64 years: 67% (male 1,497,958/female 1,515,314)
  65 years and over: 16.8% (male 288,480/female 465,098) (2006 est.)

Cuba
  0-14 years: 19.1% (male 1,117,677/female 1,058,512)
  15-64 years: 70.3% (male 4,001,161/female 3,999,303)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 554,148/female 652,019) (2006 est.)

Cyprus
  0-14 years: 20.4% (male 81,776/female 78,272)
  15-64 years: 68% (male 270,254/female 263,354)
  65 years and over: 11.6% (male 39,536/female 51,109) (2006 est.)

Czech Republic
  0-14 years: 14.4% (male 755,098/female 714,703)
  15-64 years: 71.2% (male 3,656,021/female 3,629,036)
  65 years and over: 14.5% (male 576,264/female 904,333) (2006 est.)

Denmark
  0-14 years: 18.7% (male 523,257/female 496,697)
  15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,815,240/female 1,787,406)
  65 years and over: 15.2% (male 355,656/female 472,405) (2006 est.)

Djibouti
  0-14 years: 43.3% (male 105,760/female 105,068)
  15-64 years: 53.3% (male 135,119/female 124,367)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,183/female 8,033) (2006 est.)

Dominica
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,084/female 8,885)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 23,419/female 22,079)
  65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,186/female 3,257) (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,531,145/female
  1,464,076)
  15-64 years: 61.9% (male 2,902,098/female 2,782,608)
  65 years and over: 5.5% (male 235,016/female 269,041) (2006 est.)

East Timor
  0-14 years: 36.3% (male 196,293/female 189,956)
  15-64 years: 60.6% (male 328,111/female 315,401)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 16,072/female 16,944) (2006 est.)

Ecuador
  0-14 years: 33% (male 2,281,499/female 2,195,551)
  15-64 years: 61.9% (male 4,178,653/female 4,210,766)
  65 years and over: 5% (male 319,719/female 361,322) (2006 est.)

Egypt
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 13,172,641/female 12,548,346)
  15-64 years: 62.9% (male 25,102,754/female 24,519,698)
  65 years and over: 4.5% (male 1,510,280/female 2,033,288) (2006 est.)

El Salvador
  0-14 years: 36.3% (male 1,265,080/female 1,212,216)
  15-64 years: 58.5% (male 1,900,372/female 2,092,251)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 156,292/female 196,167) (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989)
  15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.)

Eritrea
  0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955)
  15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)

Estonia
  0-14 years: 15.2% (male 103,367/female 97,587)
  15-64 years: 67.6% (male 427,043/female 468,671)
  65 years and over: 17.2% (male 75,347/female 152,318) (2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  0-14 years: 43.7% (male 16,373,718/female 16,280,766)
  15-64 years: 53.6% (male 19,999,482/female 20,077,014)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 929,349/female 1,117,652) (2006 est.)

European Union
  0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)
  15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)
  65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2006
  est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  0-14 years: NA
  15-64 years: NA
  65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Faroe Islands
  0-14 years: 20.9% (male 4,940/female 4,952)
  15-64 years: 65.1% (male 16,247/female 14,522)
  65 years and over: 13.9% (male 2,976/female 3,609) (2006 est.)

Fiji
  0-14 years: 31.1% (male 143,847/female 138,061)
  15-64 years: 64.6% (male 293,072/female 292,312)
  65 years and over: 4.3% (male 17,583/female 21,074) (2006 est.)

Finland
  0-14 years: 17.1% (male 455,420/female 438,719)
  15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,766,674/female 1,724,858)
  65 years and over: 16.2% (male 337,257/female 508,444) (2006 est.)

France
  0-14 years: 18.3% (male 5,704,152/female 5,427,213)
  15-64 years: 65.3% (male 19,886,228/female 19,860,506)
  65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,103,883/female 5,894,154) (2006
  est.)

French Guiana
  0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)
  15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980)
  65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) (2006 est.)

French Polynesia
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
  15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.)

Gabon
  0-14 years: 42.1% (male 300,914/female 299,141)
  15-64 years: 53.9% (male 383,137/female 384,876)
  65 years and over: 4% (male 23,576/female 33,262) (2006 est.)

Gambia, The
  0-14 years: 44.3% (male 365,157/female 361,821)
  15-64 years: 53% (male 431,627/female 438,159)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 22,889/female 21,911) (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip
  0-14 years: 48.1% (male 351,642/female 335,060)
  15-64 years: 49.4% (male 360,147/female 345,318)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 15,231/female 21,359) (2006 est.)

Georgia
  0-14 years: 17.3% (male 428,056/female 380,193)
  15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,482,908/female 1,602,064)
  65 years and over: 16.5% (male 308,905/female 459,347) (2006 est.)

Germany
  0-14 years: 14.1% (male 5,973,437/female 5,665,971)
  15-64 years: 66.4% (male 27,889,936/female 26,874,858)
  65 years and over: 19.4% (male 6,602,478/female 9,415,619) (2006
  est.)

Ghana
  0-14 years: 38.8% (male 4,395,744/female 4,288,720)
  15-64 years: 57.7% (male 6,450,828/female 6,483,781)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 371,428/female 419,071) (2006 est.)

Gibraltar
  0-14 years: 17.5% (male 2,499/female 2,388)
  15-64 years: 66% (male 9,443/female 8,999)
  65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,059/female 2,540) (2006 est.)

Greece
  0-14 years: 14.3% (male 790,291/female 742,902)
  15-64 years: 66.7% (male 3,562,251/female 3,566,097)
  65 years and over: 19% (male 891,620/female 1,134,897) (2006 est.)

Greenland
  0-14 years: 24.5% (male 7,072/female 6,740)
  15-64 years: 68.9% (male 20,904/female 17,919)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 1,768/female 1,958) (2006 est.)

Grenada
  0-14 years: 33.4% (male 15,097/female 14,820)
  15-64 years: 63.4% (male 30,106/female 26,764)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,394/female 1,522) (2006 est.)

Guadeloupe
  0-14 years: 23.6% (male 54,725/female 52,348)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 150,934/female 153,094)
  65 years and over: 9.2% (male 17,353/female 24,322) (2006 est.)

Guam
  0-14 years: 29% (male 25,703/female 23,903)
  15-64 years: 64.3% (male 56,020/female 53,894)
  65 years and over: 6.7% (male 5,391/female 6,108) (2006 est.)

Guatemala
  0-14 years: 41.1% (male 2,573,359/female 2,479,098)
  15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,353,630/female 3,468,184)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 194,784/female 224,490) (2006 est.)

Guernsey
  0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170)
  65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2006 est.)

Guinea
  0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,171,733/female 2,128,027)
  15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,541,140/female 2,542,847)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 134,239/female 172,236) (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
  0-14 years: 41.4% (male 297,623/female 298,942)
  15-64 years: 55.6% (male 384,559/female 417,811)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 18,048/female 25,046) (2006 est.)

Guyana
  0-14 years: 26.2% (male 102,551/female 98,772)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 265,193/female 260,892)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 17,043/female 22,794) (2006 est.)

Haiti
  0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
  15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987) (2006 est.)

Honduras
  0-14 years: 39.9% (male 1,491,170/female 1,429,816)
  15-64 years: 56.7% (male 2,076,727/female 2,077,975)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 113,747/female 137,061) (2006 est.)

Hong Kong
  0-14 years: 13.5% (male 488,607/female 445,593)
  15-64 years: 73.7% (male 2,495,679/female 2,620,336)
  65 years and over: 12.8% (male 413,031/female 477,186) (2006 est.)

Hungary
  0-14 years: 15.6% (male 799,163/female 755,389)
  15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,403,375/female 3,505,640)
  65 years and over: 15.2% (male 550,297/female 967,470) (2006 est.)

Iceland
  0-14 years: 21.7% (male 33,021/female 32,021)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 100,944/female 98,239)
  65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,876/female 19,287) (2006 est.)

India
  0-14 years: 30.8% (male 173,478,760/female 163,852,827)
  15-64 years: 64.3% (male 363,876,219/female 340,181,764)
  65 years and over: 4.9% (male 27,258,020/female 26,704,405) (2006
  est.)

Indonesia
  0-14 years: 28.8% (male 35,995,919/female 34,749,582)
  15-64 years: 65.8% (male 80,796,794/female 80,754,238)
  65 years and over: 5.4% (male 5,737,473/female 7,418,733) (2006 est.)

Iran
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,204,785/female 8,731,429)
  15-64 years: 69% (male 24,133,919/female 23,245,255)
  65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,653,827/female 1,719,218) (2006 est.)

Iraq
  0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
  15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.)

Ireland
  0-14 years: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774)
  15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452)
  65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) (2006 est.)

Isle of Man
  0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,669/female 6,350)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 24,884/female 24,678)
  65 years and over: 17% (male 5,197/female 7,663) (2006 est.)

Israel
  0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619)
  15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647)
  65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)

Italy
  0-14 years: 13.8% (male 4,147,149/female 3,899,980)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 19,530,512/female 19,105,841)
  65 years and over: 19.7% (male 4,771,858/female 6,678,169) (2006
  est.)

Jamaica
  0-14 years: 33.1% (male 464,297/female 449,181)
  15-64 years: 59.6% (male 808,718/female 835,394)
  65 years and over: 7.3% (male 90,100/female 110,434) (2006 est.)

Japan
  0-14 years: 14.2% (male 9,309,524/female 8,849,476)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 42,158,122/female 41,611,754)
  65 years and over: 20% (male 10,762,585/female 14,772,150) (2006
  est.)

Jersey
  0-14 years: 17.2% (male 8,139/female 7,552)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,407/female 30,691)
  65 years and over: 15.7% (male 6,299/female 7,996) (2006 est.)

Jordan
  0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,018,070/female 976,442)
  15-64 years: 62.4% (male 1,966,794/female 1,716,255)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 111,636/female 117,563) (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan
  0-14 years: 23% (male 1,792,685/female 1,717,294)
  15-64 years: 68.8% (male 5,122,027/female 5,357,819)
  65 years and over: 8.2% (male 438,541/female 804,878) (2006 est.)

Kenya
  0-14 years: 42.6% (male 7,454,765/female 7,322,130)
  15-64 years: 55.1% (male 9,631,488/female 9,508,068)
  65 years and over: 2.3% (male 359,354/female 432,012) (2006 est.)

Kiribati
  0-14 years: 38.6% (male 20,608/female 20,060)
  15-64 years: 58.1% (male 30,216/female 31,004)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 1,517/female 2,027) (2006 est.)

Korea, North
  0-14 years: 23.8% (male 2,788,944/female 2,708,331)
  15-64 years: 68% (male 7,762,442/female 7,955,522)
  65 years and over: 8.2% (male 667,792/female 1,229,988) (2006 est.)

Korea, South
  0-14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)
  15-64 years: 71.9% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)
  65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914) (2006 est.)

Kuwait
  0-14 years: 26.9% (male 331,768/female 319,895)
  15-64 years: 70.3% (male 1,085,721/female 613,746)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 42,460/female 24,803) (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  0-14 years: 30.9% (male 821,976/female 789,687)
  15-64 years: 62.9% (male 1,607,396/female 1,669,612)
  65 years and over: 6.2% (male 126,847/female 198,380) (2006 est.)

Laos
  0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454)
  15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)

Latvia
  0-14 years: 14% (male 162,562/female 155,091)
  15-64 years: 69.6% (male 769,004/female 815,042)
  65 years and over: 16.4% (male 121,646/female 251,390) (2006 est.)

Lebanon
  0-14 years: 26.5% (male 523,220/female 502,372)
  15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,235,915/female 1,342,540)
  65 years and over: 7% (male 122,155/female 147,848) (2006 est.)

Lesotho
  0-14 years: 36.8% (male 374,102/female 369,527)
  15-64 years: 58.3% (male 572,957/female 606,846)
  65 years and over: 4.9% (male 39,461/female 59,438) (2006 est.)

Liberia
  0-14 years: 43.1% (male 656,016/female 653,734)
  15-64 years: 54.2% (male 816,443/female 832,152)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 40,591/female 43,068) (2006 est.)

Libya
  0-14 years: 33.6% (male 1,012,748/female 969,978)
  15-64 years: 62.2% (male 1,891,643/female 1,778,621)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 121,566/female 126,198) (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein
  0-14 years: 17.4% (male 2,922/female 2,988)
  15-64 years: 70.2% (male 11,842/female 12,022)
  65 years and over: 12.4% (male 1,773/female 2,440) (2006 est.)

Lithuania
  0-14 years: 15.5% (male 284,888/female 270,458)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 1,210,557/female 1,265,542)
  65 years and over: 15.5% (male 190,496/female 363,965) (2006 est.)

Luxembourg
  0-14 years: 18.9% (male 46,118/female 43,356)
  15-64 years: 66.5% (male 159,498/female 156,075)
  65 years and over: 14.6% (male 28,027/female 41,339) (2006 est.)

Macau
  0-14 years: 16.2% (male 37,934/female 35,412)
  15-64 years: 75.9% (male 163,975/female 179,830)
  65 years and over: 7.9% (male 15,099/female 20,875) (2006 est.)

Macedonia
  0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127)
  15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042)
  65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428) (2006 est.)

Madagascar
  0-14 years: 44.8% (male 4,171,821/female 4,158,288)
  15-64 years: 52.2% (male 4,809,173/female 4,900,675)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 249,414/female 306,098) (2006 est.)

Malawi
  0-14 years: 46.5% (male 3,056,522/female 3,000,493)
  15-64 years: 50.8% (male 3,277,573/female 3,332,907)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 139,953/female 206,478) (2006 est.)

Malaysia
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 4,093,859/female 3,862,730)
  15-64 years: 62.6% (male 7,660,680/female 7,613,537)
  65 years and over: 4.7% (male 509,260/female 645,792) (2006 est.)

Maldives
  0-14 years: 43.4% (male 80,113/female 75,763)
  15-64 years: 53.5% (male 98,040/female 94,029)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,477/female 5,586) (2006 est.)

Mali
  0-14 years: 48.2% (male 2,857,670/female 2,787,506)
  15-64 years: 48.8% (male 2,804,344/female 2,910,097)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 146,458/female 210,754) (2006 est.)

Malta
  0-14 years: 17.1% (male 35,264/female 33,368)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 139,890/female 136,767)
  65 years and over: 13.7% (male 23,554/female 31,371) (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands
  0-14 years: 38.1% (male 11,720/female 11,295)
  15-64 years: 59.2% (male 18,305/female 17,445)
  65 years and over: 2.7% (male 801/female 856) (2006 est.)

Martinique
  0-14 years: 22.1% (male 48,988/female 47,525)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 147,082/female 146,470)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 20,791/female 25,275) (2006 est.)

Mauritania
  0-14 years: 45.6% (male 726,376/female 723,013)
  15-64 years: 52.2% (male 818,408/female 839,832)
  65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,042/female 41,717) (2006 est.)

Mauritius
  0-14 years: 23.9% (male 149,486/female 147,621)
  15-64 years: 69.5% (male 430,288/female 431,753)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 31,939/female 49,740) (2006 est.)

Mayotte
  0-14 years: 46% (male 46,512/female 46,067)
  15-64 years: 52.3% (male 56,899/female 48,274)
  65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,756/female 1,726) (2006 est.)

Mexico
  0-14 years: 30.6% (male 16,770,957/female 16,086,172)
  15-64 years: 63.6% (male 33,071,809/female 35,316,281)
  65 years and over: 5.8% (male 2,814,707/female 3,389,599) (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of 0-14 years: 36.6% (male 20,116/female 19,391) 15-64 years: 60.4% (male 32,620/female 32,659) 65 years and over: 3% (male 1,413/female 1,805) (2006 est.)

Moldova
  0-14 years: 20% (male 455,673/female 438,934)
  15-64 years: 69.7% (male 1,498,078/female 1,613,489)
  65 years and over: 10.3% (male 170,456/female 290,076) (2006 est.)

Monaco
  0-14 years: 15.2% (male 2,539/female 2,417)
  15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,959/female 10,266)
  65 years and over: 22.6% (male 3,015/female 4,347) (2006 est.)

Mongolia
  0-14 years: 27.9% (male 402,448/female 387,059)
  15-64 years: 68.4% (male 967,546/female 969,389)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,859/female 59,923) (2006 est.)

Montserrat
  0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,125/female 1,079)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,957/female 3,245)
  65 years and over: 10.9% (male 532/female 501) (2006 est.)

Morocco
  0-14 years: 31.6% (male 5,343,976/female 5,145,019)
  15-64 years: 63.4% (male 10,505,018/female 10,580,599)
  65 years and over: 5% (male 725,116/female 941,531) (2006 est.)

Mozambique
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 4,229,802/female 4,177,235)
  15-64 years: 54.5% (male 5,207,149/female 5,519,291)
  65 years and over: 2.8% (male 230,616/female 322,412) (2006 est.)

Namibia
  0-14 years: 38.2% (male 393,878/female 387,147)
  15-64 years: 58.1% (male 596,557/female 591,350)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 34,245/female 40,970) (2006 est.)

Nauru
  0-14 years: 36.9% (male 2,507/female 2,391)
  15-64 years: 61.2% (male 4,004/female 4,123)
  65 years and over: 2% (male 139/female 123) (2006 est.)

Nepal
  0-14 years: 38.7% (male 5,648,959/female 5,291,447)
  15-64 years: 57.6% (male 8,365,526/female 7,925,941)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 513,777/female 541,497) (2006 est.)

Netherlands
  0-14 years: 18% (male 1,515,123/female 1,445,390)
  15-64 years: 67.8% (male 5,656,448/female 5,525,481)
  65 years and over: 14.2% (male 994,723/female 1,354,296) (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  0-14 years: 23.9% (male 27,197/female 25,886)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 71,622/female 77,710)
  65 years and over: 8.7% (male 7,925/female 11,396) (2006 est.)

New Caledonia
  0-14 years: 28.4% (male 31,818/female 30,503)
  15-64 years: 64.9% (male 71,565/female 70,815)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 6,773/female 7,772) (2006 est.)

New Zealand
  0-14 years: 21.1% (male 439,752/female 419,174)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,374,850/female 1,361,570)
  65 years and over: 11.8% (male 210,365/female 270,429) (2006 est.)

Nicaragua
  0-14 years: 36.4% (male 1,031,897/female 994,633)
  15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,677,633/female 1,691,353)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 76,758/female 97,855) (2006 est.)

Niger
  0-14 years: 46.9% (male 2,994,022/female 2,882,273)
  15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,262,114/female 3,083,522)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 150,982/female 152,181) (2006 est.)

Nigeria
  0-14 years: 42.3% (male 28,089,017/female 27,665,212)
  15-64 years: 54.6% (male 36,644,885/female 35,405,915)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,930,007/female 2,124,695) (2006 est.)

Norfolk Island
  0-14 years: 20.2%
  15-64 years: 63.9%
  65 years and over: 15.9% (2006 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
  0-14 years: 19.4% (male 8,350/female 7,623)
  15-64 years: 79% (male 26,715/female 38,442)
  65 years and over: 1.6% (male 679/female 650) (2006 est.)

Norway
  0-14 years: 19.3% (male 455,122/female 434,009)
  15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,542,439/female 1,496,745)
  65 years and over: 14.8% (male 288,509/female 393,996) (2006 est.)

Oman
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 675,423/female 648,963)
  15-64 years: 54.7% (male 1,001,917/female 695,578)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 44,300/female 36,048) (2006 est.)

Pakistan
  0-14 years: 39% (male 33,293,428/female 31,434,314)
  15-64 years: 56.9% (male 48,214,298/female 46,062,933)
  65 years and over: 4.1% (male 3,256,065/female 3,542,522) (2006 est.)

Palau
  0-14 years: 26.3% (male 2,789/female 2,622)
  15-64 years: 69.1% (male 7,664/female 6,549)
  65 years and over: 4.6% (male 453/female 502) (2006 est.)

Panama
  0-14 years: 30.3% (male 492,403/female 472,996)
  15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,025,898/female 998,926)
  65 years and over: 6.3% (male 94,122/female 106,974) (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  0-14 years: 37.8% (male 1,090,879/female 1,054,743)
  15-64 years: 58.3% (male 1,703,204/female 1,601,224)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 103,054/female 117,440) (2006 est.)

Paraguay
  0-14 years: 37.7% (male 1,245,149/female 1,204,970)
  15-64 years: 57.5% (male 1,878,761/female 1,862,266)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 145,899/female 169,419) (2006 est.)

Peru
  0-14 years: 30.9% (male 4,456,195/female 4,300,233)
  15-64 years: 63.7% (male 9,078,123/female 8,961,981)
  65 years and over: 5.3% (male 709,763/female 796,308) (2006 est.)

Philippines
  0-14 years: 35% (male 15,961,365/female 15,340,065)
  15-64 years: 61% (male 27,173,919/female 27,362,736)
  65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,576,089/female 2,054,503) (2006 est.)

Pitcairn Islands
  0-14 years: NA
  15-64 years: NA
  65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Poland
  0-14 years: 15.9% (male 3,142,811/female 2,976,363)
  15-64 years: 70.8% (male 13,585,306/female 13,704,763)
  65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,961,326/female 3,166,300) (2006
  est.)

Portugal
  0-14 years: 16.5% (male 915,604/female 839,004)
  15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,484,545/female 3,544,674)
  65 years and over: 17.2% (male 751,899/female 1,070,144) (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico
  0-14 years: 21.3% (male 428,610/female 409,484)
  15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,239,255/female 1,345,519)
  65 years and over: 12.8% (male 218,045/female 286,275) (2006 est.)

Qatar
  0-14 years: 23.4% (male 105,546/female 101,371)
  15-64 years: 73% (male 446,779/female 199,133)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 24,059/female 8,471) (2006 est.)

Reunion
  0-14 years: 29.8% (male 120,147/female 114,589)
  15-64 years: 64% (male 248,895/female 255,156)
  65 years and over: 6.2% (male 19,847/female 28,950) (2006 est.)

Romania
  0-14 years: 15.7% (male 1,799,072/female 1,708,030)
  15-64 years: 69.6% (male 7,724,368/female 7,797,065)
  65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,347,392/female 1,927,625) (2006
  est.)

Russia
  0-14 years: 14.2% (male 10,441,151/female 9,921,102)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 49,271,698/female 52,679,463)
  65 years and over: 14.4% (male 6,500,814/female 14,079,312) (2006
  est.)

Rwanda
  0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,817,998/female 1,802,134)
  15-64 years: 55.6% (male 2,392,778/female 2,417,467)
  65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,325/female 130,546) (2006 est.)

Saint Helena
  0-14 years: 18.8% (male 717/female 692)
  15-64 years: 71.2% (male 2,751/female 2,593)
  65 years and over: 10% (male 342/female 407) (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  0-14 years: 27.5% (male 5,515/female 5,263)
  15-64 years: 64.3% (male 12,605/female 12,572)
  65 years and over: 8.1% (male 1,313/female 1,861) (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia
  0-14 years: 29.8% (male 25,941/female 24,319)
  15-64 years: 65% (male 53,916/female 55,582)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,186/female 5,514) (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  0-14 years: 23.5% (male 843/female 807)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,342/female 2,272)
  65 years and over: 10.8% (male 348/female 414) (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 16,007/female 15,426) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 40,676/female 38,155) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,315/female 4,269) (2006 est.)

Samoa
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 23,492/female 22,653)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 74,202/female 44,894)
  65 years and over: 6.6% (male 5,299/female 6,368) (2006 est.)

San Marino
  0-14 years: 16.8% (male 2,534/female 2,372)
  15-64 years: 66.2% (male 9,316/female 10,055)
  65 years and over: 17% (male 2,149/female 2,825) (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  0-14 years: 47.5% (male 46,478/female 45,302)
  15-64 years: 48.8% (male 45,631/female 48,661)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 3,368/female 3,973) (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,261,530/female 5,059,041)
  15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,159,519/female 6,895,616)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 342,020/female 302,005) (2006 est.)

Senegal
  0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,467,021/female 2,422,385)
  15-64 years: 56.1% (male 3,346,756/female 3,378,518)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 174,399/female 198,042) (2006 est.)

Seychelles
  0-14 years: 25.9% (male 10,667/female 10,440)
  15-64 years: 68% (male 27,060/female 28,366)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 1,607/female 3,401) (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone
  0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,321,563/female 1,370,721)
  15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,502/female 1,625,733)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 90,958/female 101,773) (2006 est.)

Singapore
  0-14 years: 15.6% (male 362,329/female 337,964)
  15-64 years: 76.1% (male 1,666,709/female 1,750,736)
  65 years and over: 8.3% (male 165,823/female 208,589) (2006 est.)

Slovakia
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 465,304/female 443,967)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 1,929,448/female 1,947,735)
  65 years and over: 12% (male 244,609/female 408,385) (2006 est.)

Slovenia
  0-14 years: 13.8% (male 143,079/female 135,050)
  15-64 years: 70.5% (male 714,393/female 702,950)
  65 years and over: 15.7% (male 121,280/female 193,595) (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands
  0-14 years: 41.3% (male 116,370/female 111,834)
  15-64 years: 55.4% (male 154,793/female 151,308)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,696/female 9,437) (2006 est.)

Somalia
  0-14 years: 44.4% (male 1,973,294/female 1,961,083)
  15-64 years: 53% (male 2,355,861/female 2,342,988)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 97,307/female 132,805) (2006 est.)

South Africa
  0-14 years: 29.7% (male 6,603,220/female 6,525,810)
  15-64 years: 65% (male 13,955,950/female 14,766,843)
  65 years and over: 5.3% (male 905,870/female 1,429,944) (2006 est.)

Spain
  0-14 years: 14.4% (male 3,000,686/female 2,821,325)
  15-64 years: 67.8% (male 13,751,963/female 13,653,426)
  65 years and over: 17.7% (male 2,993,496/female 4,176,946) (2006
  est.)

Sri Lanka
  0-14 years: 24.1% (male 2,488,689/female 2,379,233)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 6,727,399/female 7,140,751)
  65 years and over: 7.3% (male 687,842/female 798,326) (2006 est.)

Sudan
  0-14 years: 42.7% (male 8,993,483/female 8,614,022)
  15-64 years: 54.9% (male 11,327,679/female 11,297,798)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 536,754/female 466,642) (2006 est.)

Suriname
  0-14 years: 29% (male 65,412/female 62,069)
  15-64 years: 64.7% (male 145,913/female 138,076)
  65 years and over: 6.3% (male 12,223/female 15,424) (2006 est.)

Swaziland
  0-14 years: 40.7% (male 233,169/female 229,103)
  15-64 years: 55.8% (male 303,260/female 330,460)
  65 years and over: 3.6% (male 16,071/female 24,271) (2006 est.)

Sweden
  0-14 years: 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242)
  65 years and over: 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) (2006 est.)

Switzerland
  0-14 years: 16.3% (male 637,585/female 591,297)
  15-64 years: 68.1% (male 2,585,062/female 2,539,345)
  65 years and over: 15.6% (male 480,198/female 690,447) (2006 est.)

Syria
  0-14 years: 37% (male 3,592,915/female 3,384,722)
  15-64 years: 59.7% (male 5,779,257/female 5,500,887)
  65 years and over: 3.3% (male 296,070/female 327,510) (2006 est.)

Taiwan
  0-14 years: 19.4% (male 2,330,951/female 2,140,965)
  15-64 years: 70.8% (male 8,269,421/female 8,040,169)
  65 years and over: 9.8% (male 1,123,429/female 1,131,152) (2006 est.)

Tajikistan
  0-14 years: 37.9% (male 1,396,349/female 1,375,168)
  15-64 years: 57.4% (male 2,091,476/female 2,108,889)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 154,162/female 194,771) (2006 est.)

Tanzania
  0-14 years: 43.7% (male 8,204,593/female 8,176,489)
  15-64 years: 53.6% (male 9,906,446/female 10,178,066)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 422,674/female 557,124) (2006 est.)

Thailand
  0-14 years: 22% (male 7,284,068/female 6,958,632)
  15-64 years: 70% (male 22,331,312/female 22,880,588)
  65 years and over: 8% (male 2,355,190/female 2,821,805) (2006 est.)

Togo
  0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
  15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.)

Tokelau
  0-14 years: 42%
  15-64 years: 53%
  65 years and over: 5% (2006 est.)

Tonga
  0-14 years: 35.3% (male 20,679/female 19,843)
  15-64 years: 60.5% (male 34,399/female 34,964)
  65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,059/female 2,745) (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  0-14 years: 20.1% (male 109,936/female 104,076)
  15-64 years: 71.3% (male 398,657/female 361,093)
  65 years and over: 8.6% (male 41,162/female 50,918) (2006 est.)

Tunisia
  0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268)
  65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

Turkey
  0-14 years: 25.5% (male 9,133,226/female 8,800,070)
  15-64 years: 67.7% (male 24,218,277/female 23,456,761)
  65 years and over: 6.8% (male 2,198,073/female 2,607,551) (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan
  0-14 years: 35.2% (male 913,988/female 863,503)
  15-64 years: 60.7% (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155)
  65 years and over: 4.1% (male 79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  0-14 years: 31.9% (male 3,432/female 3,312)
  15-64 years: 64.4% (male 7,155/female 6,457)
  65 years and over: 3.8% (male 362/female 434) (2006 est.)

Tuvalu
  0-14 years: 30.2% (male 1,819/female 1,752)
  15-64 years: 64.7% (male 3,715/female 3,923)
  65 years and over: 5.1% (male 228/female 373) (2006 est.)

Uganda
  0-14 years: 50% (male 7,091,763/female 6,996,385)
  15-64 years: 47.8% (male 6,762,071/female 6,727,230)
  65 years and over: 2.2% (male 266,931/female 351,374) (2006 est.)

Ukraine
  0-14 years: 14.1% (male 3,377,868/female 3,203,738)
  15-64 years: 69.3% (male 15,559,998/female 16,831,486)
  65 years and over: 16.6% (male 2,635,651/female 5,102,075) (2006
  est.)

United Arab Emirates
  0-14 years: 24.9% (male 331,012/female 317,643)
  15-64 years: 71.2% (male 1,125,286/female 726,689)
  65 years and over: 3.9% (male 74,700/female 27,383)
  note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
  (2006 est.)

United Kingdom
  0-14 years: 17.5% (male 5,417,663/female 5,161,714)
  15-64 years: 66.8% (male 20,476,571/female 19,988,959)
  65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,087,020/female 5,477,226) (2006
  est.)

United States
  0-14 years: 20.4% (male 31,095,847/female 29,715,872)
  15-64 years: 67.2% (male 100,022,845/female 100,413,484)
  65 years and over: 12.5% (male 15,542,288/female 21,653,879) (2006
  est.)

Uruguay
  0-14 years: 22.9% (male 399,409/female 386,136)
  15-64 years: 63.9% (male 1,087,180/female 1,104,465)
  65 years and over: 13.3% (male 185,251/female 269,491) (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan
  0-14 years: 32.9% (male 4,572,721/female 4,403,405)
  15-64 years: 62.3% (male 8,420,174/female 8,594,478)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 539,336/female 777,020) (2006 est.)

Vanuatu
  0-14 years: 32.6% (male 34,804/female 33,331)
  15-64 years: 63.7% (male 67,919/female 65,138)
  65 years and over: 3.7% (male 4,027/female 3,650) (2006 est.)

Venezuela
  0-14 years: 29.1% (male 3,860,116/female 3,620,440)
  15-64 years: 65.7% (male 8,494,944/female 8,410,874)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 609,101/female 734,960) (2006 est.)

Vietnam
  0-14 years: 27% (male 11,826,457/female 10,983,069)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 28,055,941/female 28,614,553)
  65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,924,562/female 2,998,384) (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands
  0-14 years: 22.4% (male 12,261/female 12,056)
  15-64 years: 66.4% (male 34,174/female 37,949)
  65 years and over: 11.2% (male 5,385/female 6,780) (2006 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
  0-14 years: NA
  15-64 years: NA
  65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

West Bank
  0-14 years: 42.9% (male 541,110/female 515,202)
  15-64 years: 53.7% (male 676,427/female 644,347)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 35,440/female 47,966) (2006 est.)

Western Sahara
  0-14 years: NA
  15-64 years: NA
  65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

World
  0-14 years: 27.4% (male 919,219,446/female 870,242,271)
  15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,152,066,888/female 2,100,334,722)
  65 years and over: 7.4% (male 213,160,216/female 270,146,721)
  note: some countries do not maintain age structure information, thus
  a slight discrepancy exists between the total world population and
  the total for world age structure (2006 est.)

Yemen
  0-14 years: 46.4% (male 5,067,762/female 4,881,333)
  15-64 years: 51% (male 5,568,078/female 5,375,263)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 275,878/female 287,874) (2006 est.)

Zambia
  0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,673,891/female 2,656,268)
  15-64 years: 51.3% (male 2,925,910/female 2,969,324)
  65 years and over: 2.4% (male 117,877/female 158,740) (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe
  0-14 years: 37.4% (male 2,307,170/female 2,265,298)
  15-64 years: 59.1% (male 3,616,528/female 3,621,190)
  65 years and over: 3.5% (male 199,468/female 227,151) (2006 est.)

British Indian Ocean Territory 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: 21 30 S, 39 50 E
  Europa Island: 22 20 S, 40 22 E
  Glorioso Islands: 11 30 S, 47 20 E
  Juan de Nova Island: 17 03 S, 42 45 E
  Tromelin Island: 15 52 S, 54 25 E

Saint Helena
  Saint Helena: 15 57 S 5 42 W
  Ascension Island: 7 57 S 14 22 W
  Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S 12 30 W

Southern Ocean
  60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean
  has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of
  water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of
  water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of
  Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker Island: 0 13 N,
  176 28 W
  Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W
  Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W
  Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W
  Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W
  Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W
  Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W

Afghanistan agriculture: 38% industry: 24% services: 38% note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  agriculture: 3.8%
  industry: 22%
  services: 74.3% (2002)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  agriculture: 14.2%
  industry: 30.8%
  services: 55% (2002)

Botswana
  agriculture: 2.4%
  industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining)
  services: 50.7% (2003 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  agriculture: 1.8%
  industry: 6.2%
  services: 92% (1996 est.)

Burkina Faso
  agriculture: 32.2%
  industry: 19.6%
  services: 48.2% (2004 est.)

Cayman Islands
  agriculture: 1.4%
  industry: 3.2%
  services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

Central African Republic
  agriculture: 55%
  industry: 20%
  services: 25% (2001 est.)

China
  agriculture: 12.5%
  industry: 47.3%
  services: 40.3%
  note: industry includes construction (2005 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  agriculture: 55%
  industry: 11%
  services: 34% (2000 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  agriculture: 6.2%
  industry: 57%
  services: 36.9% (2005 est.)

Cook Islands
  agriculture: 15.1%
  industry: 9.6%
  services: 75.3% (2000 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  agriculture: 27.9%
  industry: 17.1%
  services: 55% (2005 est.)

Cyprus
  Republic of Cyprus: agriculture 3.7%; industry 19.8%;
  services 76.5% (2005 est.)
  north Cyprus: agriculture 10.6%; industry 20.5%; services 68.9%
  (2003 est.)

Czech Republic
  agriculture: 3.4%
  industry: 39.3%
  services: 57.3% (2004 est.)

Dominican Republic
  agriculture: 11.2%
  industry: 30.6%
  services: 58.2% (2003)

Equatorial Guinea
  agriculture: 3%
  industry: 90.6%
  services: 6.2% (2005 est.)

European Union
  agriculture: 2.2%
  industry: 27.3%
  services: 70.5% (2004 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  agriculture: 95%
  industry: NA%
  services: NA%

French Guiana
  agriculture: NA% 6.6%
  industry: NA% 15.6%
  services: NA% 77.8%

Gambia, The
  agriculture: 30.8%
  industry: 14.2%
  services: 54.9% (2005 est.)

Gaza Strip
  agriculture: 3%
  industry: 28.3%
  services: 68.7% (includes West Bank) (2002 est.)

Korea, South
  agriculture: 3.3%
  industry: 40.3%
  services: 56.3% (2005 est.)

Marshall Islands
  agriculture: 31.7%
  industry: 14.9%
  services: 53.4% (2000 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  agriculture: 28.9%
  industry: 15.2%
  services: 55.9% (2000 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  agriculture: 1%
  industry: 15%
  services: 84% (2000 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  agriculture: 35.3%
  industry: 38.1%
  services: 26.6% (2005 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  agriculture: 3.5%
  industry: 25.8%
  services: 70.7% (2001)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  agriculture: 10%
  industry: 26%
  services: 64% (2001 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  agriculture: 16.7%
  industry: 14.8%
  services: 68.4% (2005 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  agriculture: 3.3%
  industry: 61.3%
  services: 35.4% (2005 est.)

South Africa
  agriculture: 2.5%
  industry: 30.3%
  services: 67.1% (2005 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  agriculture: 0.7%
  industry: 57%
  services: 42.3% (2005 est.)

United Arab Emirates
  agriculture: 4%
  industry: 58.5%
  services: 37.5% (2002 est.)

United Kingdom
  agriculture: 0.5%
  industry: 23.7%
  services: 75.8% (2005 est.)

West Bank agriculture: 9% industry: 28% services: 63% note: includes Gaza Strip (2002 est.)

Afghanistan
AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan
Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003)

Akrotiri
  FM 1
  note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
  and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

Antarctica
AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1, note - information for US bases
only (2002)

Argentina
AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably
more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)

Brazil
AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated
with AM stations) (1999)

Brunei
  AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies),
  shortwave 0
  note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits
  two FM signals with English and Nepali service (2006)

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0
north Cyprus: AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)

Dhekelia
  FM 1 (located in Akrotiri)
  note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
  and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

European Union
  AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of
  individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a
  European-wide station (Euroradio)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0
  note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
  (FM) and Radio 2 (AM) service (2006)

France
AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and
includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

French Guiana
AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6
(including 5 repeaters) (1998)

Guinea
AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters),
shortwave 3 (2001)

Iraq
after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are
approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004)

Jan Mayen
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)

Kiribati
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)

Korea, North
AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central
Broadcasting Station), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2003)

Malawi
AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus a
third station held in standby status) (2001)

Mali
  AM 1, FM 28, shortwave 1
  note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven frequencies and five
  transmitters and relays broadcasts for China Radio International
  (2001)

Marshall Islands
  AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0
  note: additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television
  Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station
  on Kwajalein (2005)

Philippines
  AM 369, FM 583, shortwave 5
  note: each shortwave station operates on multiple frequencies in the
  language of the target audience (2004)

Pitcairn Islands
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0, note - 15 Ham radio
operators (VP6) (2004)

Rwanda
  AM 0, FM 8 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a
  system of repeaters, three international FM programs include the
  BBC, VOA, and Deutchewelle), shortwave 1 (2005)

Saint Helena
Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)

Somalia
AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1
FM in Somaliland (2001)

Tokelau
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: 1 radio station provides service to all islands (2002)

Wake Island
  AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0
  note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
  provided by satellite (2005)

Afghanistan
  at least 10 (one government-run central television
  station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 34 provinces;
  the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997,
  there was a station in Mazar-e-Sharif reaching four northern
  Afghanistan provinces) (1998)

Akrotiri
  British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides
  multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia
  (2006)

Antarctica
  1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces
  Antarctic Network-McMurdo)
  note: information for US bases only (2002)

Brunei
4; note - including two UHF stations broadcasting a
subscription service (2006)

Cambodia
11 (including two TV relay stations with French and
Vietnamese broadcasts); 12 regional low power TV stations (2006)

China
  3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television,
  31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city
  stations) (1997)

Christmas Island
0; note - TV broadcasts received via satellite from
mainland Australia (2006)

Dhekelia
  British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides
  multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia
  (2006)

European Union
  2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum
  of individual country television broadcast stations; there is also a
  European-wide station (Eurovision)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as islanders) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2006)

Greece
36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the
US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)

Greenland
1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations,
and three AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997)

Guyana
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US
satellite services) (1997)

Hong Kong 55 low power stations note: two TV networks, each one broadcasting on two channels (2006)

India
562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480
stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Indonesia
  54 local TV stations
  note: 11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local,
  often low power, transmitters (2006)

Japan
  211 plus 7,341 repeaters
  note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV
  cable services (1999)

Korea, North
  4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae
  Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong
  Television targeting South Korea) (2003)

Korea, South
terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay
cable operators 190 (2005)

Kyrgyzstan
NA (repeater stations throughout the country relay
programs from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997)

Laos
7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television
from Hanoi (2006)

Lithuania
  27
  note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting stations, but may
  have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations (2001)

Malaysia
mainland Malaysia 51; Sabah 16; Sarawak 21; note - many are
low power stations (2006)

Marshall Islands
  2 (both are US military stations)
  note: Marshalls Broadcasting Service (cable company) operates on
  Majuro (2005)

Netherlands Antilles
  3 (there is also a cable service, which
  supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and
  four Venezuelan channels) (2004)

New Zealand
41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650
low-power repeaters) (1997)

Nigeria
3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations
and 15 repeater stations) (2002)

Norfolk Island
1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that
bring in Australian programs by satellite) (2005)

Northern Mariana Islands 1 (Low Power TV on Saipan; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (2006)

Papua New Guinea
  3 (all in the Port Moresby area)
  note: additional stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are
  planned (2004)

Portugal
62 (plus 166 repeaters)
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)

Saint Helena
  0
  note: three television channels are received in Saint Helena via
  satellite and distributed by UHF (2005)

Saint Lucia
2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and
one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
0 (there are, however, two repeaters which
rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)

Singapore
  1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception of
  numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia;
  note - digital TV for reception in public spaces and transportation
  is transmitted from 10 sites (2006)

Spain
  224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)
  note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88
  repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)

Turks and Caicos Islands 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004)

Ukraine
at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from
Russia) (1997)

Uzbekistan
  4 (plus two repeaters that relay Russian programs), 1
  cable rebroadcaster in Tashkent; approximately 20 stations in
  regional capitals (2003)

Wake Island
  0
  note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
  provided by satellite (2005)

Afghanistan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Albania
  at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Algeria
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

American Samoa
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Andorra
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Angola
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Anguilla
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Argentina
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Armenia
  at birth: 1.17 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Aruba
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Australia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Austria
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bahrain
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.38 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.26 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bangladesh
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Barbados
  at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Belarus
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Belgium
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Belize
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Benin
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bermuda
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bhutan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bolivia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Botswana
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Brazil
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Brunei
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Bulgaria
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Burma
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Burundi
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cambodia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cameroon
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Canada
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cape Verde
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Central African Republic
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Chad
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Chile
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

China
  at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Colombia
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Comoros
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Costa Rica
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Croatia
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cuba
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Cyprus
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Czech Republic
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Denmark
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Djibouti
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Dominica
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

East Timor
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Ecuador
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Egypt
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

El Salvador
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Eritrea
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Estonia
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

European Union
  at birth: NA
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female

Faroe Islands
  at birth: 1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Fiji
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Finland
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

France
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

French Guiana
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

French Polynesia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Gabon
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Gambia, The
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Georgia
  at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Germany
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Ghana
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Gibraltar
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Greece
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Greenland
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Grenada
  at birth: 1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guadeloupe
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guam
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guatemala
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guernsey
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guinea
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Guyana
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Haiti
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Honduras
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Hong Kong
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Hungary
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Iceland
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

India
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Indonesia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Iran
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Iraq
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Ireland
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Isle of Man
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Israel
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Italy
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Jamaica
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Japan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Jersey
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Jordan
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.55 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Kenya
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Kiribati
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Korea, North
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Korea, South
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Kuwait
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Laos
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Latvia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Lebanon
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Lesotho
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Liberia
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Libya
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein
  at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Lithuania
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Luxembourg
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Macau
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Macedonia
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Madagascar
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Malawi
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Malaysia
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Maldives
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mali
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Malta
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Martinique
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mauritania
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mauritius
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mayotte
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mexico
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Moldova
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Monaco
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mongolia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Montserrat
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Morocco
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Mozambique
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Namibia
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Nauru
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Nepal
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Netherlands
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

New Caledonia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

New Zealand
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Nicaragua
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Niger
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Nigeria
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.7 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.77 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Norway
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Oman
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.44 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.25 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Pakistan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Palau
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Panama
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Paraguay
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Peru
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Philippines
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Poland
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Portugal
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Qatar
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 2.24 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 2.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.87 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Reunion
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Romania
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Russia
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Rwanda
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Saint Helena
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Samoa
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.65 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

San Marino
  at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.2 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Senegal
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Seychelles
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Singapore
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Slovakia
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Slovenia
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Somalia
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

South Africa
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Spain
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Sudan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Suriname
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Swaziland
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Sweden
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Switzerland
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Syria
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Taiwan
  at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Tajikistan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Tanzania
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Thailand
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Togo
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Tonga
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Tunisia
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Turkey
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Tuvalu
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Uganda
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Ukraine
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.55 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 2.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

United Kingdom
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

United States
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Uruguay
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Vanuatu
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Venezuela
  at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Vietnam
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

West Bank
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

World
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Yemen
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Zambia
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Antarctica
  37
  note: all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by
  National Antarctic Programs stations have restricted helicopter
  landing facilities (helipads) (2006)

Albania
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

American Samoa
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m

Antarctica
  lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m
  highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m
  note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the
  Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet
  discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater

Antigua and Barbuda
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Argentina
  lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between
  Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province
  of Santa Cruz)
  highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern
  corner of the province of Mendoza)

Armenia
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m

Atlantic Ocean
  lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico
  Trench -8,605 m
  highest point: sea level 0 m

Azerbaijan
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

Bahamas, The
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Baker Island
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m

Bassas da India
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m

Belarus
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m
highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Bosnia and Herzegovina
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Botswana
  lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513
  m
  highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m

Bouvet Island
lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m

British Indian Ocean Territory
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

British Virgin Islands
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m

Burkina Faso
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Cameroon
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

Cape Verde
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)

Cayman Islands
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m

Central African Republic
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Chile
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m

Christmas Island
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m

Clipperton Island
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Colombia
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m
  note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation

Congo, Democratic Republic of the lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

Congo, Republic of the
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m

Coral Sea Islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m

Costa Rica
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

Cote d'Ivoire
lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Dominica
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Dominican Republic
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m

East Timor
lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m

Egypt
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m

El Salvador
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Equatorial Guinea
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m

Eritrea
lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Ethiopia
lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m

Europa Island
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 24 m

European Union
  lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m;
  Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m
  highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border
  between France and Italy

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m

Faroe Islands
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

French Guiana
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

French Polynesia
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m

Gambia, The
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m

Gaza Strip
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

Germany
lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m

Gibraltar
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Glorioso Islands
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 12 m

Grenada
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Guatemala
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Guernsey
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Guinea-Bissau
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the
  country 300 m

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m

Holy See (Vatican City)
lowest point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m

Howland Island
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m

Iceland
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

Iles Eparses
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Bassas da India 2.4 m; Europa Island 24 m; Glorioso
  Islands 12 m; Juan de Nova Island 10 m; Tromelin Island 7 m (all
  unnamed locations)

Iraq
  lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
  highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah
  Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m

Italy
  lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
  highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a
  secondary peak of Mont Blanc)

Jamaica
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Jan Mayen
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m

Jarvis Island
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Juan de Nova Island
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 10 m

Kazakhstan
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

Kingman Reef
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 1 m

Kiribati
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

Kyrgyzstan
lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Lebanon
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Lesotho
  lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers
  1,400 m
  highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Liechtenstein
lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m
highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m

Macedonia
lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

Malawi
  lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international
  boundary with Mozambique 37 m
  highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

Maldives
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
  highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu
  Atoll 2.4 m

Malta
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)

Marshall Islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m

Martinique
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

Mauritania
lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

Mexico
lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m

Micronesia, Federated States of
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m

Midway Islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 13 m

Mongolia
lowest point: Hoh Nuur 518 m
highest point: Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m

Montserrat
  lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
  highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills
  volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006)

Nauru
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

Navassa Island
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on southwest side 77 m

Netherlands Antilles
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

New Zealand
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m

Niue
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Northern Mariana Islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m

Pacific Ocean
  lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench
  -10,924 m
  highest point: sea level 0 m

Pakistan
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Palmyra Atoll
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2 m

Panama
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m

Papua New Guinea
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

Paracel Islands
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m

Paraguay
lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m
highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m

Pitcairn Islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m

Portugal
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in
  the Azores 2,351 m

Puerto Rico
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m

Saint Helena
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; Green
  Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena
  Island 818 m

Saint Kitts and Nevis
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m

Samoa
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m

Sao Tome and Principe
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m

Senegal
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m

Seychelles
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

Sierra Leone
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

Slovakia
lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m
highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

Solomon Islands
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  lowest point: Atlantic
  Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m

Southern Ocean
  lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the
  South Sandwich Trench
  highest point: sea level 0 m

Spain
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Spratly Islands
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Suriname
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

Sweden
  lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near
  Kristianstad -2.41 m
  highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Switzerland
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m

Syria
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Tajikistan
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

Tonga
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Trinidad and Tobago
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Tromelin Island
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Tunisia
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Turkmenistan
  lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note -
  Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water
  level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina
  Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
  note: Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a
  water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina
  Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m)
  highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Turks and Caicos Islands
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Uganda
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

United Arab Emirates
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

United States
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  lowest point: Pacific
  Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island,
  unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m;
  Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location -
  less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra
  Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m

Uzbekistan
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m
highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Venezuela
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Virgin Islands
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m

Wallis and Futuna
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m

Western Sahara
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m

World
  lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
  note: in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is
  the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific
  Ocean
  highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Yemen
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m

Zambia
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Zimbabwe
lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m
highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Afghanistan
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains;
flooding; droughts

Albania
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern
coast; floods; drought

Algeria
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides
and floods in rainy season

Antarctica
  katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the
  high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau;
  cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the
  coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West
  Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may
  calve from ice shelf

Antigua and Barbuda
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to
October); periodic droughts

Arctic Ocean
  ice islands occasionally break away from northern
  Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland
  and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually
  ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure
  icing from October to May

Argentina
  San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes
  subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can
  strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can
pose maritime hazards

Atlantic Ocean
  icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and
  the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have
  been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships
  subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from
  October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to
  September; hurricanes (May to December)

Bahamas, The
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive
flood and wind damage

Baker Island
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be
a maritime hazard

Bangladesh
droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely
inundated during the summer monsoon season

Bassas da India
  maritime hazard since it is usually under water
  during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic
  cyclones

Belgium
flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed
coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

Belize
frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and
coastal flooding (especially in south)

Bhutan
  violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the
  country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon;
  frequent landslides during the rainy season

Botswana
  periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the
  west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure
  visibility

Burma
destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides
common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts

Cameroon
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases
from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

Canada
  continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to
  development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a
  result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and
  North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and
  snow east of the mountains

Cape Verde
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces
obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

Central African Republic
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect
northern areas; floods are common

Chad
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic
droughts; locust plagues

China
  frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and
  eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts;
  land subsidence

Christmas Island
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
be a maritime hazard

Colombia
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional
earthquakes; periodic droughts

Comoros
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April);
Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano

Congo, Democratic Republic of the periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes

Costa Rica
  occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast;
  frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and
  landslides; active volcanoes

Cote d'Ivoire
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during
the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Cuba
  the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November
  (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other
  year); droughts are common

Denmark
  flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g.,
  parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland)
  that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes

Djibouti
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances
from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

Dominica
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes
can be expected during the late summer months

Dominican Republic
  lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and
  subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding;
  periodic droughts

East Timor
floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis,
tropical cyclones

Ecuador
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods;
periodic droughts

Egypt
  periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods,
  landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring;
  dust storms, sandstorms

El Salvador
  known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes
  destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible
  to hurricanes

Ethiopia
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

European Union
  flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous
  area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy;
  periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic

France
flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest
fires in south near the Mediterranean

French Guiana
high frequency of heavy showers and severe
thunderstorms; flooding

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul
are extinct volcanoes

Ghana
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts

Grenada
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from
June to November

Guadeloupe
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is
an active volcano

Guam
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but
potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)

Guatemala
  numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent
  earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and
  other tropical storms

Guinea-Bissau
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility
during dry season; brush fires

Haiti
  lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
  storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
  periodic droughts

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is
on Heard Island

Honduras
  frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely
  susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean
  coast

Howland Island
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
be a maritime hazard

Iles Eparses
  all islands subject to periodic cyclones
  Bassas da India: maritime hazard since it is under water for a
  period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and
  surrounded by reefs

India
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive
flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Indonesia
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes, forest fires

Israel
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts;
periodic earthquakes

Italy
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

Jan Mayen
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg;
volcanic activity resumed in 1970

Japan
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Jarvis Island
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses
a maritime hazard

Kingman Reef
wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard

Kiribati
  typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
  occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them
  very sensitive to changes in sea level

Korea, North
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding;
occasional typhoons during the early fall

Korea, South
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods;
low-level seismic activity common in southwest

Kuwait
  sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring
  heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust
  storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March
  and August

Libya
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to
four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

Mali
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons;
recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

Martinique
hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average
of one major natural disaster every five years)

Mauritania
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in
March and April; periodic droughts

Mauritius
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded
by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Mexico
  tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive
  earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific,
  Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts

Mongolia
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and
"zud," which is harsh winter conditions

Montserrat
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions
(Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)

Morocco
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to
earthquakes; periodic droughts

Mozambique
severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in
central and southern provinces

Nepal
  severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and
  famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the
  summer monsoons

Netherlands Antilles
  Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean
  hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and
  Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

New Zealand
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe;
volcanic activity

Nicaragua
destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely
susceptible to hurricanes

Northern Mariana Islands active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)

Oman
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in
interior; periodic droughts

Pacific Ocean
  surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and
  earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of
  Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east
  Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October);
  tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike
  Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in
  August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in
  the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western
  Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure
  icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the
  northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December

Pakistan
  frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in
  north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and
  August)

Papua New Guinea
  active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring
  of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe
  earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis

Paraguay
local flooding in southeast (early September to June);
poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)

Philippines
  astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck
  by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active
  volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis

Reunion
periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de
la Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano

Romania
earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic
structure and climate promote landslides

Russia
  permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to
  development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and
  earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and
  summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European
  Russia

Rwanda
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the
northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
persistent fog throughout the year can be
a maritime hazard

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on
the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat

Seychelles
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare;
short droughts possible

Sierra Leone
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara
(December to February); sandstorms, dust storms

Solomon Islands
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically
active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Somalia
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains
in summer; floods during rainy season

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  the South Sandwich
  Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them
  difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active
  volcanism

Southern Ocean
  huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred
  meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5
  to 1 meter thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and
  with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf
  floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances;
  high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially
  May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and
  rescue

Spratly Islands
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious
maritime hazard

Svalbard
  ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit
  point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts
  of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic

Sweden
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf
of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Thailand
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the
depletion of the water table; droughts

Togo
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts

Tonga
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity
on Fonuafo'ou

Turkey
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an
arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Tuvalu
  severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there
  were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to
  changes in sea level

United States
  tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around
  Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
  coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in
  California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in
  northern Alaska, a major impediment to development

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker, Howland, and
  Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
  be a maritime hazard
  Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
  less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
  Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA

Uruguay
  seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and
  occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas),
  droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as
  weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid
  changes from weather fronts

Vanuatu
  tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic
  eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism
  also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis

Vietnam
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive
flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta

Virgin Islands
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and
severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes

Western Sahara
  hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur
  during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of
  time, often severely restricting visibility

World
  large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones),
  natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic
  eruptions)

Afghanistan
of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3
million have returned

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
the landing of illegal immigrants from
Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem

Cuba
  illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to
  depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien
  smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use
  non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to
  Miami and over-land via the southwest border

Greece
women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece
for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor

Turks and Caicos Islands
  destination and transit point for illegal
  Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The
  Bahamas, and US

Ashmore and Cartier Islands about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

British Indian Ocean Territory land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Congo, Democratic Republic of the slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

French Southern and Antarctic Lands slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
slightly more than two times the
size of Washington, DC

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: land area about one-third the size of
  The Mall in Washington, DC
  Europa Island: about one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
  Glorioso Islands: about eight times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Juan de Nova Island: about seven times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Tromelin Island: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
  DC

Micronesia, Federated States of
four times the size of Washington,
DC (land area only)

Pacific Ocean
about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of
the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world

United States
  about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the
  size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly
  larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; almost two and a
  half times the size of the European Union

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker Island: about
  two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
  Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
  DC
  Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in
  Washington, DC
  Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of
  The Mall in Washington, DC
  Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
  DC
  Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Afghanistan
22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service
for a 4-year term (2005)

Algeria
  19-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
  conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training,
  12 months civil projects) (2006)

Angola
17 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - two years plus time for training (2001)

Antigua and Barbuda
18 years of age (est.); no conscript military
service (2001)

Argentina
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)

Armenia
  18 to 27 years of age for compulsory military service,
  conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for
  voluntary military service (2004)

Australia
16 years of age for voluntary service; women allowed to
serve in Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2001)

Austria
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
  age for voluntary service; from 2007, at the earliest, compulsory
  military service obligation will be reduced from eight months to six
  (2005)

Azerbaijan
  men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18
  years of age for voluntary military service; length of military
  service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)

Bangladesh
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2005)

Barbados
18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers
at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)

Belarus
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)

Belgium
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women
comprise approx. 7% of the Belgian armed forces (2001)

Belize
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow
  for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription
  has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available
  positions by 3:1 (2001)

Benin
  21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
  in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes
  are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18
  months (2004)

Bolivia
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual
  number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is
  effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one
  estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18,
  with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12
  months (2002)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  18 years of age for compulsory military
  service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age
  in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of
  age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the
  Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men
  between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18
  and 55; service obligation is four months (July 2004)

Botswana
  18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the
  official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown
  (2001)

Brazil
  21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
  service obligation - nine to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for
  voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are
  "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve
  in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army
  became the first army in South America to accept women into career
  ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve
  Corps (2001)

Bulgaria
  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
  service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006,
  67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers;
  conscription into the Army to end as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air
  Defense Forces and Naval Forces will become fully professional by
  end of 2006 (2006)

Burkina Faso
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20
years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Cambodia
  conscription law made effective in October 2006 requires
  all males between 18-30 to register for military service; service
  obligation is 18 months (2006)

Canada
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women
comprise approximately 11% of Canada's armed forces (2001)

Central African Republic
  18 years of age for voluntary and
  compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is two
  years (2005)

Chad
  20 years of age for conscripts, with three-year service
  obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age
  restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are
  subject to one year of compulsory military or civic service at age
  of 21 (2004)

Chile
  all male citizens 18-45 are obligated to perform military
  service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24
  months for Navy and Air Force (2004)

China
  18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with
  24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service
  (all officers are volunteers); 18-22 years of age for women who meet
  requirements for specific military jobs (2006)

Colombia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)

Cote d'Ivoire
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Croatia
  18 years of age for compulsory military service, with
  six-month service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for
  voluntary service (December 2004)

Czech Republic
  18-50 years of age for voluntary military service;
  on-going transformation of military service into a fully
  professional, all-volunteer force no longer dependent on
  conscription began in January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed
  by 2007 (2005)

Denmark
  18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military
  service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies
  from four to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are
  assigned to mobilization units following completion of their
  conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service
  (2004)

Ecuador
20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month
service obligation (2004)

Egypt
18 years of age for conscript military service; three-year
service obligation (2001)

El Salvador
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with
12-month service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002)

Eritrea
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service; conscript service obligation - 16 months (2004)

Estonia
  compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28;
  conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon
  leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a
  different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to
  retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and
  Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17
  years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60
  (2006)

Finland
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service (October 2004)

France
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
ended in the 1990s; women serve in non-combat military posts (2001)

Gambia, The
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)

Georgia
  18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active
  duty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months
  (2005)

Germany
18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of
compulsory military service) (2004)

Greece
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; during
  wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year
  of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years
  of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for
  the Army, Air Force; 15 months for Navy; women are eligible for
  military service (2005)

Guatemala
  all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable
  for military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to
  24 months (2005)

Guinea
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 24 months (2004)

Hungary
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in June 2004 (2004)

Indonesia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - two years (2002)

Iran
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
  age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited
  extensively during the Iran-Iraq War; conscript service obligation -
  18 months (2004)

Iraq
  all volunteer force; the Iraqi Government is creating a new
  professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend
  Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2006)

Ireland
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees
under the age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)

Israel
  17 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary
  (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are
  eligible for military service; conscript service obligation - 36
  months for men, 21 months for women (2004)

Jamaica
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger
recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)

Jordan
  17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
  at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are
  required to register; women not subject to conscription, but can
  volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)

Kazakhstan
  18 years of age for compulsory military service;
  conscript service obligation - two years; minimum age for volunteers
  NA (2004)

Korea, South
  20-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
  conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the
  military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military
  service; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned
  officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; women, in service since
  1950, are admitted to seven service branches, including infantry,
  but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps
  (2005)

Kuwait
  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
  service; 1 month annual training to age 40; women have served in
  police forces since 1999 (2001)

Laos
15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)

Latvia
  19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
  service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers;
  plans are to phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an
  all-professional force by 2007; under current law, every citizen is
  entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2004)

Lebanon
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Lithuania
  19-45 years of age for compulsory military service,
  conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for
  volunteers (2004)

Luxembourg
  a 1967 law made the Army an all-volunteer force; 17 years
  of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not
  deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2004)

Macedonia
  conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of
  conscript duty is six months; 18 years of age for voluntary military
  service (2005)

Madagascar
18-50 years of age; conscript service obligation - 18
months (either military or equivalent civil service) (2004)

Mali
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Mauritania
  18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation -
  two years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service
  in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)

Mexico
  18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
  service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for
  voluntary enlistment (2004)

Moldova
18 years of age for compulsory military service; national
service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Mongolia
  18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;
  conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense
  forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5
  percent) is comprised of contract soldiers (2004)

Morocco
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Netherlands Antilles
16 years of age for National Guard recruitment;
no conscription (2004)

New Zealand
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
cannot be deployed until the age of 18 (2001)

Niger
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - two years (2004)

Norway
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
  age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age
  for women; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard;
  conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Pakistan
  16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
  cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18; the Pakistani Air
  Force has inducted its first female combat pilot (2006)

Paraguay
  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
  service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24
  months for Navy (2004)

Philippines
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service (2001)

Poland
  17 years of age for compulsory military service after January
  1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of age for voluntary
  military service; in 2005, Poland plans to shorten the length of
  conscript service obligation from 12 to 9 months; by 2008, plans
  call for at least 60% of military personnel to be volunteers; only
  soldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to
  volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004, women are only
  allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers (2004)

Portugal
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory
  military service was ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces,
  on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some
  combatant specialties (2005)

Qatar
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; land forces
  enlisted personnel are largely unprofessional foreign nationals
  (2005)

Romania
  all military inductees (including women) are volunteers who
  contract for an initial five-year term of service; subsequent
  voluntary service contracts are for successive three-year terms
  until the age of 36; minimum age for voluntary military service is
  18 (2006)

Russia
  Russia has adopted a mixed conscript-contract force; 18-27
  years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age;
  length of compulsory military service is two years; plans call for
  reduction in mandatory service to 18 months in 2007 and to one year
  by 2008; 30% of Russian army personnel were contract servicemen at
  the end of 2005; planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose
  70% of armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen
  consisting of conscripts; as of November 2006, the Armed Forces had
  more than 60 units manned with contract personnel totalling over
  78,000 contract privates and sergeants; 88 Ministry of Defense units
  have been designated as permanent readiness units and are expected
  to become all-volunteer by end 2007; these include most air force,
  naval, and nuclear arms units, as well as all airborne and naval
  infantry units, most motorized rifle brigades, and all special
  forces detachments (2006)

Senegal
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Serbia
  peacetime service obligation begins at age 17 and lasts until
  age 60 for men and 50 for women; under a state of war or impending
  war, the obligation can begin at age 16 and be extended beyond 60
  (2006)

Singapore
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years
  of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation reduced to 24
  months beginning December 2004 (2004)

Slovakia
  complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force
  went into effect at the beginning of 2006 after 140 years of
  mandatory army service; volunteers include women, with minimum age
  of 17 years (2005)

Slovenia
17 years of age for voluntary military service;
conscription abolished in 2003 (2004)

South Africa
  18 years of age for voluntary military service; women
  have a long history of military service in noncombat roles, dating
  back to World War I (2004)

Sudan
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - three years (August 2004)

Swaziland
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; both
sexes are eligible for military service (2005)

Sweden
  19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
  service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after
  completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until
  age of 47 (2004)

Switzerland
  the Swiss Constitution states that "every Swiss male is
  obliged to do military service"; every Swiss male has to serve for
  at least 260 days in the armed forces; 19 years of age for
  compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military
  service; conscripts receive 15 weeks of compulsory training,
  followed by 10 intermittent recalls for training over the next 22
  years; women are accepted on a voluntary basis but are not drafted
  (2005)

Syria
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
  service obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy);
  women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2004)

Taiwan
  19-35 years of age for military service; service obligation
  16 months (to be shortened to 12 months in 2008); women in Air Force
  service are restricted to noncombat roles (2005)

Tajikistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Tanzania
  15 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of
  age for compulsory military service upon graduation from secondary
  school; conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Thailand
  21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are
  registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obligation - two
  years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Trinidad and Tobago
18 years of age for voluntary military service;
no conscription (2001)

Tunisia
  20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
  service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary
  military service (2004)

Turkmenistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

Uganda
  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty;
  the government has stated that recruitment below that age could
  occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age
  of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"

Ukraine
  18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
  service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air
  Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)

United Kingdom
  16 years of age for voluntary military service; women
  serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat
  positions and some naval postings (2004)

United States
18 years of age; 17 years of age with written parental
consent (2006)

Uzbekistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Venezuela
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)

Vietnam
  18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service;
  females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscript
  service obligation - 2 years (3-4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of
  age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self
  Defense Forces (2006)

Yemen
  in May 2001, Yemen's National Defense Council abolished
  compulsory military service and authorized a voluntary program for
  military service (2004)

Antigua and Barbuda
males age 18-49: 14,859
females age 18-49: 14,947 (2005 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
males age 18-49: 910,539
females age 18-49: 881,446 (2005 est.)

Central African Republic
males age 18-49: 416,091
females age 18-49: 383,056 (2005 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
males age 18-49: 406,016
females age 18-49: 394,745 (2005 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
males age 18-49: 1,973,265
females age 18-49: 1,911,777 (2005 est.)

Cyprus
  Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
  males age 18-49: 150,750
  females age 18-49: 144,344 (2005 est.)

Czech Republic
males age 18-49: 1,996,631
females age 18-49: 1,923,508 (2005 est.)

Dominican Republic
males age 18-49: 1,671,493
females age 18-49: 1,536,257 (2005 est.)

Estonia
  males age 18-49: 200,382 (in 2004, 51% of the young men
  called up for service were determined to be unfit; main obstacles to
  conscription were psychiatric and behavioral)
  females age 18-49: 250,351 (2005 est.)

Korea, North
males age 17-49: 4,810,831
females age 17-49: 4,853,270 (2005 est.)

Korea, South
males age 20-49: 10,115,817
females age 20-49: 9,721,914 (2005 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
males age 16-49: 45,273
females age 16-49: 47,166 (2005 est.)

Papua New Guinea
males age 18-49: 902,432
females age 18-49: 894,759 (2005 est.)

Philippines
males age 18-49: 15,170,096
females age 18-49: 16,931,191 (2005 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
males age 18-49: 7,119
females age 18-49: 7,645 (2005 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
males age 18-49: 25,950
females age 18-49: 28,660 (2005 est.)

Saudi Arabia
males age 18-49: 6,592,709
females age 18-49: 4,659,347 (2005 est.)

South Africa
males age 18-49: 4,927,757
females age 18-49: 4,609,071 (2005 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
males age 18-49: 202,958
females age 18-49: 173,797 (2005 est.)

United Arab Emirates
males age 18-49: 526,671
females age 18-49: 419,975 (2005 est.)

United Kingdom
males age 16-49: 12,046,268
females age 16-49: 11,555,893 (2005 est.)

United States
males age 18-49: 54,609,050
females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
males age 18-49: 32,942
females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
males age 18-49: 38,464
females age 18-49: 38,082 (2005 est.)

Cyprus
  Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
  males age 18-49: 6,578
  females age 18-49: 6,200 (2005 est.)

Dominican Republic
males age 18-49: 91,699
females age 18-49: 87,550 (2005 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
males age 18-49: 1,720
females age 16-49: 1,657 (2005 est.)

United States
males age 18-49: 2,143,873
females age 18-49: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)

Afghanistan
  Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and
  founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between
  the British and Russian empires until it won independence from
  notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy
  ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet
  Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist
  regime, but withdrew 10 years later under relentless pressure by
  internationally supported anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. A civil
  war between mujahedin factions erupted following the 1992 fall of
  the Communist regime. The Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored
  movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and
  anarchy, seized Kabul in 1996 and most of the country outside of
  opposition Northern Alliance strongholds by 1998. Following the 11
  September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and Northern
  Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama
  BIN LADIN. In late 2001, a conference in Bonn, Germany, established
  a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of
  a new constitution and a presidential election in 2004, and National
  Assembly elections in 2005. On 7 December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became
  the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The
  National Assembly was inaugurated on 19 December 2005.

Akrotiri
  By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created
  the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty
  and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
  Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the
  Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the
  Western Sovereign Base Area.

Albania
  Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic
  Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The
  transition has proven challenging as successive governments have
  tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a
  dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime
  networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made
  progress in its democratic development since first holding
  multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International
  observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the
  restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid
  schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party
  and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime
  and corruption, promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size
  of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition
  of power, was considered an important step forward. Although
  Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the
  poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an
  inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. Albania has
  played a largely helpful role in managing inter-ethnic tensions in
  southeastern Europe, and is continuing to work toward joining NATO
  and the EU. Albania, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a
  strong supporter of the global war on terrorism.

Algeria
  After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians
  fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962.
  Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front
  (FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the
  subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to
  counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising
  first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the
  December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and
  postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular
  elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming
  power. The army began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS
  supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government
  later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate
  religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who
  progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an
  insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which
  resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate
  massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the
  upper hand by the late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic
  Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of
  armed militants persist in confronting government forces and
  conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army
  placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a
  fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide
  reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face
  BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority
  Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a
  shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies,
  government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing -
  although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants.
  Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has
  yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress
  Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems.

American Samoa
  Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered"
  by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries
  in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899
  treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago.
  The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern
  islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

Andorra
  For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a
  unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from
  1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of
  Urgel). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular
  heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a
  parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous
  Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through
  its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are
  attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

Angola
  Angola is slowly rebuilding its country after the end of a
  27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for
  the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and
  the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led
  by Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace
  seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but
  UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls.
  Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people
  displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in
  2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on
  power. DOS SANTOS has pledged to hold legislative elections in 2006.

Anguilla
  Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650,
  Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th
  century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants -
  was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint
  Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two
  years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this
  arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming
  a separate British dependency.

Antarctica
  Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was
  not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American
  commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions
  began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south
  of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that
  Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
  Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th
  century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific
  research on the continent. A number of countries have set up
  year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made
  territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In
  order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the
  continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies
  nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in
  1959, it entered into force in 1961.

Antigua and Barbuda
  The Siboney were the first to inhabit the
  islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians
  populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in
  1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by
  the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run
  the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands
  became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of
  Nations in 1981.

Arctic Ocean
  The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five
  oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and
  the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US
  and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two
  important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river,
  and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Argentina
  In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared
  their independence from Spain. Eventually, Bolivia, Paraguay, and
  Uruguay went their own way, but the area that remained became
  Argentina. The country's population and culture were subsequently
  heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, but most
  particularly Italy and Spain, which provided the largest percentage
  of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century,
  much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal
  political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between
  civilian and military factions. After World War II, an era of
  Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in subsequent
  governments was followed by a military junta that took power in
  1976. Democracy returned in 1983, and has persisted despite numerous
  challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic
  crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the
  resignation of several interim presidents. Successful negotiations
  with the IMF allowed Argentina to sidestep some fiscal discipline
  measures normally imposed in such circumstances. Since 2003, the
  government's efforts to stem the crisis have led to rapid economic
  recovery.

Armenia
  Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally
  adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy,
  over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
  including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During
  World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey
  instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh
  practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths.
  The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in
  1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was
  conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain
  preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over
  Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to
  Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan
  began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after
  both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
  By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not
  only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan
  proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their
  inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.
  Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common
  border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and
  surrounding areas.

Aruba
  Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired
  by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by
  three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by
  prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The
  last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
  Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a
  separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
  Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in
  1990.

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  These uninhabited islands came under
  Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years
  later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine
  habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier
  Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.

Atlantic Ocean
  The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the
  world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the
  Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal
  (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of
  Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US)
  are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
  International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
  delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
  of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Australia
  Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from
  Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began
  exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were
  made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name
  of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and
  19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of
  Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural
  resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing
  industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in
  World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed
  itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy.
  It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the
  1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted
  in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly
  depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of
  coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

Austria
  Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian
  Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in
  World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and
  subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's
  status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955
  ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
  unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
  declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
  Soviet military withdrawal. Following the Soviet Union's collapse in
  1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, some
  Austrians have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous,
  democratic country, Austria entered the Economic and Monetary Union
  in 1999.

Azerbaijan
  Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim
  population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained
  its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
  Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its
  conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave
  (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its
  territory and must support some 528,000 internally displaced persons
  as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the
  promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum
  resources remains largely unfulfilled.

Bahamas, The
  Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher
  Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492.
  British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became
  a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973,
  The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking
  and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is
  a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly
  shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal
  migrants into the US.

Bahrain
  In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the
  Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a
  series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made
  Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its
  independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location
  among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing
  act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining
  oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and
  refining and has transformed itself into an international banking
  center. Sheikh HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, who came to power in 1999,
  has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve
  relations with the Shia community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters
  approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the
  centerpiece of Sheikh HAMAD's political liberalization program. In
  February 2002, Sheikh HAMAD pronounced Bahrain a constitutional
  monarchy and changed his status from amir to king. In October 2002,
  Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's
  reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.

Baker Island
  The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its
  guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the
  second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at
  colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland
  Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned.
  Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US
  Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle
  of the west coast.

Bangladesh
  Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of
  Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to
  dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947,
  West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from
  India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of
  Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward
  arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units
  separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and
  dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West
  Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. About a third of this
  extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy
  season, hampering economic development.

Barbados
  The island was uninhabited when first settled by the
  British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on
  the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy
  remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production
  through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social
  and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete
  independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and
  manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

Bassas da India
  This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs
  and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was
  placed under the administration of an Administrateur Superieur of
  the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Belarus
  After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR,
  Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer
  political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former
  Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state
  union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic
  integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the
  accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his
  election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexander
  LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian
  means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press,
  peaceful assembly, and religion continue.

Belgium
  Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it
  was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country
  prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically
  advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions
  between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the
  French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to
  constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition
  and autonomy.

Belize
  Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their
  decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and
  Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it
  formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial
  disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of
  Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation
  until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current
  concerns include high unemployment, growing involvement in the South
  American drug trade, and increasing urban crime.

Benin
  Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West
  African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became
  a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960,
  as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended
  in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the
  establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles.
  A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later,
  free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as
  president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa
  from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by
  elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were
  alleged.

Bermuda
  Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English
  colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North
  American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism
  continues to be important to the island's economy, although
  international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has
  developed into a highly successful offshore financial center.
  Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly
  defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the
  issue.

Bhutan
  In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu,
  under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for
  ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a
  monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed
  whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal
  affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs.
  This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years
  later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan
  annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country
  received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and
  foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in
  Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven
  United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the
  government's draft constitution - which would introduce major
  democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for
  its approval. A referendum date has yet to be named.

Bolivia
  Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR,
  broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history
  has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups.
  Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have
  faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and
  illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected
  Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the
  widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule
  in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's
  traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority.
  However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have
  exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian
  populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of
  the eastern lowlands.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of
  sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of
  independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a
  referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported
  by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed
  resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and
  joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994,
  Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from
  three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat
  Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in
  Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that
  brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final
  agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace
  Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries
  and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government charged
  with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also
  recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities
  roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and
  Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The
  Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most
  government functions. The Office of the High Representative (OHR)
  was established to oversee the implementation of the civilian
  aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international
  peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to
  implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR
  was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR)
  whose mission was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union
  peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their
  mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country.

Botswana
  Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana
  adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
  uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
  significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
  economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
  dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
  to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
  preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
  HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
  comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Bouvet Island
  This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely
  covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered
  in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named.
  No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In
  1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied
  the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the
  adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since
  1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the
  island.

Brazil
  Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil
  became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far
  the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil
  overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the
  governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime
  peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to
  pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its
  interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool,
  it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional
  leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing
  problem.

British Indian Ocean Territory
  Established as a territory of the UK
  in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)
  islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained
  independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the
  six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The
  largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a
  joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are
  uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the
  islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the
  Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court
  ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded
  them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of
  Diego Garcia.

British Virgin Islands
  First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib
  Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and
  then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the
  British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were
  granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger
  and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is
  the legal currency.

Brunei
  The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th
  and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of
  northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently
  entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal
  succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In
  1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was
  achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six
  centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas
  fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the
  developing world.

Bulgaria
  The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the
  local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
  Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with
  the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the
  end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman
  Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of
  Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having
  fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within
  the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in
  1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its
  first multiparty election since World War II and began the
  contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a
  market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption,
  and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and is slated to join the
  EU in 2007.

Burkina Faso
  Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved
  independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the
  1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early
  1990s. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural
  resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its
  citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has
  hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe
  farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.

Burma
  Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886)
  and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered
  as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
  self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
  attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
  1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and
  later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections
  in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National
  League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling
  junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize
  recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to
  1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently
  transferred to house arrest, where she remains virtually
  incommunicado. In November 2005, the junta extended her detention
  for at least another six months. Her supporters, as well as all
  those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely
  harassed or jailed.

Burundi
  Burundi's first democratically elected president was
  assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office,
  triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi
  factions. Over 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that
  spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians
  were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring
  countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement
  between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003
  paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated
  defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a
  majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by
  President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered
  ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in the summer of 2006
  but still faces many challenges.

Cambodia
  Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers,
  descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of
  Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th
  centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam)
  weakened the empire ushering in a long period of decline. The king
  placed the country under French protection in 1863. Cambodia became
  part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in
  World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953.
  In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge
  forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At
  least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships,
  or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A
  December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the
  countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off
  almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated
  democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected
  by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore
  some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional
  fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second
  round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another
  coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining
  elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the
  remaining leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for
  crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively
  peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending
  political parties before a coalition government was formed.

Cameroon
  The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon
  merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally
  enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of
  agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry.
  Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power
  remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by
  President Paul BIYA.

Canada
  A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada
  became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the
  British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has
  developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across
  an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is
  meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and
  education services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada also faces
  questions about integrity in government following revelations
  regarding a corruption scandal in the federal government that has
  helped revive the fortunes of separatists in predominantly
  francophone Quebec.

Cape Verde
  The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by
  the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a
  trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and
  resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following
  independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with
  Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained
  until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues
  to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments.
  Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused
  significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result,
  Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one.
  Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

Cayman Islands
  The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the
  British during the 18th and 19th centuries, and were administered by
  Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within
  the Federation of the West Indies, but when the Federation dissolved
  in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.

Central African Republic
  The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari
  became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After
  three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments
  - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade.
  President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by
  unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by
  General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government.
  Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups
  and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the
  municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and
  May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The
  government still does not fully control the countryside, where
  pockets of lawlessness persist.

Chad
  Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured
  three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before
  a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government
  eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed
  presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke
  out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several
  peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new
  rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks
  into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority.
  In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully
  removing constitutional term limits.

Chile
  Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century,
  northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians
  inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely
  subjugated by Spain until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared
  its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not
  achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile
  defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A
  three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown
  in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET,
  who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990.
  Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s,
  have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the
  country's commitment to democratic and representative government.
  Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership
  roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

China
  For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing
  the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and
  early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major
  famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War
  II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic
  socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed
  strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of
  millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and
  other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by
  2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living
  standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal
  choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

Christmas Island
  Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the
  island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate
  mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to
  Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared
  a national park.

Clipperton Island
  This isolated island was named for John
  CLIPPERTON, a pirate who made it his hideout early in the 18th
  century. Annexed by France in 1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897.
  Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France, which took
  possession in 1935.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  There are 27 coral islands in the group.
  Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they
  remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in
  1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955.
  The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split
  between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on
  Home Island.

Colombia
  Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from
  the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and
  Venezuela). A 40-year conflict between government forces and
  anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups -
  both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s.
  The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to
  overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since
  about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and
  large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence.
  Paramilitary groups challenge the insurgents for control of
  territory and the drug trade. Most paramilitary members have
  demobilized since 2002 in an ongoing peace process, although their
  commitment to ceasing illicit activity is unclear. The Colombian
  Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control
  throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its
  municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the
  violence spilling over their borders.

Comoros
  Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since
  gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of
  Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999,
  military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the
  secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000
  Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution
  and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each
  island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union
  president took office in May 2002.

Congo, Democratic Republic of the Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several subsequent sham elections, as well as through the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DRC, Congolese armed rebel groups, Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe but sporadic fighting continued. Laurent KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; Joseph KABILA remains as president and is joined by four vice presidents representing the former government, former rebel groups, and the political opposition. The transitional government held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005, and plans to hold a series of elections in 2006 to determine the presidency and National Assembly seats.

Congo, Republic of the
  Upon independence in 1960, the former French
  region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter
  century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a
  democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil
  war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO,
  and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest.
  Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March
  2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a
  humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's
  largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will
  need to hope for new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings
  over the long term.

Cook Islands
  Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the
  islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900,
  administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965
  residents chose self-government in free association with New
  Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and
  government deficits are continuing problems.

Coral Sea Islands
  Scattered over more than three-quarters of a
  million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were
  declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited
  except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets.
  Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many
  other islands and reefs.

Costa Rica
  Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th
  century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved
  unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease
  from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives,
  and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement
  of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands.
  The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In
  1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces
  that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later
  it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this
  federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica
  proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th
  century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the
  country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a
  large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to
  include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of
  living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

Cote d'Ivoire
  Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the
  development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment
  made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical
  African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. In
  December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's
  history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI
  blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself
  the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought
  runner-up Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and
  disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt
  in September 2002. Rebel forces claimed the northern half of the
  country, and in January 2003 were granted ministerial positions in a
  unity government under the auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace
  Accord. President GBAGBO and rebel forces resumed implementation of
  the peace accord in December 2003 after a three-month stalemate, but
  issues that sparked the civil war, such as land reform and grounds
  for citizenship, remain unresolved. The central government has yet
  to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high
  between GBAGBO and opposition leaders. Several thousand French and
  West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and
  facilitate the disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation
  process.

Croatia
  The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the
  Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the
  Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as
  Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal
  independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO.
  Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991,
  it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before
  occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under
  UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was
  returned to Croatia in 1998.

Cuba
  The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after
  the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492
  and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next
  several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to
  work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the
  launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from
  Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became
  increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and
  occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. It was US
  intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally
  overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established
  Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year
  transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959;
  his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's
  Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout
  Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The
  country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in
  1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4
  billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as
  the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration
  to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or
  via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast
  Guard intercepted 2,712 individuals attempting to cross the Straits
  of Florida in fiscal year 2005.

Cyprus
  A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960
  following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the
  Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head
  in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia.
  Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic
  intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into
  enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek
  Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by
  military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a
  third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself
  the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," but it is recognized only
  by Turkey. The latest two-year round of UN-brokered talks - between
  the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to
  reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the
  Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004
  referendum. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although
  the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies
  only to the areas under direct Republic of Cyprus control, and is
  suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. At present,
  every Cypriot carrying a Cyprus passport has the status of a
  European citizen; however, EU laws do not apply to north Cyprus.
  Nicosia continues to oppose EU efforts to establish direct trade and
  economic links to north Cyprus as a way of encouraging the Turkish
  Cypriot community to continue to support reunification.

Czech Republic
  Following the First World War, the closely related
  Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to
  form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's
  leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of
  other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the
  Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II,
  a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of
  influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the
  efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule
  and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations
  the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the
  collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its
  freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993,
  the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national
  components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic
  joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.

Denmark
  Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north
  European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation
  that is participating in the general political and economic
  integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the
  EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements
  of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European
  Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and
  issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.

Dhekelia
  By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created
  the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty
  and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
  Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign
  Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base
  Area.

Djibouti
  The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became
  Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian
  one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999.
  Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war
  that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord
  between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999,
  Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the
  election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and
  final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic
  location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important
  transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east
  African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to
  France, which maintains a significant military presence in the
  country, but is also developing stronger ties with the US. Djibouti
  hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a
  front-line state in the global war on terrorism.

Dominica
  Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be
  colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the
  native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763,
  which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after
  independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and
  tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia
  CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who
  remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still
  living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining
  in the eastern Caribbean.

Dominican Republic
  Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on
  his first voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola became a
  springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American
  mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western
  third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of
  the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own
  independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians
  for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican
  Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to
  the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that
  restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly
  non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of
  Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930-1961. Juan BOSCH was elected
  president in 1962, but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In
  1965, the United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil
  war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin
  BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. BALAGUER
  maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when
  international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his
  term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been
  held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former
  President (1996-2000) Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna won election to a
  second term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing
  presidents to serve more than one term.

East Timor
  The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in
  the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing
  with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty
  in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial
  Japan occupied East Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed
  colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East
  Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975
  and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later.
  It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of
  East Timor. An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over
  the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000
  individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised
  popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of East
  Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Between the referendum
  and the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force in late
  September 1999, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and
  supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale,
  scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed
  approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into
  West Timor as refugees. The majority of the country's
  infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply
  systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical
  grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led
  peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor
  (INTERFET) deployed to the country and brought the violence to an
  end. On 20 May 2002, East Timor was internationally recognized as an
  independent state.

Ecuador
  What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire
  until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish
  colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New
  Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada
  (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence by 1819
  and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew
  in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic
  of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in
  a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru
  that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25
  years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by
  political instability. Seven presidents have governed Ecuador since
  1996.

Egypt
  The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood,
  coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and
  west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great
  civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series
  of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last
  native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were
  replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who
  introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who
  ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the
  Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the
  conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the
  completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important
  world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt.
  Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of
  Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman
  Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in
  1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The
  completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake
  Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the
  agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the
  largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on
  the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The
  government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium
  through economic reform and massive investment in communications and
  physical infrastructure.

El Salvador
  El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and
  from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war,
  which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when
  the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for
  military and political reforms.

Equatorial Guinea
  Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968
  after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a
  mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest
  on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO
  has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup.
  Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996
  and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004
  legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president
  exerts almost total control over the political system and has
  discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced
  rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil
  reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's
  third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall
  from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government
  revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the
  population's living standards.

Eritrea
  Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a
  federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years
  later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991
  with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was
  overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year
  border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN
  auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping
  operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on
  the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to
  resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final
  demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.

Estonia
  After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian
  rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated
  into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the
  collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in
  1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties
  with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of
  2004.

Ethiopia
  Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian
  monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the
  exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In
  1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE
  (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn
  by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee
  problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of
  rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
  (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first
  multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea
  late in the 1990's ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Final
  demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian
  objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to
  surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.

Europa Island
  A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily
  wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a
  weather station.

European Union
  Following the two devastating World Wars of the first
  half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late
  1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting
  peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and
  Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French
  Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all
  Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal
  and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the
  European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six
  members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the
  Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris. The ECSC was so successful
  that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other
  parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome
  created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European
  Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states
  undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a
  common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities
  were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a
  single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European
  Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially
  selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct
  elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years
  since. In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the
  addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw
  further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain
  and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis
  for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in
  judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic
  and monetary union - including a common currency. This further
  integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria,
  Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to
  15. A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on
  1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU
  states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002,
  citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro
  banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 -
  Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
  Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current
  membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to
  function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of
  Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU
  institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29
  October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document
  before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda
  held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 rejected the
  proposed constitution. This development suspended the ratification
  effort and left the longer-term political integration of the EU in
  limbo.

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  Although first sighted by an
  English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur
  until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement
  (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over
  to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject
  of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then
  between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the
  islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina
  invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an
  expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce
  fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.

Faroe Islands
  The population of the Faroe Islands is largely
  descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The
  islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th
  century. A high degree of self government was attained in 1948.

Fiji
  Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a
  British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military
  coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as
  dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers
  brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The
  coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian
  control of Fiji, led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss
  resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians
  became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more
  equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a
  government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May
  2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil.
  Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a
  democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia
  QARASE.

Finland
  Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden
  from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of
  Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During
  World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and
  resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of
  territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a
  remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a
  diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on
  par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland
  was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation
  in January 1999.

France
  Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France
  suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank
  as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the
  most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European
  nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy
  resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary
  democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation
  with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of
  Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency,
  the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of
  efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement
  progress toward an EU foreign policy.

French Guiana
  First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was
  the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European
  Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou.

French Polynesia
  The French annexed various Polynesian island groups
  during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up
  widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll
  after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January
  1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been
  considerably expanded.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.

Gabon
  Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since
  independence from France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El
  Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state
  in the world - has dominated the contry's political scene for almost
  four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system
  and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of
  electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the
  presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal
  political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition remains
  weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime.
  Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural
  resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon
  one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.

Gambia, The
  The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965;
  it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal
  between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship
  and cooperation treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the
  president and banned political activity, but a 1996 constitution and
  presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997,
  completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook
  another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001
  and early 2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has
  been elected president in all subsequent elections.

Gaza Strip
  The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
  Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13
  September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding
  five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip
  and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain
  powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as
  part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and
  Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza
  Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994
  Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in
  additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28
  September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997
  Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23
  October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm
  el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain
  responsibility during the transitional period for external and
  internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli
  citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of
  Gaza and West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year
  hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in
  September 2000. In April 2003 the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia)
  presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005
  based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states,
  Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent
  status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and
  accusations that both sides have not followed through on their
  commitments. Longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in
  November 2004 and Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January
  2005, bringing hope of a turning point in the conflict. In February
  2005 Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments,
  focused on security issues, in an effort to move the peace process
  forward. Progress has been slow because of different interpretations
  of the verbal agreement by the two sides. In September 2005, Israel
  withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military
  facilities in the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank
  settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and
  most access to the Gaza Strip. An agreement signed by the PA and
  Israel in November 2005 authorized the reopening of the Rafah border
  crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and
  Egyptian control, with monitoring provided by the EU.

Georgia
  The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient
  kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman
  influence in the first centuries A.D. and Christianity became the
  state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks
  was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was
  cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman
  and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia
  was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century.
  Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian
  revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the
  Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An attempt by the incumbent Georgian
  government to manipulate national legislative elections in November
  2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of
  Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early
  2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National
  Movement Party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has
  been made in the years since independence, but this progress has
  been complicated by two civil conflicts in the breakaway regions of
  Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two territories remain outside the
  control of the central government and are ruled by de facto,
  unrecognized governments, supported by Russia. Russian-led
  peacekeeping operations continue in both regions. The Georgian
  Government put forward a new peace initiative for the peaceful
  resolution of the status of South Ossetia in 2005.

Germany
  As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation,
  Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political,
  and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany
  in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century
  and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the
  US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the
  Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal
  Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic
  (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic
  and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,
  while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led
  Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War
  allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has
  expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages
  up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU
  countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Ghana
  Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast
  and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first
  sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A
  long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution
  in 1981 and a ban on political parties. A new constitution,
  restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry
  RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in
  1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a
  third term in 2000. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President
  Atta MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.

Gibraltar
  Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded
  to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British
  garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum
  held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British
  dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar
  states that the British government will never allow the people of
  Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against
  their freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talks
  were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing
  temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these
  talks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002
  in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any
  sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite
  talks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in
  September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to
  allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed up
  customs procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar.
  Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in
  Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to
  open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly.

Glorioso Islands
  A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso
  Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile
  Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison
  operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.

Greece
  Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829.
  During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the
  20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and
  territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II,
  Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied
  by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war
  between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the
  latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military
  dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and
  forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974
  democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary
  republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981 Greece joined the EC
  (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.

Greenland
  Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81%
  ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from
  Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and
  Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined
  the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but
  withdrew in 1985 over a dispute over stringent fishing quotas.
  Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish
  parliament. The law went into effect the following year. Denmark
  continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs.

Grenada
  Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the
  island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century.
  The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar
  estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took
  the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the
  19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export
  crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In
  1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full
  independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest
  independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized
  by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the
  island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean
  nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds
  of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following
  year and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck
  Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.

Guadeloupe
  Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The
  island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern
  portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands
  Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part
  of Guadeloupe

Guam
  Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the
  Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The
  military installation on the island is one of the most strategically
  important US bases in the Pacific.

Guatemala
  The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and
  surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost
  three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence
  in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced
  a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year
  guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement
  formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000
  people dead and had created some 1 million refugees.

Guernsey
  The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands
  represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy,
  which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the
  only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II.
  Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Guinea
  Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its
  independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in
  1984 when the military seized the government after the death of the
  first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic
  elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military
  government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was
  reelected in 1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and
  Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the
  past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian
  emergencies.

Guinea-Bissau
  Since independence from Portugal in 1974,
  Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military
  upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian
  dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a
  path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was
  characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the
  purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s
  and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected
  president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny
  and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in
  May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over
  power to opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected
  president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only
  three years in office, YALA was ousted by the military in a
  bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as
  interim president. In August 2005, former President VIEIRA was
  re-elected president in the second round of presidential polling.
  Since formally assuming office in October 2005, Vieira has pledged
  to pursue economic development and national reconciliation.

Guyana
  Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana
  had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to
  black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured
  servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This
  ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent
  politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and
  since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented
  governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is
  considered the country's first free and fair election since
  independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Jane
  JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her
  successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.

Haiti
  The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of
  Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were
  virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the
  early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola,
  and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the
  island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on
  forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest
  in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African
  slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th
  century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint
  L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first
  black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The poorest
  country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by
  political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion
  led to the departure of President Jean-Betrand ARISTIDE in February
  2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections
  under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in
  Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays have
  prompted repeated postponements, and Haiti missed the
  constitutionally-mandated presidential inauguration date of 7
  February 2006.

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  These uninhabited, barren,
  sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in
  1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the
  islands have been designated a nature preserve.

Holy See (Vatican City)
  Popes in their secular role ruled portions
  of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the
  mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the
  newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were
  further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between
  a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by
  three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of
  Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy.
  In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain
  of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman
  Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the
  Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the
  Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation,
  and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and
  globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic
  faith.

Honduras
  Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras
  became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades
  of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came
  to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for
  anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government
  and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist
  guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998,
  which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion
  in damage.

Hong Kong
  Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded
  by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later
  in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and
  the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special
  Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this
  agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two
  systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be
  imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of
  autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the
  next 50 years.

Howland Island
  Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the
  island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British
  companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day
  beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially
  destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is
  named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is
  administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National
  Wildlife Refuge.

Hungary
  Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire,
  which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist
  rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced
  withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military
  intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968,
  Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called
  "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in
  1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and
  the EU in 2004.

Iceland
  Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish)
  immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland
  boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the
  Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland
  was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja
  volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused
  widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the
  island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited
  home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence
  attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion
  are first-rate by world standards.

Iles Eparses
  The Iles Eparses, or scattered islands, are a group of
  five French entities - Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
  Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island - which on 1 April
  1960 came under the authority of the Minister in charge of overseas
  possessions. On 19 September 1960 by decree, the islands were
  transferred to the charge of the Prefet of Reunion where they
  remained until 3 January 2005 when they were transferred by another
  decree to the Senior Administrator of the Territory of the French
  Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF).
  Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a
  volcanic seamount surrounded by reefs and awash at high tide.
  Europa Island: A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily
  wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a
  weather station.
  Glorioso Islands: A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso
  Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile
  Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison
  operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.
  Juan de Nova Island: Named after a famous 15th century Spanish
  navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession
  since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.
  Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological
  station.
  Tromelin Island: First explored by the French in 1776, the island
  came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it
  serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important
  meteorological station.

India
  The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,
  dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest
  infiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the
  earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture.
  Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th
  were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late
  15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political
  control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the
  British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent
  resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and
  Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was
  divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state
  of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted
  in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite
  impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces
  pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over
  Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation,
  extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.

Indian Ocean
  The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's
  five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger
  than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important
  access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb
  (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of
  Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International
  Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
  ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean
  south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Indonesia
  The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th
  century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945.
  Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it
  required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring
  hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to
  relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic
  state and home to the world's largest Muslim population. Current
  issues include: alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism,
  consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism,
  implementing financial sector reforms, stemming corruption, and
  holding the military and police accountable for human rights
  violations. Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the December 2004
  tsunami, which particularly affected Aceh province causing over
  100,000 deaths and over $4 billion in damage. An additional
  earthquake in March 2005 created heavy destruction on the island of
  Nias. Reconstruction in these areas may take up to a decade. In
  2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed
  separatists in Aceh, but it continues to face a low intensity
  separatist guerilla movement in Papua.

Iran
  Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in
  1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was
  forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a
  theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority
  nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US
  relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students
  seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until
  20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive
  war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led
  to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between
  1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for
  its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains
  subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its
  continued involvement. Following the elections of a reformist
  president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political
  reform in response to popular dissatisfaction floundered as
  conservative politicians prevented reform measures from being
  enacted, increased repressive measures, and made electoral gains
  against reformers. Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August
  2005 inauguration of a conservative stalwart as president, completed
  the reconsolidation of conservative power in Iran's government.

Iraq
  Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by
  Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a
  League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over
  the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in
  1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series
  of military strongmen ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM
  Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and
  costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait,
  but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War
  of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN
  Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass
  destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification
  inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions
  over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in
  March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition
  forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure
  and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government,
  while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition
  Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the
  invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004,
  to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG), which governed under the
  Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL,
  elections for a 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were
  held in Iraq on 30 January 2005. Following these elections, the
  Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was
  charged with drafting Iraq's permanent constitution, which was
  approved in a 15 October 2005 constitutional referendum. An election
  under the constitution for a 275-member Council of Representatives
  (CoR) was held in December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection
  of most of the cabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the
  transition from the ITG to Iraq's full-term government.

Ireland
  Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C.
  Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were
  finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014.
  English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than
  seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions
  and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched
  off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in
  independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern
  (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrew
  from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in
  1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of
  Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A
  peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday
  Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some
  difficulties.

Isle of Man
  Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the
  13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the
  British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost
  extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown
  dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Israel
  Following World War II, the British withdrew from their
  mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and
  Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently,
  the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending
  the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
  Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country
  profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew
  from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
  Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a
  Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding
  an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial
  and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994
  Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel
  withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied
  since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid
  Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted
  between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve
  a permanent settlement. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in
  conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the
  lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict
  by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two
  states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward
  a permanent status agreement was undermined by Palestinian-Israeli
  violence between September 2000 and February 2005. An agreement
  reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly reduced
  the violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the
  new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir
  ARAFAT, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism
  coalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israeli
  disengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presented
  an opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israeli
  political events between October and December 2005 have destabilized
  the political situation and forced early elections, scheduled for
  March 2006.

Italy
  Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states
  of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under
  King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to
  a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a
  Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led
  to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced
  the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a
  charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It
  has been at the forefront of European economic and political
  unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
  Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime,
  corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low
  incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the
  prosperous north.

Jamaica
  The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 -
  was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native
  Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were
  gradually exterminated, replaced by African slaves. England siezed
  the island in 1655 and a plantation economy - based on sugar, cocoa,
  and coffee - was established. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed
  a quarter million slaves, many of which became small farmers.
  Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and
  in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the
  Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when
  it withdrew from the federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic
  conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs
  created by the major political parties evolved into powerful
  organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling
  and money laundering. The cycle of violence, drugs, and poverty has
  served to impoverish large sectors of the populace. Nonetheless,
  many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute
  substantially to the economy.

Jan Mayen
  This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch
  whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier
  claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters
  and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
  Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
  Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the
  northernmost active volcano on earth.

Japan
  In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered
  in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to
  secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy
  stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the
  Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and
  began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late
  19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that
  was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied
  Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32
  Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale
  invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering
  America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East
  and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan
  recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US.
  While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity,
  actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats,
  and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown
  starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented
  growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia
  and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a
  non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Jarvis Island
  First discovered by the British in 1821, the
  uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in
  1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island
  in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The
  US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World
  War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge
  administered by the US Department of the Interior.

Jersey
  Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last
  remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both
  France and England. These islands were the only British soil
  occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown
  dependency, but is not part of the UK.

Johnston Atoll
  Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed
  Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano
  deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were
  designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll
  in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948.
  The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and
  1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage
  and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now
  complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May
  2005.

Jordan
  Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman
  Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East.
  Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from
  Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence
  in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's
  long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he
  successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers
  (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large
  internal Palestinian population, despite several wars and coup
  attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and
  gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty
  with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the
  throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he
  has consolidated his power and undertaken an aggressive economic
  reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in
  2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade
  Association in 2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and
  municipal elections took place in the summer of 2003. The prime
  minister appointed in November 2005 stated the government would
  focus on political reforms, improving conditions for the poor, and
  fighting corruption.

Juan de Nova Island
  Named after a famous 15th century Spanish
  navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession
  since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.
  Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological
  station.

Kazakhstan
  Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes
  who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united
  as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
  century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
  1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
  were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
  This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
  deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
  non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many
  of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
  cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
  country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
  achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
  mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
  and other foreign powers.

Kenya
  Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA
  led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when
  President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional
  succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969
  until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made
  itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and
  external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The
  ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power
  in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and
  fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the
  Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following
  fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate
  of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow
  Coalition, defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the
  presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption
  platform.

Kingman Reef
  The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon
  served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa
  flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on
  the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant
  and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding
  the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.

Kiribati
  The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in
  1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of
  Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited
  Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with
  Kiribati.

Korea, North An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il-so'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a 1994 agreement with the US to freeze and ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." Since August 2003, North Korea has participated in the Six-Party Talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US designed to resolve the stalemate over its nuclear programs. The fourth round of Six-Party Talks were held in Beijing during July-September 2005. All parties agreed to a Joint Statement of Principles in which, among other things, the six parties unanimously reaffirmed the goal of verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. In the Joint Statement, the DPRK committed to "abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and returning, at an early date, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards." The Joint Statement also commits the US and other parties to certain actions as the DPRK denuclearizes. The US offered a security assurance, specifying that it had no nuclear weapons on ROK territory and no intention to attack or invade the DPRK with nuclear or other weapons. The US and DPRK will take steps to normalize relations, subject to the DPRK's implementing its denuclearization pledge and resolving other longstanding concerns. While the Joint Statement provides a vision of the end-point of the Six-Party process, much work lies ahead to implement the elements of the agreement.

Korea, South
  Korea was an independent kingdom for much of its
  millennia-long history. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese
  War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally
  annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, a Republic of
  Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula
  while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the
  DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces
  fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from
  DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice
  was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized
  zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved
  rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14
  times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South
  Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military
  rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In
  June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between
  the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong
  Il.

Kuwait
  Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
  Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
  Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
  several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
  ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
  days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
  damaged during 1990-91.

Kyrgyzstan
  A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and
  proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864;
  it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Nationwide
  demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of
  President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990.
  Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won
  overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV. Current
  concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises,
  expansion of democracy and political freedoms, reduction of
  corruption, improving interethnic relations, and combating terrorism.

Laos
  Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan
  Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three
  hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia
  and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of
  gradual decline, Laos came under the control of Siam (Thailand) from
  the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became
  part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined
  the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet
  Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy
  and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to
  Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the
  liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became
  a member of ASEAN in 1997.

Latvia
  After a brief period of independence between the two World
  Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its
  independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
  Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the
  Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to
  Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Lebanon
  Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by
  Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this
  territory and separated out a region of Lebanon in 1920. France
  granted this area independence in 1943. A 15-year civil war
  (1976-1991) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made
  progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the
  Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the
  Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly
  by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while
  institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the
  end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections,
  most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces
  (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country.
  Hizballah, a radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State
  Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons.
  During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if
  Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly
  east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus justified its
  continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests
  and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the
  constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from
  southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese
  groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage
  of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria
  to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese
  affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's
  presence in Lebanon. The assassination of former Prime Minister
  Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive
  demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar
  Revolution"). Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its military
  forces from Lebanon in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held
  its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free
  of foreign interference, handing a two-thirds majority to the bloc
  led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son.

Lesotho
  Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon
  independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled
  for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but
  returned to Lesotho in 1992 and reinstated in 1995. Constitutional
  government was restored in 1993 after 7 years of military rule. In
  1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious
  election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African
  and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern
  African Development Community. Constitutional reforms have since
  restored political stability; peaceful parliamentary elections were
  held in 2002.

Liberia
  Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today
  Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to
  establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did
  much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic,
  social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original
  settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military
  coup led by Samuel DOE assassinated President William TOLBERT
  (1971-80) and ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule followed by
  a prolonged civil war, in which DOE himself was killed. In August
  2003, a comprehensive peace agreement ended 14 years of intermittent
  fighting and prompted the resignation of former president Charles
  TAYLOR, who was exiled to Nigeria. After two years of rule by a
  transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought
  President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia
  (UNMIL), which maintains a strong presence throughout the country,
  completed a disarmament program for former combatants in late 2004,
  but the security situation is still volatile and the process of
  rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn
  country remains sluggish.

Libya
  The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks from the area around
  Tripoli in 1911 and did not reliquish their hold until 1943 when
  defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and
  achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col.
  Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI began to espouse his own political
  system, the Third Universal Theory. The system is a combination of
  socialism and Islam derived in part from tribal practices and is
  supposed to be implemented by the Libyan people themselves in a
  unique form of "direct democracy." QADHAFI has always seen himself
  as a revolutionary and visionary leader. He used oil funds during
  the 1970s and 1980s to promote his ideology outside Libya,
  supporting subversives and terrorists abroad to hasten the end of
  Marxism and capitalism. In addition, beginning in 1973, he engaged
  in military operations in northern Chad's Aozou Strip - to gain
  access to minerals and to use as a base of influence in Chadian
  politics - but was forced to retreat in 1987. UN sanctions in 1992
  isolated QADHAFI politically following the downing of Pan AM Flight
  103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libyan support for terrorism appeared
  to have decreased after the imposition of sanctions. During the
  1990s, QADHAFI also began to rebuild his relationships with Europe.
  UN sanctions were suspended in April 1999 and finally lifted in
  September 2003 after Libya resolved the Lockerbie case. In December
  2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its
  programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, and QADHAFI has
  made significant strides in normalizing relations with western
  nations since then. He has received various Western European leaders
  as well as many working-level and commercial delegations, and made
  his first trip to Western Europe in 15 years when he traveled to
  Brussels in April 2004. QADHAFI also finally resolved in 2004
  several outstanding cases against his government for terrorist
  activities in the 1980s by compensating the families of victims of
  the UTA and La Belle disco bombings.

Liechtenstein
  The Principality of Liechtenstein was established
  within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719; it became a sovereign state in
  1806. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria,
  but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced
  Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with
  Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained
  neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic
  growth. Shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight have resulted
  in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for money
  laundering. Liechtenstein has, however, implemented new
  anti-money-laundering legislation and recently concluded a Mutual
  Legal Assistance Treaty with the US.

Lithuania
  Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was
  annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the
  first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but
  Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991
  (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops
  withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy
  for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both
  NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Luxembourg
  Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815
  and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than
  half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger
  measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun
  by Germany in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when
  it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO
  the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six
  founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the
  European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Macau
  Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the
  first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement
  signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the
  Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December
  1999. China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems"
  formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in
  Macau, and that Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all
  matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Macedonia
  Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from
  Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of
  what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international
  recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of the
  "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a
  20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize
  relations, although differences over Macedonia's name remain. The
  undetermined status of neighboring Kosovo, implementation of the
  Framework Agreement - which ended the 2001 ethnic Albanian armed
  insurgency - and a weak economy continue to be challenges for
  Macedonia.

Madagascar
  Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a
  French colony in 1896, but regained its independence in 1960. During
  1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were
  held, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second
  presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and
  1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential
  election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and
  Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country.
  In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA
  the winner.

Malawi
  Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland
  became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades
  of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country
  held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution
  which came into full effect the following year. Current President
  Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by
  the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another
  term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor,
  who still leads their shared political party. MUTHARIKA's
  anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests and
  one prominent conviction. Increasing corruption, population growth,
  increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of
  HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

Malaysia
  During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain
  established colonies and protectorates in the area of current
  Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948,
  the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the
  Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was
  formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the
  East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of
  Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the
  country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control
  Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from
  the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister
  MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in
  diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw
  materials, to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.

Maldives
  The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and
  then under British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three
  years after independence. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
  - currently in his sixth term in office - has dominated the islands'
  political scene. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004,
  the president and his government have pledged to embark upon
  democratic reforms, including a more representative political system
  and expanded political freedoms. Tourism and fishing are being
  developed on the archipelago.

Mali
  The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France
  in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a
  few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed
  Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a coup
  that ushered in democratic government. President Alpha KONARE won
  Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was
  reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional
  limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE.

Malta
  Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814.
  The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and
  remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A
  decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the
  island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a
  financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU
  member in May 2004.

Marshall Islands
  After almost four decades under US administration
  as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific
  Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a
  Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a
  result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and
  1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA)
  Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile
  defense network.

Martinique
  The French began to settle this island in 1635,
  overcoming resistance from the local Carib inhabitants. In 1660, the
  suviving natives were rounded up and permanently expelled. The
  island has subsequently remained a French possession except for
  three brief periods of foreign occupation.

Mauritania
  Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the
  southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in
  1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the
  Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory.
  Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984.
  Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in
  1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely
  seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections
  were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005
  deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by
  Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power
  for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine
  democratic institutions and organized elections. For now, however,
  Mauritania remains an autocratic state, and the country continues to
  experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different
  Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.

Mauritius
  Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the
  10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in
  1505; it was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British
  before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with
  regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the
  country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned
  one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and
  declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some
  protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Mayotte
  Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of
  the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago
  that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego
  independence.

Mexico
  The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came
  under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence
  early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994
  threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession
  in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive
  recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real
  wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population,
  inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities
  for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern
  states. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time since the
  1910 Mexican Revolution that the opposition defeated the party in
  government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Vicente FOX
  of the National Action Party (PAN) was sworn in on 1 December 2000
  as the first chief executive elected in free and fair elections.

Micronesia, Federated States of
  In 1979 the Federated States of
  Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a
  constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of
  Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004.
  Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and
  overdependence on US aid.

Midway Islands
  The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867.
  The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the
  islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947,
  Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The
  US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of
  the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve
  as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a
  national wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to
  the public; it is now temporarily closed.

Moldova
  Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into the
  Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from
  the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan
  territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority
  population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a
  "Transnistria" republic. The poorest nation in Europe, Moldova
  became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its
  president in 2001.

Monaco
  The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day
  Monaco in 1215. The current ruling Grimaldi family secured control
  in the late 13th century, and a principality was established in
  1338. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with
  a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then,
  the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling
  facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation
  center.

Mongolia
  The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under
  Chinggis KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire. After his death
  the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but
  these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually
  retired to their original steppe homelands and later came under
  Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet
  backing. A Communist regime was installed in 1924. The ex-Communist
  Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990
  and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC)
  in the 1996 parliamentary election. Since then, parliamentary
  elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000 and
  produced a coalition government in 2004.

Montenegro
  The use of the name Montenegro began in the 15th century
  when the Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of
  Zeta; over subsequent centuries it was able to maintain its
  independence from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th
  centuries, Montenegro became a theocratic state ruled by a series of
  bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular
  principality. After World War I, Montenegro was part of the Kingdom
  of Yugoslavia, and, at the conclusion of World War II, it became a
  constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of
  Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved in 1992, Montenegro federated
  with Serbia, first as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after
  2003, in a looser union of Serbia and Montenegro. Following a
  three-year postponement, Montenegro held an independence referendum
  in the spring of 2006 under rules set by the EU. The vote for
  severing ties with Serbia exceeded the 55% threshold, allowing
  Montenegro to formally declare its independence on 3 June 2006.

Montserrat
  English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled
  on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three
  decades later. The British and French fought for possesion of the
  island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as
  a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy
  was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century.
  Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population
  fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano
  that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity
  since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003.

Morocco
  In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North
  Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In
  the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad
  AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a
  golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in
  a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw
  Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a
  protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle
  with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city
  of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new
  country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara
  during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the
  territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s
  resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which
  first met in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second
  time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in
  September 2003.

Mozambique
  Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a
  close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by whites,
  economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a
  prolonged civil war hindered the country's development. The ruling
  Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally
  abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year
  provided for multiparty elections and a free market economy. A
  UN-negotiated peace agreement between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique
  National Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In
  December 2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim
  CHISSANO stepped down after 18 years in office. His newly elected
  successor, Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, has promised to continue the
  sound economic policies that have encouraged foreign investment.

Namibia
  South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa
  during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after
  World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist
  South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group
  launched a war of independence for the area that was soon named
  Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end
  its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire
  region. Namibia won its independence in 1990 and has been governed
  by SWAPO since. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in
  November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led
  the country during its first 14 years of self rule.

Nauru
  The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their
  language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was
  annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be
  mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium.
  Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and
  subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second
  World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN
  trust territory. It achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the
  UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.

Navassa Island
  This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857
  for its guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The
  lighthouse, built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration
  of Navassa Island transferred from the Coast Guard to the Department
  of the Interior. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island
  described it as a unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity; the
  following year it became a National Wildlife Refuge and annual
  scientific expeditions have continued.

Nepal
  In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of
  rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of
  government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy
  within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist
  insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening
  to bring down the regime, especially after a negotiated cease-fire
  between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003.
  In 2001, the crown prince massacred ten members of the royal family,
  including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October
  2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for
  "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were
  subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing
  insurgency. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the
  king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime
  minister who formed a four-party coalition government. Citing
  dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing
  the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005
  dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned
  party leaders, and assumed power. The king's government subsequently
  released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency
  in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April
  2006. After nearly three weeks of mass protests organized by the
  seven-party opposition and the Maoists, the king allowed parliament
  to reconvene on 28 April 2006.

Netherlands
  The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence
  from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading
  seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around
  the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the
  Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a
  separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I,
  but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A
  modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large
  exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member
  of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the
  introduction of the euro in 1999.

Netherlands Antilles
  Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade,
  the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in
  1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in
  the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to
  service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of
  Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named
  Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern
  portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe (France).

New Caledonia
  Settled by both Britain and France during the first
  half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in
  1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864.
  Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in
  the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will
  transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from
  France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to
  conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide
  whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and
  independence.

New Zealand
  The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D.
  800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain,
  the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen
  Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the
  British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of
  land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native
  peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent
  dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars.
  New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances
  lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to
  address longstanding Maori grievances.

Nicaragua
  The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish
  colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from
  Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent
  republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first
  half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region
  in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental
  manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and
  resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist
  Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist
  rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista
  contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990,
  1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006
  announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA
  Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the
  earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being
  rebuilt.

Niger
  Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced
  single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was
  forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which
  resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting
  brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by
  Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military
  officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections
  that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year.
  TANDJA was reelected in 2004. Niger is one of the poorest countries
  in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds
  to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and
  subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended
  droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa.

Nigeria
  British influence and control over what would become Nigeria
  grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World
  War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960.
  Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was
  adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government
  was completed. The president faces the daunting task of reforming a
  petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through
  corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In
  addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding
  ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation
  for economic growth and political stability. Although the April 2003
  elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently
  experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence.

Niue
  Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic
  differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest
  of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered.
  The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200
  in 1966 to about 2,166 in 2006), with substantial emigration to New
  Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Norfolk Island
  Two British attempts at establishing the island as a
  penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In
  1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of
  the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

Northern Mariana Islands
  Under US administration as part of the UN
  Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana
  Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to
  forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status
  began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political
  union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24
  March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in
  1978.

Norway
  Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off
  following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in
  994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next
  several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with
  Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians
  resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new
  constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway
  keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a
  Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to
  a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway
  remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its
  shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World
  War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany
  (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a
  member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the
  late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is
  on containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning
  for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held
  in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU.

Oman
  The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on
  Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established
  sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship
  treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British
  political and military advisors increased, but it never became a
  British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the
  restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since.
  His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the
  outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the
  UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to
  maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Pacific Ocean
  The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five
  oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern
  Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways
  include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and
  Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic
  Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the
  Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60
  degrees south.

Pakistan
  The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim
  state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely
  Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and
  Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed
  Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in
  which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis
  in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the
  separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons
  testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over
  the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and
  confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since
  2002.

Palau
  After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the
  Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the
  Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the
  Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with
  the US was approved in 1986, but not ratified until 1993. It entered
  into force the following year, when the islands gained independence.

Palmyra Atoll
  The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and
  the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the
  archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not
  include Palmyra Atoll, which is now privately owned by the Nature
  Conservancy. This organization is managing the atoll as a nature
  preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nautical
  mile US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and
  Wildlife Service and were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in
  January 2001.

Panama
  Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century,
  Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia,
  Venezuela, and Ecuador - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When
  the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With
  US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed
  a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US
  sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure
  (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army
  Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was
  signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama
  by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and
  increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the
  subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was
  deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the
  Canal, and remaining US military bases were transfered to Panama by
  the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious
  plan to expand the Canal. The project, which is to begin in 2007 and
  could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in
  2014-15.

Papua New Guinea
  The eastern half of the island of New Guinea -
  second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north)
  and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to
  Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World
  War I and continued to administer the combined areas until
  independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island
  of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.

Paracel Islands
  The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive
  fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932,
  French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on
  Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam.
  China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops
  seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands.
  The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

Paraguay
  In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70),
  Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its
  territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In
  the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were
  won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo
  STROESSNER was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in
  political infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular
  presidential elections have been held since then.

Peru
  Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean
  civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was
  captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence
  was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824.
  After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic
  leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth
  of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in
  1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the
  economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity.
  Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian
  measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting
  dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his ouster in 2000. A
  caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001,
  which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government -
  the first democratically elected president of Quechua ethnicity. The
  presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA who,
  after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, returned
  to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions.

Philippines
  The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during
  the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the
  Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a
  self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected President and
  was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a
  10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese
  occupation during WWII, and US forces and Filipinos fought together
  during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Philippines
  attained their independence. The 20-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS
  ended in 1986, when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into
  exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was
  hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a return to full
  political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was
  elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by
  greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US
  closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was
  elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president,
  Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy
  impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and widespread
  demonstrations led to his ouster. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a
  six-year term in May 2004. The Philippine Government faces threats
  from armed communist insurgencies and from Muslim separatists in the
  south.

Pitcairn Islands
  Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the
  British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their
  Tahitian companions. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become
  a British colony (in 1838) and today remains the last vestige of
  that empire in the South Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New
  Zealand, has thinned the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to
  less than 50 today.

Poland
  Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the
  middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th
  century. During the following century, the strengthening of the
  gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of
  agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria
  partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its
  independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet
  Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following
  the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and
  progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the
  independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a
  political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and
  the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s
  enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most
  robust in Central Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering
  challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated
  infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a
  major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to
  elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new
  leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce
  the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the
  European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic,
  market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly
  active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

Portugal
  Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and
  16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the
  destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the
  Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony.
  A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six
  decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a
  left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The
  following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African
  colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC
  (now the EU) in 1986.

Puerto Rico
  Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the
  island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS'
  second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial
  rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and
  African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a
  result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US
  citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since
  1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal
  self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters
  chose not to alter the existing political status.

Qatar
  Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar
  transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for
  pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural
  gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari
  economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum
  revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son,
  the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a
  bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding
  border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural
  gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita
  incomes in the world.

Reunion
  The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513.
  From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration,
  supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar
  Indians, gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez
  Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the
  East Indies trade route.

Romania
  The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries
  under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their
  autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted
  the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its
  independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and
  acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the
  conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and
  participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years
  later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The
  post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist
  "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The
  decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in
  1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive
  and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and
  executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government
  until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in
  March of 2004 and completed accession talks with the European Union
  (EU) in December 2004; it is scheduled to accede to the EU in 2007.

Russia
  Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was
  able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th
  centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding
  principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty
  continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific.
  Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic
  Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th
  century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia.
  Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led
  to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and
  to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists
  under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR.
  The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist
  rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of
  millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the
  following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV
  (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika
  (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his
  initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991
  splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics.
  Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a
  democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict
  social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period.
  While some progress has been made on the economic front, recent
  years have seen a recentralization of power under Vladimir PUTIN and
  the erosion of nascent democratic institutions. A determined
  guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya and threatens to
  destabilize the North Caucasus region.

Rwanda
  In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the
  majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king.
  Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and
  some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The
  children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan
  Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along
  with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic
  tensions, culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly
  800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the
  Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2
  million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to
  neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since
  then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but about 10,000
  remain in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo and have
  formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the
  RPF tried in 1990. Despite substantial international assistance and
  political reforms - including Rwanda's first local elections in
  March 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative
  elections in August and September 2003 - the country continues to
  struggle to boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic
  reconciliation is complicated by the real and perceived Tutsi
  political dominance. Kigali's increasing centralization and
  intolerance of dissent, the nagging Hutu extremist insurgency across
  the border, and Rwandan involvement in two wars in recent years in
  the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to hinder
  Rwanda's efforts to escape its bloody legacy.

Saint Helena
  Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting
  of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of
  Tristan da Cunha.
  Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in
  1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th
  century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's
  exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a
  port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
  During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer
  prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.
  Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered
  and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the
  island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena and
  it served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa
  Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty
  control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena.
  During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an
  airfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africa
  and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s
  the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In
  1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces
  during the Falklands War, and it remains a critical refueling point
  in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.
  Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands of
  Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da
  Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was
  garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue
  Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been
  designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases the site for a
  meteorological station on Gough Island.

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  First settled by the British in 1623, the
  islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in
  1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in
  1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998,
  a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell
  short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis continues in its
  efforts to try and separate from Saint Kitts.

Saint Lucia
  The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries,
  was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and
  early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally
  ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its
  plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island,
  dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was
  granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  First settled by the French in the early
  17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of
  France's once vast North American possessions.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  Resistance by native Caribs
  prevented colonization on St. Vincent until 1719. Disputed between
  France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the
  island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the
  Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and
  independence in 1979.

Samoa
  New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa
  at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer
  the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962,
  when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish
  independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western"
  from its name in 1997.

San Marino
  The third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See
  and Monaco) also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According
  to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marino
  in 301 A.D. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of
  Italy. Social and political trends in the republic also track
  closely with those of its larger neighbor.

Sao Tome and Principe
  Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late
  15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee
  and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave
  labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. Although
  independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not
  instituted until the late 1980s. Though the first free elections
  were held in 1991, the political environment has been one of
  continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup
  attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf
  of Guinea is likely to have a significant impact on the country's
  economy.

Saudi Arabia
  In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured
  Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian
  Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the
  country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the
  hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder.
  Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted
  the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western
  and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait
  the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on
  Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension
  between the royal family and the public until the US military's
  near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first
  major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which
  occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the
  part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and
  extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media
  freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial
  political representation. As part of this effort, the government
  permitted elections - held nationwide from February through April
  2005 - for half the members of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning
  population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on
  petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.

Senegal
  Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the
  Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye
  WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the
  nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged
  integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the
  union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group
  sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but
  Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa.
  Senegal has a long history of participating in international
  peacekeeping.

Serbia
  The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in
  1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi
  Germany in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands that
  fought each other as well as the invaders. The group headed by Josip
  TITO took full control of Yugoslavia upon German expulsion in 1945.
  Although Communist, his new government and its successors (he died
  in 1980) managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact
  nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In the
  early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic
  lines: Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were
  recognized as independent states in 1992. The remaining republics of
  Serbia and Montenegro declared a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
  (FRY) in April 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia
  led various military intervention efforts to unite ethnic Serbs in
  neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." These actions led to
  Yugoslavia being ousted from the UN in 1992, but Serbia continued
  its campaign until signing the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. In
  1998-99, massive expulsions by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries of
  ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo provoked an international
  response, including the NATO bombing of Belgrade and the stationing
  of a NATO-led force (KFOR), in Kosovo. Federal elections in the fall
  of 2000, brought about the ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed
  Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president. The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001
  allowed for his subsequent transfer to the International Criminal
  Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for
  crimes against humanity. In 2001, the country's suspension from the
  UN was lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations
  under the name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has
  been governed by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
  (UNMIK) since June 1999, under the authority of UN Security Council
  Resolution 1244, pending a determination by the international
  community of its future status. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin
  components of Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser
  relationship. In February 2003 lawmakers restructured the country
  into a loose federation of two republics called Serbia and
  Montenegro. The Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro
  included a provision that allowed either republic to hold a
  referendum after three years that would allow for their independence
  from the state union. In the spring of 2006, Montenegro took
  advantage of the provision to undertake a successful independence
  vote enabling it to secede on 3 June. Two days later, Serbia
  declared that it was the successor state to the union of Serbia and
  Montenegro.

Seychelles
  A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for
  the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter.
  Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close
  with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. The most recent
  presidential elections were held in 2001; President RENE, who had
  served since 1977, was re-elected. In April 2004 RENE stepped down
  and Vice President James MICHEL was sworn in as president.

Sierra Leone
  The government is slowly reestablishing its authority
  after the 1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands
  of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about
  one-third of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in
  December 2005, leaving full responsibility for security with
  domestic forces, but a new civilian UN office remains to support the
  government. Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections,
  deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the
  tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present
  challenges to continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.

Singapore
  Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819.
  It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years
  later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of
  the world's most prosperous countries with strong international
  trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of
  tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the
  leading nations of Western Europe.

Slovakia
  The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close
  of World War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related
  Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II,
  Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern
  Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once
  more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate
  peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU
  in the spring of 2004.

Slovenia
  The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
  until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918,
  the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new
  multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World
  War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which
  though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied
  with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes
  succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short
  10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and
  a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a
  modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring
  of 2004.

Solomon Islands
  The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon
  Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II
  occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976
  and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government
  malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil
  society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the
  assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the
  following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to
  restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance
  Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in
  restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.

Somalia
  Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 in order to
  allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the
  new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre
  ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that managed to impose a
  degree of stability in the country for a couple of decades. After
  the regime's overthrow early in 1991, Somalia descended into
  turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In May of 1991, northern
  clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now
  includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed,
  Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any
  government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by
  the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic
  infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American
  military assistance programs. The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and
  northern Mudug comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state
  of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not
  aim at independence; it has also made strides toward reconstructing
  a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered some civil
  strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also
  claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a
  two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to
  alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995,
  having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been
  restored. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG),
  created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. A
  two-year peace process, led by the Government of Kenya under the
  auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD),
  concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed
  as Transitional Federal President of Somalia and the formation of a
  transitional government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal
  Institutions (TFIs). The Somalia TFIs include a 275-member
  parliamentary body, known as the Transitional Federal Assembly
  (TFA), a transitional Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed GHEDI, and a
  90-member cabinet. The TFIs are currently divided between Mogadishu
  and Jowhar, but discussions to co-locate the TFIs in one city are
  ongoing. Suspicion of Somali links with global terrorism further
  complicates the picture.

South Africa
  After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in
  1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found
  their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold
  (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the
  subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British
  encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The
  resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid
  - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to
  apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  The islands, which have
  large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of
  the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration
  since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina
  occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early
  20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON
  stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross
  Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few
  companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the
  rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in
  1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today,
  the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey.
  Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in
  adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing
  zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.

Southern Ocean
  A large body of recent oceanographic research has
  shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current
  that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role
  in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the
  ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a
  distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with
  the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a
  unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients,
  which promotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a
  greater abundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the
  International Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the
  waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern
  Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean,
  Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the
  coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which
  coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the
  extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is
  now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific
  Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic
  Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does
  not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary
  oceans by the US Government.

Spain
  Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries
  ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent
  failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused
  the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic
  and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II,
  but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful
  transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco
  FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the
  EU in 1986), have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies in
  Europe and made it a global champion of freedom. Continuing
  challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and
  relatively high unemployment.

Spratly Islands
  The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small
  islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and
  potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their
  entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed
  by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by
  relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia,
  the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a
  fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef, but has not made any
  formal claim.

Sri Lanka
  The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century
  B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced
  beginning in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great
  civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from
  circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070
  to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power
  in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the
  Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century,
  the island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony
  in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it
  became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in
  1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists
  erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic
  conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting,
  the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formalized a
  cease-fire in February 2002, with Norway brokering peace
  negotiations.

Sudan
  Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have
  dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956.
  Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the
  remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in
  northern economic, political, and social domination of largely
  non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in
  1972, but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related
  effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and,
  according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a
  period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with
  the signing of several accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty of
  January 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years,
  after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A
  separate conflict that broke out in the western region of Darfur in
  2003 has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million
  displaced; as of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling to
  stabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes
  from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad, and armed
  conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government
  support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian
  assistance to affected populations.

Suriname
  First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and
  then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became
  a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863,
  workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the
  Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian
  government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a
  socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a
  succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when
  international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In
  1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a
  democratically elected government - a four-party New Front coalition
  - returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since.

Svalbard
  First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the
  islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and
  18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five
  years later it officially took over the territory.

Swaziland
  Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed
  by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in
  1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the
  monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow
  political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed
  Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of
  HIV/AIDS infection.

Sweden
  A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not
  participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality
  was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic
  formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare
  elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in
  2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over
  the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic
  vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and
  economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU
  until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Switzerland
  The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a
  defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other
  localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation
  secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499.
  Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by
  the major European powers, and the country was not involved in
  either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration
  of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role
  in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened
  Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not
  officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active
  in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong
  commitment to neutrality.

Syria
  Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War
  I, France administered Syria until its independence in 1946. The
  country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a
  series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with
  Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic, but in
  September 1961 the two entities separated and the Syrian Arab
  Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a
  member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect,
  seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to
  the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan
  Heights to Israel, and over the past decade Syria and Israel have
  held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of
  President al-ASAD in July 2000, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was
  approved as president by popular referendum. Syrian troops -
  stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role -
  were withdrawn in April of 2005.

Taiwan
  In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to
  Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II.
  Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million
  Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the
  1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five
  decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and
  incorporated the native population within the governing structure.
  In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from
  the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this
  period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic
  "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the
  relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of
  eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic
  reform.

Tajikistan
  The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and
  1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the
  Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely
  contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan became
  independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and
  it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and
  transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-1997 civil
  war. There have been no major security incidents in recent years,
  although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet
  sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the
  war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development
  assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the
  long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade
  Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Tanzania
  Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the
  early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of
  Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the
  first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s.
  Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition have led to
  two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won
  despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities.

Thailand
  A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th
  century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast
  Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A
  bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In
  alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally
  following the conflict. Thailand is currently facing armed violence
  in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.

Togo
  French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA,
  installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule well into the
  21st century. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted
  in the early 1990s, the government continued to be dominated by
  President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party
  has maintained power almost continually since 1967. Togo has come
  under fire from international organizations for human rights abuses
  and is plagued by political unrest. While most bilateral and
  multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen, the EU initiated a partial
  resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in late 2004
  based upon commitments by Togo to expand opportunities for political
  opposition and liberalize portions of the economy. Upon his death in
  February 2005, President EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure
  GNASSINGBE. The succession, supported by the military and in
  contravention of the nation's constitution, was challenged by
  popular protest and a threat of sanctions from regional leaders.
  GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure and in April 2005 held elections
  that legitimized his succession.

Tokelau
  Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding
  island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate
  in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Tonga
  Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost
  its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly
  Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became
  a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in
  1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth
  of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Trinidad and Tobago
  First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came
  under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar
  industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834.
  Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from
  India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well
  as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910
  added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962.
  The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks
  largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing.
  Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

Tromelin Island
  First explored by the French in 1776, the island
  came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it
  serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important
  meteorological station.

Tunisia
  Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia
  culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a
  protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following
  World War I was finally successful in getting the French to
  recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's
  first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party
  state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic
  fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any
  other Arab nation. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned
  stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to
  defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Turkey
  Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants
  of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who
  was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."
  Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging
  social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party
  rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950
  election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful
  transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have
  multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of
  instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980),
  which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political
  power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the
  ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then
  Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus
  in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since
  acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,"
  which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984
  by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's
  Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the
  Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives.
  After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents
  largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK
  announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK
  increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a
  member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the
  European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many
  reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to
  begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Turkmenistan
  Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan
  became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon
  the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat NIYAZOV
  retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not
  tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a
  boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery
  projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is
  actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation
  routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly.

Turks and Caicos Islands
  The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican
  colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown
  colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas
  oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the
  islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence
  was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands
  remain a British overseas territory.

Tuvalu
  In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the
  Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice
  Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
  Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate
  British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,
  Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"
  for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.

Uganda
  The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda
  grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different
  political systems and cultures. These differences prevented the
  establishment of a working political community after independence
  was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79)
  was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla
  war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at
  least another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986
  has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. During
  the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and
  legislative elections.

Ukraine
  Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state,
  Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest
  and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels
  and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand
  Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian
  Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid
  the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent
  centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was
  established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against
  the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate
  managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the
  latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic
  territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse
  of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a
  short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered
  and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two
  artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million
  died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for
  some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for
  Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR,
  democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and
  endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform,
  privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange
  Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to
  overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new
  internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist
  slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the
  YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a
  comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in
  August of 2006.

United Arab Emirates
  The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast
  granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th
  century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman,
  Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to
  form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by
  Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of
  leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and
  its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a
  vital role in the affairs of the region.

United Kingdom
  As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the
  19th century, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played
  a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in
  advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire
  stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of
  the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two
  World Wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The
  second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK
  rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As
  one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding
  member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global
  approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of
  its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it
  chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time
  being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK.
  The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the
  Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter
  is suspended due to wrangling over the peace process.

United States
  Britain's American colonies broke with the mother
  country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United
  States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the
  19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13
  as the nation expanded across the North American continent and
  acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic
  experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and
  the Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars
  I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the
  world's most powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady
  growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in
  technology.

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere. Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.

Uruguay
  Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military
  stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an
  important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate
  province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later
  and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The
  administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century
  established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. A
  violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros,
  launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to
  military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the
  rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its
  hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until
  1985. In 2004, the left-of-center EP-FA Coalition won national
  elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control
  previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's
  political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Uzbekistan
  Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century.
  Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually
  suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the
  Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain
  led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies,
  which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain
  rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to
  gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its
  mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism
  by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of
  human rights and democratization.

Vanuatu
  Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct
  language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceeding
  European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern
  accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the
  archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New
  Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French
  Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in
  1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.

Venezuela
  Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the
  collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New
  Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the
  20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military
  strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social
  reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since
  1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, has promoted a
  controversial policy of "democratic socialism," which purports to
  alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization
  and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a
  weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a
  politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian
  border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the
  petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible
  mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and
  indigenous peoples.

Vietnam
  The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was
  completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887.
  Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France
  continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho
  Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into
  the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and
  military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt
  to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn
  following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North
  Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under
  Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the
  country experienced little economic growth because of conservative
  leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi
  moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have
  committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted
  structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce
  more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to
  experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant
  Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and
  the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious
  persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to
  Vietnamese settlers.

Virgin Islands During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

Wake Island
  The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station.
  An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In
  December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held
  until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was
  developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and
  commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's
  airstrip has been used by the US military, as well as for emergency
  landings. All operations on the island were suspended and all
  personnel evacuated in August 2006 with the approach of super
  typhoon Loke (category 5), which struck the island with sustained
  winds of 250 kph and a 6 m storm surge inflicting major damage. A US
  Air Force assessment and repair team returned to the island in
  September and restored limited function to the airfield and
  facilities. The future status of activities on the island will be
  determined upon completion of the survey and assessment.

Wallis and Futuna
  The Futuna island group was discovered by the
  Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the
  French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In
  1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French
  overseas territory.

West Bank
  The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
  Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13
  September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding
  five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip
  and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain
  powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as
  part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and
  Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza
  Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994
  Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in
  additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28
  September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997
  Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23
  October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm
  el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provided that Israel would retain
  responsibility during the transitional period for external and
  internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli
  citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of
  Gaza and West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year
  hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifada that broke out in
  September 2000. In April 2003 the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia)
  presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005
  based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states,
  Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent
  status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and
  accusations that both sides have not followed through on their
  commitments. Longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in
  November 2004 and Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA President in January
  2005, bringing hope of a turning point in the conflict. Israel and
  the PA agreed in February 2005 to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments,
  focused on security issues, in an effort to move the peace process
  forward. Progress has been slow because of different interpretations
  of the verbal agreement by the two sides.

Western Sahara
  Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of
  Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of
  the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A
  guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's
  sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized
  referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed.

World
  Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating
  world wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of
  vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology,
  from the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to
  the landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western
  alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living
  standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased
  concerns about the environment, including loss of forests, shortages
  of energy and water, the decline in biological diversity, and air
  pollution; (h) the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate
  emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's
  population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2
  billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in
  1988, and 6 billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued
  exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes
  (e.g., advances in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even
  more lethal weapons of war).

Yemen
  North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918.
  The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern
  port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became
  South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a
  Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of
  Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of
  hostility between the states. The two countries were formally
  unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist
  movement in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and
  Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border.

Zambia
  The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the
  [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by
  the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining
  spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia
  upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper
  prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991
  brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996
  saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001
  was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a
  legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate
  Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anti-corruption
  campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former
  President Frederick CHILUBA and some officials of his administration.

Zimbabwe
  The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South
  Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that
  favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally
  declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and
  demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority
  in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla
  uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as
  Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister,
  has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has
  dominated the country's political system since independence. His
  chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an
  exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in
  widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international
  condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure
  his reelection. Opposition and labor strikes in 2003 were
  unsuccessful in pressuring MUGABE to retire early; security forces
  continued their brutal repression of regime opponents. The ruling
  ZANU-PF party used fraud and intimidation to win a two-thirds
  majority in the March 2005 parliamentary election, allowing it to
  amend the constitution at will and recreate the Senate, which had
  been abolished in the late 1980s. In April 2005, Harare embarked on
  Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization
  program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or
  businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition,
  according to UN estimates.

Afghanistan total: 11 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Algeria
  total: 52
  over 3,047 m: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Angola
  total: 31
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Argentina total: 154 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 50 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Armenia
  total: 11
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Australia
  total: 311
  over 3,047 m: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 133
  914 to 1,523 m: 143
  under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Austria
  total: 25
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 15 (2006)

Azerbaijan
  total: 27
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Bahamas, The
  total: 29
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 9
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Bangladesh total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Belarus
  total: 41
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Belgium
  total: 25
  over 3,047 m: 6
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Belize
  total: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Bolivia
  total: 16
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Botswana
  total: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Brazil
  total: 714
  over 3,047 m: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 24
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 164
  914 to 1,523 m: 464
  under 914 m: 54 (2006)

Bulgaria
  total: 132
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 96 (2006)

Burma
  total: 21
  over 3,047 m: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Cambodia total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Cameroon
  total: 11
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Canada
  total: 509
  over 3,047 m: 18
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 151
  914 to 1,523 m: 248
  under 914 m: 77 (2006)

Cape Verde total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Central African Republic total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)

Chad
  total: 7
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Chile
  total: 73
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
  914 to 1,523 m: 22
  under 914 m: 17 (2006)

China
  total: 403
  over 3,047 m: 56
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 127
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 138
  914 to 1,523 m: 22
  under 914 m: 60 (2006)

Colombia
  total: 101
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 38
  914 to 1,523 m: 40
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the total: 25 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Congo, Republic of the total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)

Costa Rica total: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Cote d'Ivoire total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)

Croatia
  total: 23
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Cuba
  total: 78
  over 3,047 m: 7
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 37 (2006)

Cyprus
  total: 13
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Czech Republic
  total: 46
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Denmark
  total: 28
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 12
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Djibouti total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Dominican Republic total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

East Timor total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Ecuador
  total: 98
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Egypt
  total: 72
  over 3,047 m: 13
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 38
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

El Salvador
  total: 4
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Equatorial Guinea
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Estonia
  total: 12
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Ethiopia
  total: 14
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  total: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Fiji
  total: 3
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Finland
  total: 76
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
  914 to 1,523 m: 23
  under 914 m: 14 (2006)

France
  total: 292
  over 3,047 m: 13
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 96
  914 to 1,523 m: 81
  under 914 m: 74 (2006)

French Polynesia
  total: 39
  over 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 25
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Gabon
  total: 11
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Georgia
  total: 19
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Germany
  total: 332
  over 3,047 m: 13
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 54
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 58
  914 to 1,523 m: 72
  under 914 m: 135 (2006)

Ghana
  total: 7
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Greece
  total: 66
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
  914 to 1,523 m: 17
  under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Greenland total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Grenada
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Guadeloupe
  total: 8
  over 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Guam
  total: 4
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Guatemala total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Guinea
  total: 5
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2006)

Guinea-Bissau
  total: 3
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Honduras total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Hungary
  total: 20
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

India
  total: 243
  over 3,047 m: 17
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 51
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 73
  914 to 1,523 m: 81
  under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Indonesia
  total: 159
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 49
  914 to 1,523 m: 49
  under 914 m: 42 (2006)

Iran
  total: 129
  over 3,047 m: 41
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
  914 to 1,523 m: 31
  under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Iraq
  total: 77
  over 3,047 m: 20
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Ireland
  total: 15
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Israel
  total: 30
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 10
  under 914 m: 6 (2006)

Italy
  total: 98
  over 3,047 m: 7
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
  914 to 1,523 m: 31
  under 914 m: 14 (2006)

Jamaica
  total: 11
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Japan
  total: 145
  over 3,047 m: 7
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 41
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
  914 to 1,523 m: 28
  under 914 m: 30 (2006)

Jordan
  total: 15
  over 3,047 m: 7
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Kazakhstan
  total: 67
  over 3,047 m: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Kenya
  total: 15
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Korea, North
  total: 36
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Korea, South
  total: 69
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Kuwait
  total: 4
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Kyrgyzstan total: 18 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Laos
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Latvia
  total: 24
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Lebanon
  total: 5
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Libya
  total: 60
  over 3,047 m: 23
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Lithuania
  total: 34
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Madagascar total: 29 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Malawi
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2006)

Malaysia
  total: 37
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Mali
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Mexico
  total: 228
  over 3,047 m: 12
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 82
  914 to 1,523 m: 77
  under 914 m: 29 (2006)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  total: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Moldova
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Mongolia total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Morocco
  total: 26
  over 3,047 m: 11
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Mozambique
  total: 22
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Namibia
  total: 21
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Netherlands
  total: 20
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Netherlands Antilles
  total: 5
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

New Zealand total: 45 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Nicaragua total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Niger
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Nigeria
  total: 36
  over 3,047 m: 6
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Northern Mariana Islands
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Norway
  total: 67
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 29 (2006)

Oman
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Pakistan
  total: 91
  over 3,047 m: 14
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 33
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Panama
  total: 53
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 18
  under 914 m: 28 (2006)

Papua New Guinea total: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Peru
  total: 54
  over 3,047 m: 6
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Philippines
  total: 83
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
  914 to 1,523 m: 36
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Poland
  total: 83
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 40
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Portugal
  total: 43
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Puerto Rico total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Romania total: 25 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2006)

Russia
  total: 616
  over 3,047 m: 51
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 198
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 130
  914 to 1,523 m: 100
  under 914 m: 137 (2006)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  total: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Sao Tome and Principe
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Saudi Arabia total: 73 over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Serbia
  total: 16
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Singapore
  total: 9
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Slovakia
  total: 18
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Slovenia
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

South Africa
  total: 146
  over 3,047 m: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
  914 to 1,523 m: 67
  under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Spain
  total: 96
  over 3,047 m: 16
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
  914 to 1,523 m: 24
  under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Sri Lanka
  total: 14
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2006)

Sudan
  total: 15
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)

Sweden
  total: 155
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 80
  914 to 1,523 m: 23
  under 914 m: 36 (2006)

Switzerland
  total: 42
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Syria
  total: 26
  over 3,047 m: 6
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Taiwan
  total: 38
  over 3,047 m: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Tajikistan
  total: 17
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Tanzania
  total: 11
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Thailand
  total: 66
  over 3,047 m: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
  914 to 1,523 m: 20
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Trinidad and Tobago total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Tunisia
  total: 14
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Turkey
  total: 89
  over 3,047 m: 15
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
  914 to 1,523 m: 18
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Turkmenistan total: 22 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  total: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Uganda
  total: 5
  over 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Ukraine
  total: 193
  over 3,047 m: 13
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 55
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 27
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 93 (2006)

United Arab Emirates
  total: 23
  over 3,047 m: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

United Kingdom
  total: 334
  over 3,047 m: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 149
  914 to 1,523 m: 86
  under 914 m: 58 (2006)

United States
  total: 5,119
  over 3,047 m: 189
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 221
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,426
  914 to 1,523 m: 2,337
  under 914 m: 946 (2006)

Uruguay
  total: 8
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Uzbekistan total: 34 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Vanuatu
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Venezuela total: 129 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 60 under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Vietnam
  total: 26
  over 3,047 m: 8
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

West Bank total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Yemen
  total: 16
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Zambia
  total: 10
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Zimbabwe
  total: 17
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 8 (2006)

Afghanistan total: 35 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Albania
  total: 8
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Algeria
  total: 90
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
  914 to 1,523 m: 39
  under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Angola
  total: 213
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 30
  914 to 1,523 m: 95
  under 914 m: 81 (2006)

Antarctica total: 28 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 4 length unknown or variable: 4 (2006)

Argentina total: 1,227 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 49 914 to 1,523 m: 587 under 914 m: 587 (2006)

Australia
  total: 144
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 111
  under 914 m: 15 (2006)

Austria
  total: 30
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Bahamas, The total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Belarus
  total: 45
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Belize
  total: 38
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Benin
  total: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Bolivia
  total: 1,068
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 60
  914 to 1,523 m: 207
  under 914 m: 797 (2006)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total: 20
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Botswana
  total: 75
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 55
  under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Brazil
  total: 3,562
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 81
  914 to 1,523 m: 1,634
  under 914 m: 1,847 (2006)

Bulgaria
  total: 85
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 72 (2006)

Burkina Faso
  total: 32
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Burma
  total: 64
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 18
  under 914 m: 32 (2006)

Cambodia
  total: 14
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Cameroon
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 20
  under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Canada
  total: 828
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 66
  914 to 1,523 m: 355
  under 914 m: 407 (2006)

Central African Republic total: 47 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Chad
  total: 45
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 21
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Chile
  total: 290
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 58
  under 914 m: 216 (2006)

China
  total: 83
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 25
  under 914 m: 39 (2006)

Colombia total: 883 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 275 under 914 m: 572 (2006)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total: 209
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 94
  under 914 m: 97 (2006)

Congo, Republic of the
  total: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Cook Islands
  total: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Cote d'Ivoire
  total: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Croatia
  total: 45
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 37 (2006)

Cuba
  total: 92
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 62 (2006)

Czech Republic total: 75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 49 (2006)

Djibouti
  total: 10
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Dominican Republic
  total: 19
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Egypt
  total: 16
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

El Salvador total: 71 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 56 (2006)

Eritrea
  total: 13
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Estonia
  total: 12
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Ethiopia
  total: 70
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 28
  under 914 m: 23 (2006)

France
  total: 185
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 73
  under 914 m: 108 (2006)

Gabon
  total: 45
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Georgia
  total: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Germany
  total: 222
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 33
  under 914 m: 185 (2006)

Guatemala total: 439 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 111 under 914 m: 319 (2006)

Guinea
  total: 11
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Guinea-Bissau
  total: 25
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Guyana
  total: 81
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 14
  under 914 m: 65 (2006)

Honduras total: 105 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 84 (2006)

Hungary
  total: 26
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Iceland
  total: 93
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 61 (2006)

India
  total: 98
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 42
  under 914 m: 48 (2006)

Indonesia total: 503 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 471 (2006)

Iran
  total: 192
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 140
  under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Iraq
  total: 33
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Israel
  total: 23
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Italy
  total: 35
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 14
  under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Kazakhstan total: 83 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Kenya
  total: 210
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 115
  under 914 m: 84 (2006)

Kiribati
  total: 16
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Korea, North total: 41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Kyrgyzstan
  total: 19
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Laos
  total: 35
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Latvia
  total: 22
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Liberia
  total: 51
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 38 (2006)

Libya
  total: 81
  over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
  914 to 1,523 m: 41
  under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Lithuania total: 57 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Madagascar
  total: 87
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 42
  under 914 m: 43 (2006)

Malawi
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Malaysia
  total: 80
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 72 (2006)

Mali
  total: 20
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Mauritania total: 17 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Mexico
  total: 1,611
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
  914 to 1,523 m: 460
  under 914 m: 1,081 (2006)

Mongolia
  total: 32
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Morocco
  total: 34
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
  914 to 1,523 m: 12
  under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Mozambique
  total: 136
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 34
  under 914 m: 87 (2006)

Namibia
  total: 116
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
  914 to 1,523 m: 72
  under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Nepal
  total: 38
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 29 (2006)

New Zealand
  total: 73
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 31
  under 914 m: 40 (2006)

Nicaragua
  total: 165
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 23
  under 914 m: 141 (2006)

Niger
  total: 19
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Nigeria
  total: 33
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 18 (2006)

Northern Mariana Islands
  total: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Oman
  total: 131
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 52
  914 to 1,523 m: 35
  under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Pakistan total: 48 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Panama
  total: 64
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 10
  under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Papua New Guinea
  total: 561
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 62
  under 914 m: 488 (2006)

Paraguay
  total: 869
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
  914 to 1,523 m: 325
  under 914 m: 518 (2006)

Peru
  total: 214
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
  914 to 1,523 m: 63
  under 914 m: 124 (2006)

Philippines total: 173 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 69 under 914 m: 99 (2006)

Poland
  total: 39
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Puerto Rico total: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2006)

Romania
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Russia
  total: 1,007
  over 3,047 m: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 75
  914 to 1,523 m: 127
  under 914 m: 780 (2006)

Saudi Arabia total: 135 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Senegal
  total: 11
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Serbia
  total: 23
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 9
  under 914 m: 12 (2006)

Slovakia
  total: 18
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 9
  under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Slovenia
  total: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Solomon Islands
  total: 33
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 9
  under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Somalia
  total: 58
  over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 6 (2006)

South Africa
  total: 585
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
  914 to 1,523 m: 302
  under 914 m: 249 (2006)

Spain
  total: 61
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 44 (2006)

Sudan
  total: 73
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 37
  under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Syria
  total: 66
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 54 (2006)

Tanzania
  total: 113
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 62
  under 914 m: 33 (2006)

Thailand
  total: 42
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 26 (2006)

Tonga
  total: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Tunisia
  total: 16
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Turkey
  total: 28
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Turkmenistan total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Uganda
  total: 26
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Ukraine
  total: 306
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 18
  under 914 m: 274 (2006)

United Arab Emirates total: 14 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

United Kingdom total: 137 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 112 (2006)

United States total: 9,739 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 157 914 to 1,523 m: 1,728 under 914 m: 7,847 (2006)

Uruguay
  total: 56
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 22
  under 914 m: 31 (2006)

Venezuela
  total: 246
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
  914 to 1,523 m: 90
  under 914 m: 147 (2006)

Vietnam
  total: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Western Sahara total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Yemen
  total: 30
  over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Zambia
  total: 101
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 64
  under 914 m: 32 (2006)

Zimbabwe total: 386 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 187 under 914 m: 194 (2006)

Afghanistan
  limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate
  supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing;
  deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for
  fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water
  pollution

Akrotiri
  shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for
  loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon
  vultures is on the base

Albania
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial
and domestic effluents

Algeria
  soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming
  practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum
  refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the
  pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in
  particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and
  fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water

American Samoa
  limited natural fresh water resources; the water
  division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past
  few years to improve water catchments and pipelines

Andorra
  deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes
  to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste
  disposal

Angola
  overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable
  to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical
  rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical
  timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of
  biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and
  siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

Anguilla
supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing
demand largely because of poor distribution system

Antarctica
  in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic
  ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square
  kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet
  light passing through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an
  Antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown
  to harm one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant
  areas of ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming

Antigua and Barbuda
  water management - a major concern because of
  limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the
  clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to
  run off quickly

Arctic Ocean
  endangered marine species include walruses and whales;
  fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from
  disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack

Argentina
  environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an
  industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation,
  desertification, air pollution, and water pollution
  note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse
  gas targets

Armenia
  soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy
  crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for
  firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the
  draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a
  source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of
  Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a
  seismically active zone

Atlantic Ocean
  endangered marine species include the manatee, seals,
  sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the
  decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes;
  municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and
  eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico,
  Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste
  and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and
  Mediterranean Sea

Australia
  soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development,
  urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due
  to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for
  agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique
  animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast
  coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by
  increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited
  natural fresh water resources

Austria
  some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution;
  soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air
  pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power
  stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria
  between northern and southern Europe

Azerbaijan
  local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron
  Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be
  the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe
  air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil
  spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic
  defoliants used in the production of cotton

Bahrain
  desertification resulting from the degradation of limited
  arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal
  degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation)
  resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers,
  oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater
  resources, groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all
  water needs

Bangladesh
  many people are landless and forced to live on and
  cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in
  surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results
  from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by
  naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of
  falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the
  country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe
  overpopulation

Barbados
  pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships;
  soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination
  of aquifers

Belarus
  soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the
  country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident
  at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Belgium
  the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human
  activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry,
  extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water
  pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries;
  uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now
  resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges

Belize
deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial
effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal

Benin
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens
wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

Bolivia
  the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the
  international demand for tropical timber are contributing to
  deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation
  methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification;
  loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used
  for drinking and irrigation

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  air pollution from metallurgical plants;
  sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and
  destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife;
  deforestation

Brazil
  deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and
  endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the
  area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water
  pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large
  cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper
  mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills

British Virgin Islands
  limited natural fresh water resources (except
  for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the
  islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)

Bulgaria
  air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted
  from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest
  damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil
  contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and
  industrial wastes

Burkina Faso
  recent droughts and desertification severely affecting
  agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy;
  overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation

Burma
deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water;
inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease

Burundi
  soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of
  agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land
  remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat
  loss threatens wildlife populations

Cambodia
  illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip
  mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand
  have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in
  particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural
  fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population
  does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because
  of illegal fishing and overfishing

Cameroon
waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

Canada
  air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting
  lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities,
  and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest
  productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to
  agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities

Cape Verde
  soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used
  as fuel; desertification; environmental damage has threatened
  several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand
  extraction; overfishing

Cayman Islands
no natural fresh water resources; drinking water
supplies must be met by rainwater catchments

Central African Republic
  tap water is not potable; poaching has
  diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great
  wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation

Chad
  inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal
  in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution;
  desertification

Chile
  widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural
  resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
  water pollution from raw sewage

China
  air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates)
  from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages,
  particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes;
  deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land
  since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development;
  desertification; trade in endangered species

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
fresh water resources are limited to
rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs

Colombia
  deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse
  of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle
  emissions

Comoros
soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation
on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation

Congo, Democratic Republic of the poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage

Congo, Republic of the
  air pollution from vehicle emissions; water
  pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable;
  deforestation

Costa Rica
  deforestation and land use change, largely a result of
  the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil
  erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste
  management; air pollution

Cote d'Ivoire
  deforestation (most of the country's forests - once
  the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water
  pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents

Croatia
  air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid
  rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and
  domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of
  infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife

Cyprus
  water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments,
  seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's
  largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution
  from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of
  wildlife habitats from urbanization

Czech Republic
  air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia
  and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid
  rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code
  should improve domestic pollution

Denmark
  air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant
  emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea;
  drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and
  pesticides

Dhekelia
netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the
spring and autumn

Djibouti
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land;
desertification; endangered species

Dominican Republic
water shortages; soil eroding into the sea
damages coral reefs; deforestation

East Timor
widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to
deforestation and soil erosion

Ecuador
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water
  pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically
  sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Egypt
  agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown
  sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam;
  desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and
  marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides,
  raw sewage, and industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh
  water resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial
  water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and
  natural resources

El Salvador
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution;
contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Eritrea
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing;
loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

Estonia
  air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning
  power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted
  to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less
  than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to
  water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; in
  connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the
  pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400
  natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural
  areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain
  locations

Ethiopia
  deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification;
  water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor
  management

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster

Finland
  air pollution from manufacturing and power plants
  contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes,
  agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

France
  some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from
  industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes,
  agricultural runoff

Gaza Strip
  desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage
  treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and
  contamination of underground water resources

Georgia
  air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of
  Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable
  water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals

Germany
  emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries
  contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur
  dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea
  from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern
  Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a
  mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15
  years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature
  preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat
  directive

Ghana
  recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural
  activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and
  habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
  inadequate supplies of potable water

Gibraltar
  limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or
  natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for
  drinking water) and adequate desalination plant

Greenland
protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the
Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting

Guam
extirpation of native bird population by the rapid
proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species

Guinea
  deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water;
  desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing,
  overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to
  environmental damage

Guyana
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial
chemicals; deforestation

Haiti
  extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land
  is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion;
  inadequate supplies of potable water

Honduras
  urban population expanding; deforestation results from
  logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further
  land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled
  development and improper land use practices such as farming of
  marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the
  country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers
  and streams, with heavy metals

Hungary
  the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management,
  energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU
  requirements will require large investments

India
  deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air
  pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water
  pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap
  water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing
  population is overstraining natural resources

Indian Ocean
  endangered marine species include the dugong, seals,
  turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf,
  and Red Sea

Indonesia
  deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes,
  sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest
  fires

Iran
  air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle
  emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents;
  deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the
  Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation
  (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution
  from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization

Iraq
  government water control projects have drained most of the
  inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting
  the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh
  Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
  displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
  serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
  supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
  rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
  Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
  erosion; desertification

Isle of Man
waste disposal (both household and industrial);
transboundary air pollution

Israel
  limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose
  serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial
  and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and
  domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

Italy
  air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur
  dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and
  agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate
  industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities

Jamaica
  heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by
  industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air
  pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions

Japan
  air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
  acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
  threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of
  fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these
  resources in Asia and elsewhere

Jordan
limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Kazakhstan
  radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with
  former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the
  country pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial
  pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers
  which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it
  is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical
  pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by
  the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the
  Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals
  and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation
  practices

Kenya
  water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation
  of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers;
  water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil
  erosion; desertification; poaching

Kiribati
  heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to
  heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon
  latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk

Korea, North
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water;
waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation

Korea, South
  air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water
  pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents;
  drift net fishing

Kuwait
  limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's
  largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much
  of the water; air and water pollution; desertification

Kyrgyzstan
  water pollution; many people get their water directly
  from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne
  diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty
  irrigation practices

Laos
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the
population does not have access to potable water

Latvia
  Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service
  industries after the country regained independence; the main
  environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality
  and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as
  well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU
  accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full
  enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010

Lebanon
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution
  in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial
  wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

Lesotho
  population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas
  results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion;
  desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and
  redirects water to South Africa

Liberia
  tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of
  biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw
  sewage

Libya
  desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources;
  the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development
  scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large
  aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities

Lithuania
contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum
products and chemicals at military bases

Madagascar
  soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing;
  desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and
  other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna
  unique to the island

Malawi
  deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from
  agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of
  spawning grounds endangers fish populations

Malaysia
  air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions;
  water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from
  Indonesian forest fires

Maldives
depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies;
global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching

Mali
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate
supplies of potable water; poaching

Malta
very limited natural fresh water resources; increasing
reliance on desalination

Marshall Islands
  inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of
  Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing
  vessels

Mauritania
  overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated
  by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural
  fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only
  perennial river; locust infestation

Mexico
  scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to
  urban migration; natural fresh water resources scarce and polluted
  in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme
  southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in
  urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification;
  deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in
  the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land
  subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion
  note: the government considers the lack of clean water and
  deforestation national security issues

Moldova
  heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned
  pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater;
  extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

Mongolia
  limited natural fresh water resources in some areas; the
  policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and
  industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the
  burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of
  environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar;
  deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to
  agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain;
  desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on
  the environment

Montenegro
pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets,
especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor

Morocco
  land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting
  from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of
  vegetation); water supplies contaminated by raw sewage; siltation of
  reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters

Mozambique
  a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands
  have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and
  coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences;
  desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant
  poaching for ivory is a problem

Namibia
very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification;
wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas

Nauru
  limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks
  collect rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging
  desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90
  years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the
  central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining
  land resources

Nepal
  deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of
  alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes,
  agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife
  conservation; vehicular emissions

Netherlands
  water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic
  compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air
  pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

New Zealand
deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna
hard-hit by invasive species

Niger
  overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification;
  wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and
  lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

Nigeria
  soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water
  pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil;
  has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land;
  rapid urbanization

Niue
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter
loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Northern Mariana Islands
  contamination of groundwater on Saipan may
  contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of
  endangered species conflicts with development

Norway
  water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely
  affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle
  emissions

Oman
rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very
limited natural fresh water resources

Pacific Ocean
  endangered marine species include the dugong, sea
  lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in
  Philippine Sea and South China Sea

Pakistan
  water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and
  agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a
  majority of the population does not have access to potable water;
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Palau
  inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to
  the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing
  practices, and overfishing

Panama
  water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery
  resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation
  and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution
  in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources

Papua New Guinea
  rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of
  growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining
  projects; severe drought

Paraguay
deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste
disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands

Peru
  deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing
  of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion;
  desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and
  coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes

Philippines
  uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed
  areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers;
  coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove
  swamps that are important fish breeding grounds

Pitcairn Islands
deforestation (only a small portion of the original
forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)

Poland
  situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy
  industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist
  governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of
  sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the
  resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from
  industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal
  of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as
  industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but
  at substantial cost to business and the government

Portugal
soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and
vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

Qatar
limited natural fresh water resources are increasing
dependence on large-scale desalination facilities

Romania
  soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution
  in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta
  wetlands

Russia
  air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired
  electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial,
  municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and
  seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from
  improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of
  sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater
  contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management;
  abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides

Rwanda
deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for
fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching

Saint Pierre and Miquelon recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

Saudi Arabia
  desertification; depletion of underground water
  resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies
  has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination
  facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills

Senegal
wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing

Serbia
  air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities;
  water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which
  flows into the Danube

Sierra Leone
  rapid population growth pressuring the environment;
  overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and
  slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil
  exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing

Singapore
  industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water
  resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal
  problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in
  Indonesia

Slovakia
air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human
health risks; acid rain damaging forests

Slovenia
  Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste;
  pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals;
  forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at
  metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain

Solomon Islands
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding
coral reefs are dead or dying

Somalia
  famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human
  health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
  desertification

South Africa
  lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires
  extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water
  usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff
  and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil
  erosion; desertification

Southern Ocean
  increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from
  the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary
  productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA
  of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent
  years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more
  Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to
  affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental
  mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish
  note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong
  comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries

Spain
  pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and
  effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality
  and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation;
  desertification

Sri Lanka
  deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations
  threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from
  mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources
  being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste
  disposal; air pollution in Colombo

Sudan
  inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations
  threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification;
  periodic drought

Suriname
deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of
inland waterways by small-scale mining activities

Swaziland
  limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations
  being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil
  degradation; soil erosion

Sweden
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North
Sea and the Baltic Sea

Switzerland
  air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air
  burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of
  agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity

Syria
  deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification;
  water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes;
  inadequate potable water

Taiwan
  air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw
  sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in
  endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Tajikistan
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of
soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

Tanzania
  soil degradation; deforestation; desertification;
  destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent
  droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by
  illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory

Thailand
  air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from
  organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife
  populations threatened by illegal hunting

Togo
  deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and
  the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards
  and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban
  areas

Tokelau
very limited natural resources and overcrowding are
contributing to emigration to New Zealand

Tonga
  deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared
  for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from
  starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting
  threatens native sea turtle populations

Trinidad and Tobago
  water pollution from agricultural chemicals,
  industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches;
  deforestation; soil erosion

Tunisia
  toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses
  health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh
  water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
  desertification

Turkey
  water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air
  pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for
  oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Turkmenistan
  contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural
  chemicals, pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor
  irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large
  share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to
  that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

Turks and Caicos Islands
limited natural fresh water resources,
private cisterns collect rainwater

Tuvalu
  since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not
  potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with
  storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one
  desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion
  because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive
  clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral
  reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is
  concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and
  their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's
  underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to
  Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels
  should make evacuation necessary

Uganda
  draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation;
  overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake
  Victoria; poaching is widespread

Ukraine
  inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water
  pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast
  from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant

United Arab Emirates
  lack of natural freshwater resources
  compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution
  from oil spills

United Kingdom
  continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met
  Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and
  intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a
  domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the
  government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial
  waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to
  recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste, increasing to
  33% by 2015; between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling
  increased from 8.8% to 10.3%

United States
  air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US
  and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide
  from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of
  pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in
  much of the western part of the country require careful management;
  desertification

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker, Howland, and
  Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources
  Kingman Reef: none
  Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA

Uruguay
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry;
inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Uzbekistan
  shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing
  concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these
  substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and
  contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial
  wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause
  of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil
  contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural
  chemicals, including DDT

Vanuatu
a majority of the population does not have access to a
reliable supply of potable water; deforestation

Venezuela
  sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban
  pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation;
  urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean
  coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining
  operations

Vietnam
  logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute
  to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and
  overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater
  contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban
  industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading
  environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Wallis and Futuna
  deforestation (only small portions of the original
  forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as
  the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests,
  the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion;
  there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of
  natural fresh water resources

World
  large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters,
  pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of
  vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of
  wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion

Yemen
very limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate
supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Zambia
  air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral
  extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds;
  poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and
  large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification;
  lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks

Zimbabwe
  deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and
  water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest
  concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly
  reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste
  and heavy metal pollution

Afghanistan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping
  signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Life Conservation

Albania
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Algeria
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Andorra
party to: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Angola
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Antigua and Barbuda
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Argentina
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Armenia
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Australia
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Austria
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Azerbaijan
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bahamas, The
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bahrain
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bangladesh
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Barbados
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Belarus
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Belgium
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
  Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Belize
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Benin
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bhutan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Bolivia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Botswana
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Brazil
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
  Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Brunei
  party to: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Bulgaria
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
  Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Burkina Faso
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Burma
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Burundi
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Cambodia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Cameroon
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Canada
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Marine Life Conservation

Cape Verde
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Central African Republic
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Chad
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Chile
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
  Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

China
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Colombia
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Comoros
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Congo, Democratic Republic of the party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Congo, Republic of the party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Cook Islands
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Costa Rica
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Cote d'Ivoire
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Croatia
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Cuba
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Cyprus
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Czech Republic
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
  Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
  Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Denmark
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Djibouti
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Dominica
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Dominican Republic
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Ecuador
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Egypt
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

El Salvador
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Equatorial Guinea
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Eritrea
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Estonia
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ethiopia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

European Union
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
  Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
  Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94
  signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

Fiji
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
  83, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Finland
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

France
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Gabon
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Gambia, The
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Georgia
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Germany
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
  Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ghana
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Greece
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

Grenada
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Guatemala
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Guinea
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Guinea-Bissau
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Guyana
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
  83, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Haiti
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes

Holy See (Vatican City)
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification

Honduras
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Hungary
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Iceland
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
  Conservation

India
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
  Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Indonesia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Iran
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Iraq
party to: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Ireland
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
  Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation

Israel
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Italy
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
  Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Jamaica
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Japan
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
  Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Jordan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Kazakhstan
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Kenya
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Kiribati
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Korea, North
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Korea, South
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Kuwait
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Kyrgyzstan
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Laos
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Latvia
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Lebanon
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
  Conservation

Lesotho
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Liberia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Libya
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Liechtenstein
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
  Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
  Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Lithuania
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Luxembourg
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
  Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur
  85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Macedonia
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Madagascar
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Malawi
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Malaysia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands

Maldives
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Mali
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Malta
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Marshall Islands
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Mauritania
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Mauritius
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Mexico
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Micronesia, Federated States of
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous
  Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Moldova
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Monaco
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Mongolia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Morocco
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
  Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Mozambique
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Namibia
  party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Nauru
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Nepal
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Netherlands
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
  Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur
  85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of
  the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands, Whaling

New Zealand
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation

Nicaragua
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Niger
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Nigeria
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Niue
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Norway
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
  Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Oman
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Pakistan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Palau
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Panama
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Papua New Guinea
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Paraguay
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Peru
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
  Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Philippines
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Poland
  party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Portugal
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental
  Modification

Qatar
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Romania
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Russia
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Rwanda
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
  Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Saint Lucia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Samoa
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

San Marino
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution

Sao Tome and Principe
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law
  of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Saudi Arabia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Senegal
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Serbia
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Seychelles
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sierra Leone
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
  Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Singapore
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Slovakia
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Slovenia
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Solomon Islands
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification,
  Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

South Africa
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
  Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Southern Ocean
  the Southern Ocean is subject to all international
  agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject
  to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International
  Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees
  south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees
  west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits
  sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
  Resources (regulates fishing)
  note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource
  exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front
  (Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic
  Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very
  cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the
  north

Spain
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Sri Lanka
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Sudan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Suriname
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Swaziland
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Sweden
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
  Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
  Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Switzerland
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
  Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur
  85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine
  Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Syria
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Taiwan
  party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's
  international status
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of
  Taiwan's international status

Tajikistan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Tanzania
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Thailand
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Togo
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Tonga
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Trinidad and Tobago
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
  Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Tunisia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Turkey
  party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
  Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Turkmenistan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
  Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Tuvalu
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Uganda
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
  of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Ukraine
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
  Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds

United Arab Emirates
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

United Kingdom
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
  Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
  Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
  Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

United States
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
  Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
  Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
  Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
  Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
  Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
  Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes

Uruguay
  party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
  Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Uzbekistan
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
  Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Vanuatu
  party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Venezuela
  party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
  Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

Vietnam
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Western Sahara
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Yemen
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
  Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Zambia
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Zimbabwe
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
  Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

British Indian Ocean Territory
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied
by the US military

Gaza Strip
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the Gaza Strip
power plant and by an Israeli utility

Pitcairn Islands
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a
small diesel-powered generator

West Bank
  NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East
  Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to
  Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
  the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most
  Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian
  municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own
  electricity from small power plants

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: 3.535 billion kWh (2004); north Cyprus:
NA kWh (2003)

Andorra
NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and
France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower

Burundi
10 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (2003)

Gaza Strip
NA kWh; note - some electricity supplied by an Israeli
utility (2005)

Armenia
  650 million kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to
  Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan
  (2003)

Mali
0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing
electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2003)

Canada
  15.9%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a
  calculation that results in higher figures than found in many
  comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line
  (2003)

Namibia
  the UNDP's 2005 Human Development Report indicated that
  34.9% of the population live on $1 per day and 55.8% live on $2 per
  day

Ecuador
  lowest 10%: 2%
  highest 10%: 32%
  note: data for urban households only (October 2003)

Algeria
agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public
works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.)

Anguilla
  agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 3%,
  construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, commerce 36%,
  services 29% (2000 est.)

Aruba
  agriculture: NA%
  industry: NA%
  services: NA%
  note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair,
  followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining

Bahamas, The
agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other
services 40% (2005 est.)

Bermuda
  agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%,
  professional and technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%,
  sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.)

Bulgaria
  agriculture: 11%
  industry: 32.7%
  services: 56.3% (3rd qtr. 2004 est.)

Canada
agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services
75%, other 3% (2004)

Chad
agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)
industry and services: 20%

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society
  Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage
  workers; tourism employs others

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  agriculture: NA%
  industry: NA%
  services: NA%

Cyprus
  Republic of Cyprus: agriculture 7.4%, industry 38.2%,
  services 54.4% (2004 est.)
  north Cyprus: agriculture 14.5%, industry 29%, services 56.5% (2004
  est.)

Dominican Republic
  agriculture: 17%
  industry: 24.3%
  services: 58.7% (1998 est.)

El Salvador
  agriculture: 17.1%
  industry: 17.1%
  services: 65.8% (2003 est.)

European Union agriculture: 4.4% industry: 27.2% services: 67.2% note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2005 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  agriculture: 95% (mostly
  sheepherding and fishing)
  industry and services: 5%

Finland
  agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%,
  commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%,
  transport and communications 8%, public services 32%

Gaza Strip
  agriculture: 11.9%
  industry: 18%
  services: 70.1% (2nd qtr. 2005)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  note: essentially services with a small
  amount of industry; dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000
  lay workers live outside the Vatican

Hong Kong
  manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and
  retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.9%, financing, insurance,
  and real estate 19.6%, transport and communications 7.1%, community
  and social services 18.8%
  note: above data exclude public sector (2005 est.)

Isle of Man
  agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%,
  construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and
  retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%,
  public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%,
  entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%

Israel
  agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%,
  construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and
  communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other
  services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996)

Korea, South
  agriculture: 6.4%
  industry: 26.4%
  services: 67.2% (2005 est.)

Lesotho
  agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in
  subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners
  work in South Africa
  industry and services: 14%

Liechtenstein
  agriculture: 2%
  industry: 47%
  services: 51% (31 December 2001)

Macau
  manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and
  communications 5.9%, wholesale and retail trade 14.6%, restaurants
  and hotels 10.3%, gambling 17.9%, public sector 7.8%, other services
  and agriculture 19.3% (2005 est.)

Mauritius
  agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry
  36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels
  16%, finance 3%, other services 24% (1995)

Micronesia, Federated States of note: 0.9% two-thirds are government employees, 34.4%, 64.7%

Mongolia
herding/agriculture 42%, mining 4%, manufacturing 6%, trade
14%, services 29%, public sector 5% (2003)

Nauru
note: 0.1% employed in mining phosphates, public
administration, education, and transportation

Netherlands Antilles
  agriculture: 1%
  industry: 20%
  services: 79% (2005 est.)

Niue
note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in
government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Pitcairn Islands
note: no business community in the usual sense;
some public works; subsistence farming and fishing

Saint Lucia
  agriculture: 21.7%
  industry: 24.7%
  services: 53.6% (2002 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  agriculture: 18%
  industry: 41%
  services: 41% (1996 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  agriculture: 26%
  industry: 17%
  services: 57% (1980 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers

Serbia
  agriculture: 30%
  industry: 46%
  services: 24%
  note: excluding Kosovo and Montenegro (2002)

Singapore
  manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and
  communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 39%,
  other 26% (2003)

Slovakia
agriculture 5.8%, industry 29.3%, construction 9%, services
55.9% (2003)

Trinidad and Tobago
  agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and
  quarrying 14%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1%
  (1997 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  note: about 33% in government and 20% in
  agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial,
  and other services

Tuvalu
  note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the
  sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad
  (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

United Arab Emirates
  agriculture: 7%
  industry: 15%
  services: 78% (2000 est.)

United States
  farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing,
  extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.9%, managerial,
  professional, and technical 34.7%, sales and office 25.4%, other
  services 16.3%
  note: figures exclude the unemployed (2005)

West Bank
  agriculture: 18.4%
  industry: 24%
  services: 57.6% (April-June 2005)

Yemen
  note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding;
  services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than
  one-fourth of the labor force

Afghanistan
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton,
hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Albania
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores,
crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Angola
crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee,
sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

Antigua and Barbuda
  petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%,
  machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%,
  other 8%

Aruba
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles,
machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment

Australia
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat,
machinery and transport equipment

Austria
  machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and
  paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles,
  foodstuffs

Bahamas, The
mineral products and salt, animal products, rum,
chemicals, fruit and vegetables

Bangladesh
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and
seafood (2001)

Barbados
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages,
chemicals, electrical components

Belarus
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals,
metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Belgium
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and
metal products, foodstuffs

Bhutan
electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber,
handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices

Cameroon
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans,
aluminum, coffee, cotton

Canada
  motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft,
  telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood
  pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

China
machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical
equipment, iron and steel

Congo, Republic of the
petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa,
coffee, diamonds

Cook Islands
copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee;
fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing

Costa Rica
coffee, bananas, sugar, pineapples; textiles, electronic
components, medical equipment

Cote d'Ivoire
cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas,
pineapples, palm oil, fish

Cyprus
  Republic of Cyprus: citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals,
  cement, clothing and cigarettes; north Cyprus: citrus, potatoes,
  textiles

Czech Republic
machinery and transport equipment 52%, chemicals 5%,
raw materials and fuel 9% (2003)

Denmark
machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy
products, fish, chemicals, furniture, ships, windmills

Dominican Republic
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa,
tobacco, meats, consumer goods

East Timor
coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - potential for oil and
vanilla exports

Egypt
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal
products, chemicals

El Salvador
offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp,
textiles, chemicals, electricity

Estonia
machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles
14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)

European Union
  machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics,
  pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel,
  nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat,
  dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.

France
machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

French Polynesia
cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl,
vanilla, shark meat

Georgia
scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus
fruits, tea, wine

Germany
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures,
foodstuffs, textiles

Gibraltar
(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods
41%, other 8%

Greece
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products,
chemicals, textiles

Guam
mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products;
construction materials, fish, food and beverage products

Guatemala
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and
vegetables, cardamom

Hong Kong
  electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel,
  footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones,
  printed material

Hungary
  machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%,
  food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6%
  (2003)

Iceland
fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products,
ferrosilicon, diatomite

India
textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,
leather manufactures

Iran
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and
nuts, carpets

Iraq
crude oil (83.9%), crude materials excluding fuels (8.0%), food
and live animals (5.0%)

Ireland
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products

Israel
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural
products, chemicals, textiles and apparel

Italy
  engineering products, textiles and clothing, production
  machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food,
  beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals

Jamaica
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams,
beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels

Japan
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors,
electrical machinery, chemicals

Jordan
clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables,
manufactures, pharmaceuticals

Kazakhstan
oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals
5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)

Korea, North
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures
(including armaments), textiles, fishery products

Korea, South
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment,
motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Kyrgyzstan
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium,
natural gas, hydropower; machinery; shoes

Latvia
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals,
textiles, foodstuffs

Lebanon
  authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous
  consumer goods, fruit, tobacco, construction minerals, electric
  power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper

Lesotho
manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool
and mohair, food and live animals (2000)

Liechtenstein
  small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and
  video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared
  foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products

Lithuania
  mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery
  and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%,
  foodstuffs 5% (2001)

Luxembourg
machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals,
rubber products, glass

Madagascar
coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth,
chromite, petroleum products

Malaysia
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas,
wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals

Mayotte
ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts,
coffee, cinnamon

Mexico
manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits,
vegetables, coffee, cotton

Mongolia
copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere,
wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals

Montserrat
electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot
peppers, limes, live plants; cattle

Morocco
  clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude
  minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products,
  fruits, vegetables

Mozambique
aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber;
bulk electricity

Namibia
diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle,
processed fish, karakul skins

Niue
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit
products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts

Norfolk Island
postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and
Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados

Norway
petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment,
metals, chemicals, ships, fish

Pakistan
  textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice,
  leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and
  rugs

Papua New Guinea
oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee,
cocoa, crayfish, prawns

Philippines
  electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment,
  garments, optical instruments, coconut products, fruits and nuts,
  copper products, chemicals

Poland
  machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate
  manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%,
  food and live animals 7.6% (2003)

Portugal
clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper
products, hides

Puerto Rico
chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum,
beverage concentrates, medical equipment

Romania
textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery
and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products

Russia
  petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood
  products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and
  military manufactures

Saint Helena
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna),
coffee, handicrafts

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
fish and fish products, soybeans, animal
feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen
(taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets

Samoa
fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts,
garments, beer

San Marino
building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked
goods, hides, ceramics

Serbia
manufactured goods, food and live animals, machinery and
transport equipment

Seychelles
canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum
products (reexports)

Singapore
machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer
goods, chemicals, mineral fuels

Slovakia
vehicles 25.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 21.3%,
base metals 14.6%, chemicals and minerals 10.1%, plastics 5.4% (2004)

South Africa
gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals,
machinery and equipment

Spain
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals,
medicines, other consumer goods

Sri Lanka
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds,
rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish

Sudan
oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock,
groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar

Swaziland
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn,
refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Sweden
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood,
iron and steel products, chemicals

Syria
crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton
fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Taiwan
computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles,
plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)

Thailand
textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber,
jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances

Trinidad and Tobago
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Tunisia
textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals,
agricultural products, hydrocarbons

Uganda
coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers,
horticultural products; gold

Ukraine
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products,
chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products

United States
  agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%,
  industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods
  (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers,
  telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles,
  medicines) 15.0% (2003)

Uzbekistan
  cotton 41.5%, gold 9.6%, energy products 9.6%, mineral
  fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, automobiles
  (1998)

Venezuela
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals,
agricultural products, basic manufactures

Algeria
US 22.8%, Italy 16.2%, Spain 10.4%, France 10%, Canada 8%,
Brazil 6.1%, Belgium 4.4%, Germany 4.2% (2005)

American Samoa
Indonesia 28.2%, India 22.3%, Australia 15.3%, Japan
11.2%, NZ 7.1% (2005)

Antigua and Barbuda
Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore
5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)

Armenia
Germany 15.6%, Netherlands 13.7%, Belgium 12.8%, Russia
12.2%, Israel 11.5%, US 11.2%, Georgia 4.8% (2005)

Aruba
Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US 11.3%,
Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005)

Australia
Japan 20.3%, China 11.5%, South Korea 7.9%, US 6.7%, NZ
6.5%, India 5% (2005)

Austria
Germany 31.2%, Italy 8.7%, US 5.8%, Switzerland 5.2%, France
4.2% (2005)

Azerbaijan
Italy 30.3%, France 9.4%, Russia 6.6%, Turkey 6.3%,
Turkmenistan 6.3%, Georgia 4.8%, Israel 4.5%, Croatia 4.1% (2005)

Bahamas, The
US 31%, Spain 29.7%, Poland 9.3%, Germany 5.6%,
Guatemala 4.1% (2005)

Barbados
  US 18.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 12.1%, Saint Lucia
  8.4%, Jamaica 7.9%, Grenada 4.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  4.6% (2005)

Belarus
Russia 38.5%, Ukraine 7.8%, Poland 7.1%, Latvia 4.2%, UK
4.1%, China 4.1% (2005)

Belgium
Germany 19.4%, France 17.3%, Netherlands 11.7%, UK 8.2%, US
6.4%, Italy 5.3% (2005)

Benin
China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%,
Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)

Bhutan
Japan 33.2%, Germany 13.6%, France 13.5%, South Korea 7.8%,
US 7.7%, Thailand 5.8%, Italy 5.1% (2005)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.6%,
Germany 12.8%, Austria 6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Botswana
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern
African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Brunei
Japan 36.8%, Indonesia 19.3%, South Korea 12.7%, US 9.5%,
Australia 9.3% (2005)

Burkina Faso
China 38.3%, Singapore 12.6%, Thailand 5.7%, Ghana
5.2%, Taiwan 4.4% (2005)

Burundi
Germany 24.4%, Belgium 11.1%, Netherlands 8%, Switzerland
5.8%, US 4.6%, Pakistan 4% (2005)

Cameroon
Spain 17.2%, Italy 13.7%, France 9.4%, South Korea 8.1%, UK
8%, Netherlands 7.8%, Belgium 4.8%, US 4.3% (2005)

Central African Republic
  Belgium 34.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 8.5%,
  Italy 7.9%, China 6.9%, Indonesia 6.2%, Democratic Republic of the
  Congo 4.6%, US 4.4%, Turkey 4.4% (2005)

Chile
US 15.8%, Japan 11.5%, China 11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, South
Korea 5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Italy 4.2%, Mexico 4% (2005)

China
US 21.4%, Hong Kong 16.3%, Japan 11%, South Korea 4.6%,
Germany 4.3% (2005)

Comoros
France 27.7%, Singapore 16.8%, Japan 15.1%, Germany 13.7%,
US 5.8%, Netherlands 5.1% (2005)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Belgium 38.2%, US 17.9%, China
11.7%, France 8%, Finland 7.8%, Chile 4.3% (2005)

Congo, Republic of the
China 38.9%, US 29%, Taiwan 11.8%, South
Korea 7.2% (2005)

Cote d'Ivoire
France 18.3%, US 14.1%, Netherlands 11%, Nigeria 8%,
Panama 4.4% (2005)

Croatia
Italy 21.8%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.7%, Germany 10.7%,
Slovenia 8.1%, Austria 7.3% (2005)

Czech Republic
Germany 33.5%, Slovakia 8.7%, Austria 5.5%, Poland
5.5%, France 5.3%, UK 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2005)

Denmark
Germany 17.5%, Sweden 13.2%, UK 8.8%, US 6.4%, France 5.5%,
Netherlands 5.3%, Norway 5.1% (2005)

Dominica
UK 26.2%, Jamaica 9.8%, South Korea 8.7%, Antigua and
Barbuda 8.6%, Guyana 7.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2005)

Egypt
US 13.4%, Italy 9.4%, Spain 7.7%, Syria 5.7%, Germany 4.9%,
France 4.9%, UK 4.1% (2005)

Equatorial Guinea
US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%,
Taiwan 7.5%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005)

Estonia
Finland 26.5%, Sweden 12.9%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%,
Germany 6.2%, Lithuania 4.8% (2005)

Ethiopia
Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Djibouti 6.8%, Switzerland 6.4%, Italy
5.9%, US 5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Faroe Islands
Denmark 38.2%, UK 29.6%, Nigeria 8.9%, Norway 6.1%,
Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Finland
Russia 11.2%, Sweden 10.7%, Germany 10.5%, UK 6.6%, US 6.2%,
Netherlands 4.8% (2005)

France
Germany 14.7%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.7%, UK 8.3%, US 7.2%,
Belgium 7.1% (2005)

Gambia, The
India 40.4%, UK 18.2%, Indonesia 8.3%, Senegal 4.6%,
Belgium 4.3% (2005)

Georgia
Russia 18.1%, Turkey 14.3%, Azerbaijan 9.8%, Turkmenistan
8.9%, Bulgaria 5%, Armenia 4.7%, Ukraine 4.4%, Canada 4.2% (2005)

Germany
France 10.2%, US 8.8%, UK 7.9%, Italy 6.9%, Netherlands
6.1%, Belgium 5.6%, Austria 5.4%, Spain 5.1% (2005)

Ghana
Netherlands 12.6%, UK 8.3%, US 6.7%, Belgium 5.8%, France
5.7%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Gibraltar
UK 30.8%, Spain 22.7%, Germany 13.7%, Turkmenistan 10.4%,
Switzerland 8.3%, Italy 6.7% (2005)

Greece
Germany 12.4%, Italy 10.4%, UK 6.7%, Bulgaria 5.9%, US 5.3%,
Cyprus 5.2%, Turkey 5.1%, France 4.2% (2005)

Grenada
  Saint Lucia 12.1%, US 11.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.2%,
  Germany 7.9%, Netherlands 7.8%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 7.4%, Dominica
  7.4%, UK 6.8%, France 4.2% (2005)

Guinea
Russia 14.6%, South Korea 11.3%, Spain 10.2%, Ukraine 7.9%,
US 6.1%, Ireland 6%, France 5.7%, Germany 5%, Belgium 4.5% (2005)

Guyana
Canada 18.9%, US 18.9%, UK 11.7%, Portugal 8.1%, Jamaica
5.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2005)

Iceland
UK 17.9%, Germany 16.4%, Netherlands 13%, US 8.1%, Spain
7.7%, Denmark 4.3% (2005)

India
US 16.7%, UAE 8.5%, China 6.6%, Singapore 5.3%, UK 4.9%, Hong
Kong 4.4% (2005)

Indonesia
Japan 21.1%, US 11.5%, Singapore 9.2%, South Korea 8.3%,
China 7.8%, Malaysia 4% (2005)

Iran
Japan 16.6%, China 11%, Italy 5.8%, South Korea 5.7%, South
Africa 5.7%, Turkey 5.6%, Netherlands 4.5%, France 4.3% (2005)

Ireland
US 18.7%, UK 17.4%, Belgium 15.2%, Germany 7.4%, France
6.4%, Netherlands 4.8% (2005)

Jamaica
US 25.8%, Canada 19.3%, UK 10.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China
7%, Norway 6.4%, Germany 5.6% (2005)

Japan
US 22.9%, China 13.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.3%, Hong
Kong 6.1% (2005)

Kazakhstan
Bermuda 12.5%, Russia 11.1%, Germany 10.7%, China 10%,
Italy 7.9%, France 7.7%, Romania 4.5%, US 4% (2005)

Kenya
Uganda 13.9%, UK 10.5%, US 9.5%, Netherlands 8.2%, Egypt 5.1%,
Tanzania 4.7%, Pakistan 4.5% (2005)

Kiribati
US 22.8%, Belgium 21.5%, Japan 14.3%, Samoa 7.8%, Australia
7.5%, Malaysia 6.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Denmark 4.6% (2005)

Kuwait
Japan 19.6%, South Korea 15.3%, US 11.8%, Taiwan 11%,
Singapore 9.5%, Netherlands 4.7% (2005)

Latvia
Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, UK 10.2%, Russia
7.9%, Sweden 7.8%, Denmark 5.3%, Poland 5.3% (2005)

Lebanon
Syria 25.3%, UAE 11.4%, Switzerland 8.1%, Turkey 6%, Saudi
Arabia 6% (2005)

Liberia
Belgium 41.4%, Spain 11.6%, US 9.1%, Malaysia 5.5%, Thailand
4.6%, Poland 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2005)

Libya
Italy 37.9%, Germany 15.2%, Spain 8.7%, Turkey 6.3%, France
6.2%, US 5.2% (2005)

Liechtenstein
EU 62.6% (Germany 24.3%, Austria 9.5%, France 8.9%,
Italy 6.6%, UK 4.6%), US 18.9%, Switzerland 15.7% (2004)

Lithuania
  Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.2%, Germany 9.4%, France 7%,
  Estonia 5.9%, Poland 5.5%, Sweden 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7%, Denmark 4.3%
  (2005)

Luxembourg
Germany 21%, France 16.3%, Belgium 9.2%, UK 8.3%, Italy
7.5%, Spain 6.6%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Malawi
  US 18%, South Africa 12.2%, Egypt 7.6%, Germany 7%,
  Netherlands 6.9%, Japan 4.8%, Russia 4.6%, UK 4.2%, Mozambique 4%
  (2005)

Malaysia
US 19.7%, Singapore 15.6%, Japan 9.3%, China 6.6%, Hong
Kong 5.8%, Thailand 5.4% (2005)

Maldives
Japan 22.8%, Thailand 22.7%, Sri Lanka 16.4%, UK 12.6%,
Singapore 5.8%, Germany 4.8%, France 4.3% (2005)

Malta
France 15.4%, US 14.4%, Singapore 12.3%, UK 11.3%, Germany
11.2%, Italy 5.1%, Libya 4.2% (2005)

Mauritania
  Italy 14.9%, Japan 12.3%, France 11.8%, Belgium 8.5%,
  Germany 8.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.2%, Spain 6.5%, Russia 5%, Netherlands
  4.4% (2005)

Moldova
Russia 32.9%, Italy 12.7%, Romania 10.6%, Ukraine 9.5%,
Belarus 6.7%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Mozambique
Belgium 25.5%, South Africa 12.2%, Spain 11.6%, Italy
11.6%, Germany 7.7% (2005)

Netherlands
Germany 24.9%, Belgium 13%, France 9.4%, UK 9.1%, Italy
5.7%, US 4.3%, Spain 4.1% (2005)

Netherlands Antilles
US 29.4%, Panama 14.4%, Mexico 8.8%, Haiti
5.6%, Venezuela 4.9%, Bahamas, The 4.5% (2005)

New Caledonia
Japan 21.4%, France 16%, Taiwan 11.4%, South Korea
10.1%, Spain 9%, China 7.2%, South Africa 5.2%, Belgium 4.5% (2005)

Norfolk Island
Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia,
Europe (2004)

Norway
UK 25.5%, Germany 12.6%, Netherlands 9.9%, France 9.1%, US
6.7%, Sweden 6.5% (2005)

Oman
China 21.7%, South Korea 19.5%, Japan 14.3%, Thailand 12.7%,
UAE 7.1%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005)

Panama
US 44.9%, Spain 8.9%, Sweden 5.6%, Netherlands 4.9%, Costa
Rica 4% (2005)

Philippines
US 18%, Japan 17.5%, China 9.9%, Netherlands 9.8%, Hong
Kong 8.1%, Singapore 6.6%, Malaysia 6%, Taiwan 4.6% (2005)

Poland
Germany 28.2%, France 6.2%, Italy 6.1%, UK 5.6%, Czech
Republic 4.6%, Russia 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Portugal
Spain 25.9%, France 13.1%, Germany 11.9%, UK 8%, US 5.4%,
Italy 4.3% (2005)

Romania
Italy 19.4%, Germany 14%, Turkey 7.9%, France 7.4%, UK 5.5%,
Hungary 4.1%, US 4.1% (2005)

Russia
Netherlands 10.3%, Germany 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, China 5.5%,
Ukraine 5.2%, Turkey 4.5%, Switzerland 4.4% (2005)

Saint Helena
Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria
4.8%, Spain 4.5% (2005)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Spain 33.6%, Belgium 21.8%, India 18.3%,
France 9.4%, US 7.5% (2005)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
France 50.3%, Italy 21%, Greece
11%, US 4.2% (2005)

Sao Tome and Principe
Netherlands 61.1%, Belgium 9.2%, Turkey 5.5%,
South Korea 4% (2005)

Saudi Arabia
US 16.4%, Japan 16.1%, South Korea 9.1%, China 6.9%,
Singapore 5.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2005)

Senegal
Mali 16.9%, India 13.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 6.1%, Italy
5.5%, Gambia, The 4.6% (2005)

Seychelles
UK 23%, Spain 19.6%, France 11.4%, Japan 9.7%, Italy
7.4%, Germany 5.7%, Netherlands 5.4% (2005)

Singapore
Malaysia 14.7%, US 11.5%, Indonesia 10.7%, Hong Kong
10.4%, China 9.5%, Japan 6%, Thailand 4.5%, Australia 4.1% (2005)

Slovakia
Germany 26.2%, Czech Republic 14.1%, Austria 7.1%, Italy
6.7%, Poland 6.3%, Hungary 5.7% (2005)

Slovenia
Germany 19.9%, Italy 12.7%, Croatia 9.4%, Austria 8.1%,
France 8.1% (2005)

Solomon Islands
China 40.7%, South Korea 13.2%, Thailand 6.9%, Japan
6.3%, Philippines 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2005)

South Africa
UK 11.1%, US 9.1%, Japan 8.3%, Germany 6.3%, China
5.2%, Italy 4.5% (2005)

Suriname
Norway 23.5%, US 16.5%, Canada 16.1%, Belgium 9.7%, France
7.9%, UAE 7.3% (2005)

Sweden
US 10.6%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.7%, UK 7.3%, Denmark 6.5%,
Finland 5.7%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005)

Switzerland
Germany 19.4%, US 10.9%, Italy 9.1%, France 8.7%, UK
5.4%, Spain 4.1% (2005)

Syria
Iraq 22.3%, Saudi Arabia 15.3%, Italy 8.4%, Germany 8.3%,
Lebanon 7.7%, Egypt 4.3%, France 4.2% (2005)

Tajikistan
Netherlands 46.6%, Turkey 15.8%, Russia 9.1%, Uzbekistan
7.3%, Latvia 4.9%, Iran 4% (2005)

Tanzania
China 10.2%, Canada 8.6%, India 7.3%, Netherlands 5.2%,
Japan 4.5%, Kenya 4.4%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

Thailand
US 15.5%, Japan 13.7%, China 8.3%, Singapore 6.8%, Hong
Kong 5.6%, Malaysia 5.2% (2005)

Togo
Ghana 21.1%, Burkina Faso 18.2%, Benin 11.5%, Mali 7.3%, India
5.8%, Nigeria 4% (2005)

Turkey
Germany 12.9%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, US 6.7%, France 5.2%,
Spain 4.1% (2005)

Uganda
Kenya 15.1%, Belgium 9.9%, Netherlands 9.7%, France 7.1%,
Germany 5.1%, Rwanda 4% (2005)

United Arab Emirates
Japan 24.6%, South Korea 9.8%, Thailand 5.6%,
India 4.3% (2005)

United Kingdom
US 15.1%, Germany 10.5%, France 8.9%, Ireland 7.3%,
Netherlands 5.5%, Belgium 5%, Spain 4.4% (2005)

United States
Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.3%, Japan 6.1%, China 4.6%, UK
4.3% (2005)

Uruguay
US 18.6%, Brazil 15.6%, Mexico 6.9%, Argentina 6.1%, Spain
4.1%, Germany 4% (2005)

Uzbekistan
Russia 24.6%, China 12.3%, Turkey 7.1%, Ukraine 5.6%,
Bangladesh 4.9%, Poland 4.3%, Tajikistan 4.2% (2005)

Vanuatu
Thailand 46.5%, India 14.1%, Poland 7.9%, Turkey 7.7%, Japan
6.9% (2005)

Vietnam
US 21.2%, Japan 13.3%, Australia 8.4%, China 7.5%, Singapore
5.3%, Germany 5% (2005)

Western Sahara
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so
trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2004)

World
US 15.6%, Germany 7.4%, China 5.7%, France 4.9%, UK 4.7%,
Japan 4.5% (2005)

Yemen
China 36.5%, Chile 19.2%, Thailand 12.5%, Japan 5.4%, South
Korea 4.4%, US 4.1% (2005)

Zambia
Switzerland 28.7%, South Africa 18.6%, UK 14.4%, Democratic
Republic of the Congo 5.4%, Tanzania 5.1%, Zimbabwe 4.1% (2005)

Zimbabwe
South Africa 32.8%, China 7.4%, Japan 6.3%, Zambia 5.2%,
Netherlands 5%, US 4.6%, Italy 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2005)

Afghanistan
  34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan,
  Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni,
  Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst,
  Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan,
  Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol,
  Takhar, Vardak, Zabol

Albania
  12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku
  i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku
  i Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes,
  Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores

Algeria
  48 provinces (wilayat, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla,
  Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida,
  Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa,
  El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel,
  Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila,
  Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi
  Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret,
  Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

American Samoa
  none (territory of the US); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are three districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern,
  Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western

Andorra
  7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la
  Vella, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant
  Julia de Loria

Angola
  18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo,
  Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul,
  Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje,
  Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Antigua and Barbuda
  6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*,
  Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint
  Peter, Saint Philip

Argentina
  23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1
  autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
  Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes,
  Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones,
  Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe,
  Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del
  Atlantico Sur, Tucuman
  note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Armenia
  11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat,
  Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush,
  Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

Australia
  6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital
  Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South
  Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Austria
  9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,
  Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg,
  Steiermark (Styria), Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

Azerbaijan
  59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities
  (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar
  respublika)
  rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu,
  Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda
  Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu,
  Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu,
  Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu,
  Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu,
  Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu,
  Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax
  Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu,
  Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi
  Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu,
  Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar
  Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli
  Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab
  Rayonu
  cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran
  Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit
  Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari
  autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi

Bahamas, The
  21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat
  Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green
  Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long
  Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and
  Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador
  and Rum Cay

Bahrain
  5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah,
  Wasat
  note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor

Barbados
  11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George,
  Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael,
  Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of
  Bridgetown may be given parish status

Belarus
  6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1
  municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna,
  Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers

Belgium
  10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch:
  provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions;
  Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles),
  Flanders*, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur,
  Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia*, West-Vlaanderen
  note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
  devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
  government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
  complex division of responsibilities

Benin
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou,
Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou

Bermuda
  9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton,
  Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys,
  Smith's, Southampton, Warwick

Bhutan
  18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang,
  Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro,
  Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang,
  Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
  note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse

Bolivia
  9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
  Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa
  Cruz, Tarija

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  2 first-order administrative divisions and 1
  internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko
  Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika
  Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an
  administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  the district remains under international supervision

Botswana
  9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*,
  Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*,
  Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern

Brazil
  26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal
  district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia,
  Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato
  Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana,
  Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande
  do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe,
  Tocantins

Brunei
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait,
Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Bulgaria
  28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad,
  Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech,
  Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen,
  Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora,
  Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Burkina Faso
  45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba,
  Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba,
  Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo,
  Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga,
  Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie,
  Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga,
  Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo

Burma
  7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi
  ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)
  divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi,
  Yangon
  states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon
  State, Rakhine State, Shan State

Burundi
  17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale,
  Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo,
  Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi

Cambodia
  20 provinces (khaitt, singular and plural) and 4
  municipalities* (krong, singular and plural)
  provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong
  Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong,
  Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear,
  Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev
  municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnum Penh, Preah Seihanu

Cameroon
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord,
Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Canada
  10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia,
  Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest
  Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island,
  Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*

Cape Verde
  17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa
  Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira
  Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe,
  Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal

Cayman Islands
8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town,
Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western

Central African Republic
  14 prefectures (prefectures, singular -
  prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques,
  singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**;
  Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou,
  Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere,
  Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga

Chad
  14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture); Batha,
  Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac,
  Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari,
  Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile
  note: instead of 14 prefectures, there may be a new administrative
  structure of 28 departments (departments, singular - department) and
  1 city*; Assongha, Baguirmi, Bahr El Gazal, Bahr Koh, Batha
  Oriental, Batha Occidental, Biltine, Borkou, Dababa, Ennedi, Guera,
  Hadjer Lamis, Kabia, Kanem, Lac, Lac Iro, Logone Occidental, Logone
  Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam,
  N'Djamena*, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile
  Occidental, Tibesti

Chile
  13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General
  Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio,
  Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos,
  Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana
  (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
  note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

China
  23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous
  regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi,
  singular and plural)
  provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei,
  Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin,
  Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan,
  Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)
  autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang
  (Tibet)
  municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
  note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries
  for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

Colombia
  32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and
  1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca,
  Atlantico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare,
  Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare,
  Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander,
  Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, San Andres y Providencia, Santander,
  Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada

Comoros
  3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (Njazidja),
  Anjouan (Nzwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*,
  Moutsamoudou*

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  10 provinces (provinces, singular
  - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur,
  Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema,
  Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu

Congo, Republic of the
  10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1
  commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou,
  Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha

Costa Rica
7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela,
Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose

Cote d'Ivoire
  19 regions; Agneby, Bafing, Bas-Sassandra, Denguele,
  Dix-Huit Montagnes, Fromager, Haut-Sassandra, Lacs, Lagunes,
  Marahoue, Moyen-Cavally, Moyen-Comoe, N'zi-Comoe, Savanes,
  Sud-Bandama, Sud-Comoe, Vallee du Bandama, Worodougou, Zanzan

Croatia
  20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city*
  (grad - singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska
  Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija,
  Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija,
  Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska
  Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija,
  Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija,
  Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija,
  Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija,
  Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*,
  Zagrebacka Zupanija

Cuba
  14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special
  municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila,
  Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla
  de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio,
  Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

Cyprus
  6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia,
  Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions
  include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts
  of Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Larnaca

Czech Republic
  13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital
  city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky Kraj, Jihomoravsky Kraj, Karlovarsky
  Kraj, Kralovehradecky Kraj, Liberecky Kraj, Moravskoslezsky Kraj,
  Olomoucky Kraj, Pardubicky Kraj, Plzensky Kraj, Praha (Prague)*,
  Stredocesky Kraj, Ustecky Kraj, Vysocina, Zlinsky Kraj

Denmark
  metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter, singular - amt)
  and 2 boroughs* (amtskommuner, singular - amtskommune); Arhus,
  Bornholm, Frederiksberg*, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Kobenhavn
  (Copenhagen)*, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde,
  Sonderjylland, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjalland, Viborg
  note: as a result of an extensive 2005 local government reform, with
  2006 being a transition year, 275 municipalities will be merged to
  99 by 1 January 2007, and the 14 counties will be reorganized into
  five regions

Djibouti
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta,
Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah

Dominica
  10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint
  John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint
  Paul, Saint Peter

Dominican Republic
  31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia)
  and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon,
  Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, El Seibo, Elias Pina, Espaillat, Hato
  Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria
  Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata,
  Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, San Cristobal,
  San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Sanchez Ramirez,
  Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde

East Timor
  13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau,
  Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los
  Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno),
  Viqueque

Ecuador
  22 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay,
  Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas,
  Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi,
  Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios,
  Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

Egypt
  26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad
  Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah,
  Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya,
  Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, As Suways, Ash
  Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub
  Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj

El Salvador
  14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
  Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz,
  La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana,
  Sonsonate, Usulutan

Equatorial Guinea
  7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia);
  Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral,
  Wele-Nzas

Eritrea
  6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub
  (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka,
  Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Estonia
  15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa
  (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide),
  Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere),
  Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa
  (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa
  (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)
  note: counties have the administrative center name following in
  parentheses

Ethiopia
  9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and
  2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular -
  astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara),
  Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples),
  Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali),
  Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations,
  Nationalities and Peoples)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
none (overseas territory of the
UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Faroe Islands
  none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing
  overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are 49 municipalities

Fiji
4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern,
Rotuma*, Western

Finland
6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen
Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

France
  22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine,
  Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre,
  Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie,
  Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine,
  Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie,
  Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes
  note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the
  "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided
  into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas
  departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the
  overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre, Miquelon)

French Polynesia
  none (overseas lands of France); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel
  des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du
  Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent
  note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French
  Polynesia

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  none (overseas territory of
  France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as
  defined by the US Government, but there are three districts named
  Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes
  "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US

Gabon
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie,
Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Gambia, The
5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower
River, North Bank, Upper River, Western

Georgia
  9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities
  (k'alak'ebi, singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics
  (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)
  regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti,
  Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti,
  Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli
  cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, Tbilisi,
  Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi
  autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri
  Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika
  (Bat'umi)
  note: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are
  shown in parentheses

Germany
  13 states (Laender, singular - Land) and 3 free states*
  (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern*,
  Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen,
  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
  Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen*, Sachsen-Anhalt,
  Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen*

Ghana
10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater
Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western

Greece
  51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos) and 1 autonomous
  region*; Achaia, Agion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania,
  Argolis, Arkadia, Arta, Attiki, Chalkidiki, Chanion, Chios,
  Dodekanisos, Drama, Evros, Evrytania, Evvoia, Florina, Fokidos,
  Fthiotis, Grevena, Ileia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Karditsa,
  Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani,
  Kyklades, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lefkas, Lesvos, Magnisia,
  Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethynnis, Rodopi, Samos, Serrai,
  Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos

Greenland
  3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu
  (Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
  note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland

Grenada
  6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit
  Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John,
  Saint Mark, Saint Patrick

Guatemala
  22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
  Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso,
  Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten,
  Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa
  Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa

Guernsey
  none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint
  Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint
  Saviour, Torteval, Vale

Guinea
  33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*; Beyla,
  Boffa, Boke, Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka,
  Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane,
  Kindia, Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma,
  Lola, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri,
  Telimele, Tougue, Yomou

Guinea-Bissau
  9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata,
  Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note -
  Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Guyana
  10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica,
  East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara,
  Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper
  Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Haiti
  10 departments (departements, singular - departement);
  Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest,
  Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est

Honduras
  18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
  Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso,
  Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La
  Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Hungary
  19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 22 urban counties
  (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros)
  counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen,
  Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves,
  Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy,
  Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
  urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Gyor,
  Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa,
  Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar,
  Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg
  capital city: Budapest

Iceland
  8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland
  Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir,
  Vesturland

India
  28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar
  Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
  Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*,
  Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
  Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh,
  Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa,
  Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar
  Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal

Indonesia
  30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2
  special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah
  istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus
  ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya
  Barat, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur,
  Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan
  Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku,
  Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau,
  Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi
  Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera
  Utara, Yogyakarta*
  note: following the implementation of decentralization beginning on
  1 January 2001, the 440 districts or regencies have become the key
  administrative units responsible for providing most government
  services

Iran
  30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e
  Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
  Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
  Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e
  Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan,
  Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan,
  Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan

Iraq
  18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al
  Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah,
  At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
  Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit

Ireland
  26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin,
  Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick,
  Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo,
  Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
  note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province

Isle of Man
  none; there are no first-order administrative divisions
  as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities
  each with its own elections

Israel
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa,
Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Italy
  15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous
  regions* (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); Abruzzo,
  Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia
  Giulia*, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte,
  Puglia, Sardegna*, Sicilia*, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige*, Umbria,
  Valle d'Aosta*, Veneto

Jamaica
  14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester,
  Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth,
  Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
  note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were
  amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as
  the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation

Japan
  47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui,
  Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo,
  Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi,
  Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara,
  Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga,
  Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama,
  Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Jordan
  12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al
  'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az
  Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba

Kazakhstan
  14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities*
  (qala, singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola
  Oblysy (Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
  Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
  (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
  Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
  Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
  (Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses); in 1995, the Governments of
  Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
  lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
  Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
  (Baykonur, formerly Leninsk); in 2004, a new agreement extended the
  lease to 2050

Kenya
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi
Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Kiribati
  3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands;
  note - in addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts,
  Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21
  island councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang,
  Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton,
  Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa,
  Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)

Korea, North
  9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4
  municipalities (si, singular and plural)
  provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong),
  Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae),
  Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon),
  P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan),
  Yanggang-do (Yanggang)
  municipalites: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin),
  Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)

Korea, South
  9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7
  metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
  provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo
  (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong),
  Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do,
  Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)
  metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on),
  Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan),
  Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi
  (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)

Kuwait
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi,
Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir

Kyrgyzstan
  7 provinces (oblastlar, singular - oblasty) and 1 city*
  (shaar); Batken Oblasty, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek),
  Jalal-Abad Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty,
  Ysyk-Kol Oblasty (Karakol)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Laos
  16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality*
  (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone**
  (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai,
  Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang,
  Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*,
  Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Latvia
  26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*:
  Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons,
  Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons,
  Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons,
  Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas
  Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons,
  Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons,
  Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras
  Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons

Lebanon
  8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar,
  Baalbek-Hermel, Beyrouth, Beqaa, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban,
  Nabatiye

Lesotho
10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru,
Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Liberia
  15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape
  Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado,
  Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe

Libya
  25 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ajdabiya,
  Al 'Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al
  Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi,
  Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt,
  Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan; note - the 25
  municipalities may have been replaced by 13 regions

Liechtenstein
  11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers,
  Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg,
  Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz

Lithuania
  10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus,
  Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages,
  Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus

Macedonia
  85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aerodrom
  (Skopje), Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo,
  Brvenica, Butel (Skopje), Cair (Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje),
  Centar Zupa, Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Debartsa, Delcevo,
  Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba
  (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), Gostivar, Gradsko,
  Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo,
  Kisela Voda (Skopje), Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka,
  Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska
  Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino,
  Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica,
  Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj
  (Skopje), Skopje, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica,
  Studenicani, Suto Orizari (Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo,
  Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste,
  Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci
  note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses
  collectively constitute "greater Skopje"

Madagascar
6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana,
Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Malawi
  27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu,
  Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga
  (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata
  Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo,
  Zomba

Malaysia
  13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah,
  Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau
  Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and one federal
  territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala
  Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya

Maldives
  19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and the capital
  city*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu,
  Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale*
  (Male), Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu

Mali
8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal,
Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou

Malta
none (administered directly from Valletta); note - local
councils carry out administrative orders

Marshall Islands
  33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk,
  Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat,
  Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap,
  Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang,
  Utirik, Wotho, Wotje

Mauritania
  12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital
  district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol,
  Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*,
  Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza

Mauritius
  9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black
  River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka,
  Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart,
  Rodrigues*, Savanne

Mexico
  31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal
  district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja
  California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza,
  Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo,
  Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon,
  Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro de Arteaga, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi,
  Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz-Llave,
  Yucatan, Zacatecas

Micronesia, Federated States of
4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae
(Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap

Moldova
  32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities
  (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala
  autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
  raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir,
  Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari,
  Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova,
  Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti,
  Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
  municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau
  autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
  territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului

Monaco
  none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as
  defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters
  (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine,
  Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo

Mongolia
  21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1
  municipality* (singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy,
  Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan,
  Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon,
  Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs

Montenegro
  21 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina);
  Andrijevia, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad,
  Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Plav, Pluzine,
  Pljevlja, Podgornica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Ulcinj, Zabljak

Morocco
  15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha,
  Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es
  Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz,
  Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer,
  Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al
  Hoceima-Taounate
  note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political
  status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government;
  portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia
  El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco
  claims another region, Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, which falls entirely
  within Western Sahara

Mozambique
  10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city
  (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de
  Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Namibia
13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene,
Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa

Nauru
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe,
Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Nepal
  14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri,
  Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali,
  Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Netherlands
  12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie);
  Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen,
  Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
  Zuid-Holland

Netherlands Antilles
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government

New Caledonia
  none (overseas territory of France); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and
  Sud

New Zealand
  16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty,
  Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay,
  Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland,
  Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast

Nicaragua
  15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento)
  and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region
  autonomista); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo,
  Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz,
  Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Niger
  8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital
  district* (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi,
  Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Nigeria
  36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom,
  Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi,
  Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa,
  Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger,
  Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara

Niue
  none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions
  as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the
  second order

Northern Mariana Islands
  none (commonwealth in political union with
  the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as
  defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at
  the second order: Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian

Norway
  19 counties (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder,
  Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland,
  Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane,
  Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold

Oman
  5 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 4 governorates*
  (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al
  Buraymi*, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat*, Musandam*,
  Zufar (Dhofar)*

Pakistan
  4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**;
  Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital
  Territory**, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
  note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and
  Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir
  and Northern Areas

Palau
  16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel,
  Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang,
  Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol

Panama
  9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1
  territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon,
  Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*(Kuna Yala), and
  Veraguas

Papua New Guinea
  20 provinces; Bougainville, Central, Chimbu,
  Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang,
  Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern,
  Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New
  Britain

Paraguay
  17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and
  1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*,
  Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion,
  Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari,
  Presidente Hayes, San Pedro

Peru
  25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province*
  (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho,
  Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La
  Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua,
  Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

Philippines
  79 provinces and 117 chartered cities
  provinces: Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay,
  Antique, Apayao, Aurora, Basilan, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas,
  Biliran, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines
  Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cebu,
  Compostela, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Eastern
  Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela,
  Kalinga, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, La Union, Leyte,
  Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro
  Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain Province,
  Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar,
  Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon,
  Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South
  Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte,
  Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Tawi-Tawi, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte,
  Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay
  chartered cities: Alaminos, Angeles, Antipolo, Bacolod, Bago,
  Baguio, Bais, Balanga, Batangas, Bayawan, Bislig, Butuan,
  Cabanatuan, Cadiz, Cagayan de Oro, Calamba, Calapan, Calbayog,
  Candon, Canlaon, Cauayan, Cavite, Cebu, Cotabato, Dagupan, Danao,
  Dapitan, Davao, Digos, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Escalante, Gapan, General
  Santos, Gingoog, Himamaylan, Iligan, Iloilo, Isabela, Iriga,
  Kabankalan, Kalookan, Kidapawan, Koronadal, La Carlota, Laoag,
  Lapu-Lapu, Las Pinas, Legazpi, Ligao, Lipa, Lucena, Maasin, Makati,
  Malabon, Malaybalay, Malolos, Mandaluyong, Mandaue, Manila, Marawi,
  Markina, Masbate, Muntinlupa, Munoz, Naga, Olongapo, Ormoc,
  Oroquieta, Ozamis, Pagadian, Palayan, Panabo, Paranaque, Pasay,
  Pasig, Passi, Puerto Princesa, Quezon, Roxas, Sagay, Samal, San
  Carlos (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos (in Pangasinan), San
  Fernando (in La Union), San Fernando (in Pampanga), San Jose, San
  Jose del Monte, San Pablo, Santa Rosa, Santiago, Silay, Sipalay,
  Sorsogon, Surigao, Tabaco, Tacloban, Tacurong, Tagaytay, Tagbilaran,
  Taguig, Tagum, Talisay (in Cebu), Talisay (in Negros Oriental),
  Tanauan, Tangub, Tanjay, Tarlac, Toledo, Tuguegarao, Trece Martires,
  Urdaneta, Valencia, Valenzuela, Victorias, Vigan, Zamboanga

Poland
  16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo);
  Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie,
  Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie,
  Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie,
  Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie

Portugal
  18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2
  autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma);
  Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco,
  Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre,
  Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Puerto Rico
  none (territory of the US with commonwealth status);
  there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the
  US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular
  - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas
  Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta,
  Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas,
  Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio,
  Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama,
  Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao,
  Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las
  Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca,
  Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce,
  Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San
  German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa
  Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja,
  Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Qatar
  10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad
  Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar
  Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal

Reunion
  none (overseas department of France); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are 4 arrondissements, 24 communes, and 47
  cantons

Romania
  41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality*
  (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud,
  Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi,
  Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati,
  Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov,
  Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare,
  Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Russia
  48 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics
  (respublik, singular - respublika), 9 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh
  okrugov, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 7 krays (krayev, singular -
  kray), 2 federal cities (singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast
  (avtonomnaya oblast')
  oblasts: Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod,
  Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga,
  Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma,
  Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk,
  Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel,
  Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara,
  Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula,
  Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh,
  Yaroslavl'
  republics: Adygeya (Maykop), Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Bashkortostan
  (Ufa), Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashiya
  (Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Ingushetiya (Magas),
  Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik), Kalmykiya (Elista),
  Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk), Kareliya (Petrozavodsk),
  Khakasiya (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola),
  Mordoviya (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Sakha [Yakutiya]
  (Yakutsk), Tatarstan (Kazan'), Tyva (Kyzyl), Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)
  autonomous okrugs: Aga Buryat (Aginskoye), Chukotka (Anadyr'), Evenk
  (Tura), Khanty-Mansi, Koryak (Palana), Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar), Taymyr
  [Dolgano-Nenets] (Dudinka), Ust'-Orda Buryat (Ust'-Ordynskiy),
  Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard)
  krays: Altay (Barnaul), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk,
  Permskiy, Primorskiy (Vladivostok), Stavropol'
  federal cities: Moscow (Moskva), Saint Petersburg (Sankt-Peterburg)
  autonomous oblast: Yevrey [Jewish] (Birobidzhan)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Rwanda
  12 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; in
  Kinyarwanda - prefigintara for singular and plural); Butare, Byumba,
  Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali
  Rurale, Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri

Saint Helena
1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*,
Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint
  Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland,
  Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree,
  Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown,
  Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle
  Island, Trinity Palmetto Point

Saint Lucia
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin,
Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  none (territorial collectivity of France);
  note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
  by the US Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre,
  Miquelon at the second order

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines,
Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

Samoa
  11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga,
  Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga,
  Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

San Marino
  9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello);
  Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano,
  Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle

Sao Tome and Principe
2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995

Saudi Arabia
  13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah,
  Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad,
  Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah,
  Najran, Tabuk

Senegal
  11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel,
  Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda,
  Thies, Ziguinchor

Serbia
  29 districts (okrugov; singular - okrug), 1 capital city*
  Serbia Proper: Belgrad*, Bor, Branicevo, Jablanica, Kolubara, Macva,
  Moravica, Nisava, Pcinja, Pirot, Podunavlje, Pomoravlje, Rasina,
  Raska, Sumadija, Toplica, Zajecar, Zlatibor
  Vojvodina Autonomous Province: Central Banat, North Backa, North
  Banat, South Backa, South Banat, Srem, West Backa
  Kosovo and Metojia Autonomous Province: Kosovo, Kosovska-Mitrovica,
  Kosovo-Pomoravlje, Pec, Prizren

Seychelles
  23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau,
  Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne,
  Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on
  Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont
  Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint
  Louis, Takamaka

Slovakia
  8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky,
  Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky,
  Zilinsky

Slovenia
  182 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban
  municipalities* (mestne obcine , singular - mestna obcina )
  Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke,
  Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica,
  Cankova, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno,
  Cerkvenjak, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca,
  Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec,
  Dobrovnik-Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale,
  Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja
  Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina,
  Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos-Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina,
  Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola-Isola, Jesenice,
  Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje,
  Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Koper-Capodistria*, Kostel, Kozje, Kranj*,
  Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart,
  Lendava-Lendva, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska
  Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk,
  Maribor*, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na
  Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Moravce,
  Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje,
  Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica,
  Pesnica, Piran-Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka,
  Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Ptuj*, Puconci,
  Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na
  Koroskem, Razkrizje, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogasovci, Rogaska
  Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Salovci, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic,
  Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju,
  Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*,
  Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob
  Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sostanj, Starse,
  Store, Sveta Ana, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij,
  Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic,
  Trzin, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej,
  Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica,
  Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica,
  Zuzemberk, Zrece
  note: there may be 45 more municipalities

Solomon Islands
  9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central,
  Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell
  and Bellona, Temotu, Western

Somalia
  18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool,
  Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe,
  Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha
  Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

South Africa
  9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng,
  KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape,
  Western Cape

Spain
  17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular -
  comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas,
  singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares
  (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria,
  Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana,
  Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra,
  Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
  note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small
  islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez
  de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central
  government, are all located along the coast of Morocco and are
  collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de
  Soberania)

Sri Lanka
  8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North
  Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
  note: in 1998 the Government of Sri Lanka proposed a merger of the
  former Northern and Eastern provinces; while this merger was never
  ratified, the Government treats North Eastern Province as a de facto
  singular administrative unit

Sudan
  25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper
  Nile), Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazirah
  (El Gezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah
  (Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile),
  Ash Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal), Gharb al
  Istiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahr
  al Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern
  Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei),
  Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal
  (Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shamal
  Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyah (Eastern
  Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (Warab)

Suriname
  10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo,
  Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,
  Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Sweden
  21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas,
  Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar,
  Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane,
  Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens,
  Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands

Switzerland
  26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French;
  cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton
  in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden,
  Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus,
  Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt
  Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri,
  Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Syria
  14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al
  Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az
  Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus

Taiwan
  includes central island of Taiwan plus numerous smaller
  islands near central island and off coast of China's Fujian
  Province; Taiwan is divided into 18 counties (hsien, singular and
  plural), 5 municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special
  municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural)
  counties: Chang-hua, Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung
  (county), Kin-men, Lien-chiang, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu,
  P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei (county), T'ai-tung,
  T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin
  municipalities: Chia-i, Chi-lung, Hsin-chu, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan
  special municipalities: Kao-hsiung city, T'ai-pei city
  note: Taiwan generally uses Wade-Giles system for romanization;
  special municipality of Taipei adopted standard pinyin romanization
  for street and place names within city boundaries, other local
  authorities have selected a variety of romanization systems

Tajikistan
  2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1
  autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon
  (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon*
  [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
  note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Tanzania
  26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera,
  Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara,
  Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga,
  Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North,
  Zanzibar Urban/West

Thailand
  76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat
  Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum,
  Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin,
  Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep
  Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong
  Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon
  Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan,
  Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani,
  Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi,
  Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket,
  Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi
  Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut
  Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla,
  Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon
  Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

Togo
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara,
Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes

Trinidad and Tobago
  9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3
  borough corporations, 1 ward
  regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
  Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
  Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
  city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando
  borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
  ward: Tobago

Tunisia
  24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous
  (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah),
  Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn),
  Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba
  (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul
  (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana
  (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar),
  Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Turkey
  81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman,
  Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan,
  Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol,
  Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
  Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,
  Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel (Mersin), Igdir,
  Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,
  Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,
  Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
  Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt,
  Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
  Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Turkmenistan
  5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal
  Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz
  Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Uganda
  56 districts; Adjumani, Apac, Arua, Bugiri, Bundibugyo,
  Bushenyi, Busia, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole,
  Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu,
  Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum,
  Kotido, Kumi, Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge,
  Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit,
  Nakasongola, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri,
  Sembabule, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe
  note: as of a July 2005, 13 new districts were reportedly added
  bringing the total up to 69; the new districts are Amolatar, Amuria,
  Budaka, Butaleja, Ibanda, Kaabong, Kabingo, Kaliro, Kiruhura,
  Koboko, Manafwa, Mityana, Nakaseke; a total of nine more districts
  are in the process of being added

Ukraine
  24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous
  republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista,
  singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv,
  Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'),
  Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson,
  Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv,
  Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil',
  Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya,
  Zhytomyr
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

United Arab Emirates
  7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu
  Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah),
  Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwayn)

United Kingdom
  England: 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London
  boroughs, 12 cities and boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal
  boroughs
  boroughs: Barnsley, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton,
  Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Bury, Calderdale,
  Darlington, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Halton, Hartlepool,
  Kirklees, Knowsley, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes,
  North Tyneside, Oldham, Poole, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland,
  Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Sefton, Slough, Solihull,
  Southend-on-Sea, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport,
  Stockton-on-Tees, Swindon, Tameside, Thurrock, Torbay, Trafford,
  Walsall, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton
  counties (or unitary authorities): Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,
  Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon,
  Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire,
  Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire,
  Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire,
  Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire,
  Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire,
  West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire
  London boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent,
  Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney,
  Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon,
  Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge,
  Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham
  Forest, Wandsworth
  cities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds,
  Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield,
  Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminster
  districts: Bath and North East Somerset, East Riding of Yorkshire,
  North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,
  Rutland, South Gloucestershire, Telford and Wrekin, West Berkshire,
  Wokingham
  cities: City of Bristol, Derby, City of Kingston upon Hull,
  Leicester, City of London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth,
  Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, York
  royal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,
  Windsor and Maidenhead
  Northern Ireland: 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties
  districts: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,
  Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down,
  Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle,
  Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane
  cities: Belfast, Londonderry (Derry)
  counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County
  Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone
  Scotland: 32 council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus,
  Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee
  City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East
  Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles),
  Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian,
  Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and
  Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South
  Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire,
  West Lothian;
  Wales: 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties
  county boroughs: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,
  Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda Cynon
  Taff, Torfaen, Wrexham
  counties: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Denbighshire, Flintshire,
  Isle of Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, The Vale of
  Glamorgan
  cities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea

United States
  50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona,
  Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of
  Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
  Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
  Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
  Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North
  Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
  Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
  Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Uruguay
  19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
  Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida,
  Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera,
  Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres

Uzbekistan
  12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1
  autonomous republic* (respublika), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon
  Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati,
  Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi),
  Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo
  Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent
  Shahri**, Toshkent Viloyati, Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)
  note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
  administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
  name following in parentheses)

Venezuela
  23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital
  district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency**
  (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas,
  Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**,
  Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas,
  Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas,
  Yaracuy, Zulia
  note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled
  island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Vietnam
  59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5
  municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural)
  provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba
  Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh
  Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai,
  Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong,
  Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai
  Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh
  Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang
  Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh,
  Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen
  Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai
  municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

Virgin Islands
  none (territory of the US); there are no first-order
  administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
  are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John,
  Saint Thomas

Wallis and Futuna
  none (overseas territory of France); there are no
  first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named
  Alo, Sigave, Wallis

Yemen
  19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan,
  'Adan, Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al
  Mahwit, 'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib,
  Sa'dah, San'a', Shabwah, Ta'izz
  note: for electoral and administrative purposes, the capital city of
  Sanaa is treated as an additional governorate

Zambia
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka,
Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Zimbabwe
  8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status;
  Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland
  East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland
  South, Midlands

Albania
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets,
grapes; meat, dairy products

American Samoa
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit,
yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock

Angola
  bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc
  (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest
  products; fish

Antigua and Barbuda
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts,
cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Argentina
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco,
peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock

Austria
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products,
cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber

Azerbaijan
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea,
tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats

Bangladesh
rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco,
pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry

Belgium
sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef,
veal, pork, milk

Benin
cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil,
peanuts; livestock

Bulgaria
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley,
sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock

Burkina Faso
cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet,
corn, rice; livestock

Burma
rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood;
fish and fish products

Burundi
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas,
manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides

Cameroon
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains,
root starches; livestock; timber

Canada
wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy
products; forest products; fish

Cape Verde
bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee,
peanuts; fish

Central African Republic
cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca),
yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber

Chad
cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc
(tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels

Chile
grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches,
garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber

China
rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley,
apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish

Colombia
coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn,
sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp

Comoros
vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas,
cassava (tapioca)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products

Congo, Republic of the
cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn,
peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products

Cook Islands
copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws,
bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry

Costa Rica
coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans,
potatoes; beef; timber

Cote d'Ivoire
coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn,
rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber

Croatia
  wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa,
  clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy
  products

Cyprus
citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables;
poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese

Dominica
bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa;
forest and fishery potential not exploited

Dominican Republic
  sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice,
  beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef,
  eggs

East Timor
coffee, rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans,
cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla

Ecuador
  bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca),
  plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy
  products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp

Egypt
cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle,
water buffalo, sheep, goats

El Salvador
coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton,
sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp

Equatorial Guinea
coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca),
bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber

Eritrea
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee,
sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Ethiopia
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane,
potatoes, qat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish

European Union
wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes;
dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
fodder and vegetable crops; sheep,
dairy products

Fiji
sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes,
bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish

France
wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef,
dairy products; fish

French Guiana
corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa,
vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry

French Polynesia
coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee;
poultry, beef, dairy products

Gabon
cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a
tropical softwood); fish

Gambia, The
rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava
(tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats

Germany
potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages;
cattle, pigs, poultry

Ghana
cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea
nuts, bananas; timber

Greece
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine,
tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products

Grenada
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops,
sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Guadeloupe
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables;
cattle, pigs, goats

Guatemala
sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle,
sheep, pigs, chickens

Guernsey
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant,
fruit; Guernsey cattle

Guinea
rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca),
bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber

Guinea-Bissau
rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts,
peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish

Guyana
sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry,
dairy products; fish, shrimp

Hungary
wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs,
cattle, poultry, dairy products

India
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Indonesia
rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee,
palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Iran
wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton;
dairy products, wool; caviar

Italy
fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans,
grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish

Jamaica
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees,
vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks

Japan
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs; fish

Kenya
tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy
products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs

Korea, South
rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle,
pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish

Kyrgyzstan
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and
berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool

Laos
sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco,
cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry

Lebanon
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes,
olives, tobacco; sheep, goats

Liberia
rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), palm oil,
sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber

Libya
wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts,
soybeans; cattle

Lithuania
grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef,
milk, eggs; fish

Luxembourg
wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits;
dairy products, livestock products

Macau
  only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable
  growers; fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the
  catch is exported to Hong Kong

Madagascar
coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava
(tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products

Malawi
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava
(tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

Malaysia
  Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah
  - subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak -
  rubber, pepper, timber

Malta
potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes,
citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs

Marshall Islands
coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit,
fruits; pigs, chickens

Mexico
corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit,
tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products

Micronesia, Federated States of
  black pepper, tropical fruits and
  vegetables, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), betel nuts, sweet potatoes;
  pigs, chickens; fish

Moldova
vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower
seed, tobacco; beef, milk

Mongolia
wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats,
cattle, camels, horses

Montenegro
grains, tobacco, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, grapes;
sheepherding; commercial fishing negligible

Montserrat
cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers;
livestock products

Mozambique
  cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (tapioca),
  corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes,
  sunflowers; beef, poultry

New Zealand
wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables;
wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish

Nicaragua
  coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco,
  sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products;
  shrimp, lobsters

Niger
cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca),
rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry

Nigeria
  cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet,
  cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber;
  fish

Niue
coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava
(tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals,
vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry

Pakistan
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk,
beef, mutton, eggs

Papua New Guinea
  coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernels, tea, sugar,
  rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, vanilla; shell fish,
  poultry, pork

Paraguay
cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava
(tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber

Peru
coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains,
grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish

Philippines
sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas,
pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

Portugal
grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle,
goats, swine, poultry, dairy products; fish

Puerto Rico
sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas;
livestock products, chickens

Romania
wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes,
grapes; eggs, sheep

Rwanda
coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from
chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock

Saint Helena
coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish,
lobster (on Tristan da Cunha)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes,
spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish

San Marino
wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef,
cheese, hides

Sao Tome and Principe
cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra,
cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish

Saudi Arabia
wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton,
chickens, eggs, milk

Senegal
peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes,
green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Seychelles
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava
(tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna

Sierra Leone
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts;
poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Singapore
rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs;
fish, ornamental fish

Slovakia
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle,
poultry; forest products

Slovenia
potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle,
sheep, poultry

Solomon Islands
cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes,
vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish

Somalia
bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes,
sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish

South Africa
corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef,
poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Spain
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus;
beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

Sri Lanka
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea,
rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish

Sudan
  cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum
  arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet
  potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

Suriname
paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains,
peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products

Swaziland
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus,
pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Syria
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar
beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Tanzania
  coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made
  from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat,
  cassava (tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Togo
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans,
rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Tokelau
coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs,
poultry, goats; fish

Tonga
squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa,
coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

Tunisia
olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar
beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

Uganda
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes,
corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry

United Arab Emirates
dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs,
dairy products; fish

United Kingdom
cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle,
sheep, poultry; fish

United States
wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton;
beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products

Vanuatu
copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits,
vegetables; beef; fish

Venezuela
corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables,
coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

Vietnam
paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans,
cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood

Western Sahara
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases);
camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish

Yemen
grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy
products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

Zambia
  corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables,
  flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee;
  cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides

Zimbabwe
corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts;
sheep, goats, pigs

Antarctica
  20
  note: there are no developed public access airports or landing
  facilities; 28 stations or remote field locations, operated by 11
  National Antarctic Programs from nations party to the Antarctic
  Treaty, have restricted aircraft landing facilities comprising a
  total of 11 runways and 22 skiways for fixed-wing aircraft; some
  stations have both runways and skiways; commercial enterprises
  operate two aircraft landing facilities at one station; helicopter
  pads are available at all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations
  operated by National Antarctic Programs; the 11 runways are suitable
  for wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft: three are gravel, four blue-ice,
  two sea-ice and two compacted snow; of these, five are 3 km in
  length, two are between 2 km and 3 km in length, three are between 1
  km and 2 km in length and one is less than 1 km in length; the 22
  snow surface skiways are limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing
  aircraft; of these, three are equal to or greater than 3 km in
  length, one is between 2 km and 3 km in length, nine are between 1
  km and 2 km in length, five are less than 1 km in length, and four
  are of unknown or variable length; snow surface skiways are
  generally prepared and maintained during specific periods only and
  during summer; all aircraft landing facilities subject to severe
  restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and
  geographic conditions; aircraft landing facilities do not meet ICAO
  standards; advance approval from the respective governmental or
  nongovernmental operating organization required for using their
  facilities; landed aircraft are subject to inspection in accordance
  with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; guidelines for the operation of
  aircraft near concentrations of birds in Antarctica were adopted in
  2004; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures
  adopted by states party to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to
  the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90
  degrees of latitude South, have to be complied with (see information
  under "Legal System"); an Antarctic Flight Information Manual (AFIM)
  providing up-to-date details of Antarctic air facilities and
  procedures is maintained and published by the Council of Managers of
  National Antarctic Programs (2006)

Baker Island
one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered
with vegetation and unusable (2006)

Gaza Strip
  2
  note: includes Gaza International Airport closed since its runway
  was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001 (2006)

Howland Island
  one airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled
  refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and
  Fred NOONAN - they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but
  were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable (2006)

Kingman Reef
  lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and
  American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and
  1938 (2006)

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker Island: one
  abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and
  unusable
  Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling
  stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred
  NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but
  were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
  Johnston Atoll: 1 - closed and not maintained
  Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii
  and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937
  and 1938
  Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for
  sale except emergencies
  Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)

Albania
  General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army),
  Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command,
  Training and Doctrine Command

Algeria
  National Popular Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian
  National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force
  (2005)

Angola
Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra, MdG), Air and Air Defense
Forces (FANA) (2006)

Argentina
  Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes
  naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza
  Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2005)

Armenia
Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense
Force (NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006)

Aruba
no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy
and Marines, Coast Guard

Australia
  Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal
  Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations
  Command

Bahrain
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air
Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard

Bangladesh
Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh
Navy, Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2006)

Belize
Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing,
and Volunteer Guard

Bolivia
  Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano),
  Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air
  Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2006)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  VF Army (the air and air defense forces are
  subordinate commands within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air
  defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army)

Brazil
  Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB),
  includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)),
  Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2006)

Brunei
  Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal
  Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei)
  (2005)

Bulgaria
Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces,
Bulgarian Air Force (2006)

Burkina Faso
Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de
Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie (2006)

Burundi
  National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN):
  Army (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie
  (being disbanded) (2006)

Cambodia
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal
Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2005)

Cameroon
Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval
infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC) (2006)

Canada
Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air
Command, Canada Command (homeland security) (2006)

Cape Verde
People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP): Army, Coast
Guard (includes maritime air wing)

Central African Republic
  Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground
  Forces, Military Air Service; General Directorate of Gendarmerie
  Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard, National Police (2006)

Chad
Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale Tchadienne, ANT), Air
Force, Gendarmerie (2004)

Chile
  Army of the Nation, National Navy (Armada de Chile, includes
  naval air, marine corps, and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine
  Directorate (Directemar)), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile,
  FACh), Chilean Carabineros (National Police) (2006)

China
  People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes
  marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes airborne forces),
  and II Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed
  Police (PAP); Reserve and Militia Forces (2006)

Colombia
  Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional,
  includes naval aviation, marines, and coast guard), Air Force
  (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana) (2006)

Comoros
Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force (includes
Gendarmerie and Army), Comoran Federal Police (2006)

Congo, Republic of the
  Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Congolese
  Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican
  Guard (2005)

Cook Islands
no regular military forces; Ministry of Police and
Disaster Management (2005)

Costa Rica
no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security,
Government, and Police (2006)

Cote d'Ivoire
Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSC):
Army, Navy, Air Force (2006)

Croatia
  Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces
  (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces
  (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO),
  Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military
  Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces
  (2006)

Cuba
  Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER),
  Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR),
  Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army
  (EJT) (2005)

Cyprus
  Republic of Cyprus: Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG;
  includes air and naval elements); north Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot
  Security Force (GKK)

Czech Republic
  Army of the Czech Republic (ACR): Joint Forces
  Command (includes air forces), Support and Training Forces Command
  (2006)

Denmark
Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish
Fleet, Tactical Air Command (2006)

Dominica
no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police
Force (includes coast guard)

East Timor
East Timor Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de
Timor-L'este, FDTL): Army, Navy (Armada) (2005)

Ecuador
Army, Navy (includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast
guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE)

El Salvador
Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2006)

Estonia
Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force,
Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2006)

Ethiopia
  Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces,
  Ethiopian Air Force
  note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the
  secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in
  Eritrean possession

Finland
Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes coastal defense
forces), Air Force (2003)

France
  Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy
  (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National
  Gendarmerie

French Polynesia
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and
National Police Force

Gambia, The
Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN),
Presidential Guard, National Guard

Gaza Strip
  in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian
  Authority is not permitted conventional military forces; there are,
  however, public security forces (2002)

Georgia
Ground Forces (includes National Guard), Air and Air Defense
Forces, Navy (2006)

Germany
  Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy
  (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe),
  Joint Service Support Command (Streitkraeftebasis), Central Medical
  Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst) (2006)

Greece
  Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy
  (Ellinikos Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki
  Polimiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2006)

Guinea-Bissau
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes
Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force

Haiti
  the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air
  Force - have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless they
  are constitutionally abolished

Holy See (Vatican City)
Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia
Svizzera Pontificia)

Honduras
Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Honduran Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2006)

Hong Kong
  no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison
  of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the
  PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are
  under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in
  Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou
  Military Region

Iceland
  no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police,
  Icelandic Coast Guard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan) subordinate to
  Ministry of Justice, Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (2006)

India
  Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,
  various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security
  Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border
  Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,
  Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and
  Defense Security Corps)

Indonesia
  Indonesia Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI):
  Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes marines, naval air arm), Air
  Force (TNI-AU)
  note: the TNI is directly subordinate to the president but the
  government is making efforts to incorporate it into the Department
  of Defense

Iran
  Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground
  Forces, Navy, Air Force (Niruye Havayi Jomhuriye Islamiye Iran;
  includes air defense); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e
  Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force,
  Qods Force (special operations), and Basij Force (Popular
  Mobilization Army); Law Enforcement Forces (2006)

Iraq
  Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Regular Army (includes Iraqi Special
  Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (former
  Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army Air
  Corps) (2005)

Ireland
Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army (includes
Naval Service and Air Corps) (2006)

Israel
  Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Army Headquarters, Israel Navy,
  Israeli Air and Space Force (ISAF, includes air defense forces);
  historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
  (2005)

Italy
  Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana,
  MMI), Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri
  Corps (Corpo dei Carabinieri, CC) (2005)

Japan
  Japanese Defense Agency (JDA): Ground Self-Defense Force
  (Rikujou Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jietai,
  MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Nihon Koku-Jieitai, ASDF) (2006)

Jordan
  Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force,
  Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat
  al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya), Special Operations Command
  (Socom); Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry
  of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations)
  (2006)

Kazakhstan
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force,
Republican Guard

Kiribati
  no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law
  enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts
  are on all islands)

Korea, North
North Korean People's Army: Ground Force, Navy, Air
Force; civil security forces (2005)

Korea, South
Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong
Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)

Kuwait
Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat
al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2006)

Latvia
Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air
Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005)

Libya
Armed Peoples on Duty (APOD, Army), Libyan Arab Navy, Libyan
Arab Air Force (LAAF) (2006)

Lithuania
Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air
Forces, National Defense Volunteer Forces (2005)

Macedonia
  Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint Operational
  Command, with subordinate Air Wing (Makedonsko Voeno
  Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV), Special Force Command (2006)

Madagascar
People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development
Force, and Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie

Malawi
Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval
Detachment), Police (includes Mobile Force Unit)

Malaysia
  Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM):
  Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy
  (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force
  (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2006)

Maldives
National Security Service: Security Branch (ground forces),
Air Element, Coast Guard

Mauritania
  Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine
  Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne
  Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005)

Mauritius
no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special
Mobile Force, National Coast Guard

Mexico
  Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa
  Nacional, Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
  Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina,
  Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico, ARM, includes Naval Air
  Force (FAN) and Marines) (2006)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  no ministry of defense and no
  standing armed forces; the paramilitary Maritime Wing, a small
  maritime law enforcement unit, is responsible to the Division of
  Maritime Surveillance within the Office of the Attorney General
  (2003)

Moldova
National Army: Ground Forces, Rapid Reaction Forces, Air and
Air Defense Forces (2006)

Mongolia
Mongolian People's Army (MPA), Mongolian People's Air Force
(MPAF); there is no navy (2005)

Morocco
  Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal
  Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Navy (includes Marines), Royal
  Moroccan Air Force (Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2006)

Mozambique
  Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM): Mozambique Army,
  Mozambique Navy (Marinha Mocambique, MM), Mozambique Air Force
  (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM) (2006)

Nepal
Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air
Service); Nepalese Police Force

Netherlands
  Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes
  Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force
  (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police, Defense
  Interservice Command (DICO) (2006)

Netherlands Antilles
no regular military forces; National Guard,
Police Force (2005)

New Caledonia
no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed
Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

New Zealand
New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army,
Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2006)

Niger
Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army,
National Air Force (2005)

Nigeria
Nigerian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN):
Army, Niger Air Force (2006)

Norway
  Norwegian Army (Haeren), Royal Norwegian Navy (Kongelige
  Norske Sjoeforsvaret, RNoN; includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard
  (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske
  Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard (Heimevernet, HV) (2006)

Oman
  Royal Omani Armed Forces: Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of
  Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat
  Oman, RAFO) (2006)

Pakistan
Army (includes National Guard), Navy (includes Marines),
Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2006)

Panama
  an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed forces,
  but there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF
  includes the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service,
  and National Air Service)

Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Maritime
Operations Element, Air Operations Element)

Paraguay
  Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval
  Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza
  Aerea Paraguay, FAP) (2006)

Peru
  Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de
  Guerra del Peru; includes naval air, naval infantry, and coast
  guard), Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)

Philippines
  Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy
  (includes Marine Corps), Philippine Air Force (Hukbomg Himpapawid ng
  Pilipinas) (2006)

Poland
Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes Navy (Marynarka
Wojenna, MW)), Polish Air Force (Polskie Sily Powietrzne, PSP) (2006)

Portugal
  Army, Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Air
  Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP), National Republican Guard
  (Guarda Nacional Republicana) (2005)

Puerto Rico
no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary
National Guard, Police Force

Qatar
Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN),
Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF)

Reunion
no regular indigenous military forces; French forces
(includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Gendarmerie) (2005)

Romania
Land Forces, Naval Forces, Romanian Air Force (Fortele
Aerienne Romane, FAR), Special Operations (2006)

Russia
  Ground Forces (SV), Navy (VMF), Air Forces (VVS); Airborne
  Troops (VDV), Strategic Rocket Troops (RVSN), and Space Troops (KV)
  are independent "combat arms," not subordinate to any of the three
  branches

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes
Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force

Saint Lucia
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police
Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2006)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  no regular military forces; Royal
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special
  Service Unit), Coast Guard (2005)

San Marino
  no regular military forces; Voluntary Military Force
  (Corpi Militari Voluntar) performs ceremonial duties and limited
  police functions (2006)

Sao Tome and Principe
Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP):
Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004)

Saudi Arabia
Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force,
National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)

Senegal
Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air
Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2006)

Serbia
  Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Serbian Land Forces
  (Kopnene Vojska, KoV), Air Force and Air Defense Force
  (Vozduhoplostvo i Protivozduhoplovna Odbrana, ViPO), naval force to
  be determined (2006)

Seychelles
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes
Navy Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)

Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army
(includes Air Wing, Maritime Wing)

Singapore
Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Republic of Singapore
Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2006)

Slovakia
  Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily
  Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (Pozemne Sily), Air Forces
  (Vzdusne Sily), Training and Support Forces (Vycviku a Podpory Sily)
  (2005)

Somalia
  a Somali National Army was attempted under the interim
  government; numerous factions and clans maintain independent
  militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments
  maintain their own security and police forces

South Africa
  South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South
  African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force
  (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Joint Support Command, Military
  Intelligence, Military Health Service (2005)

Spain
  Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy
  (Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force
  (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2006)

Sudan
Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Army, Navy, Air Force,
Popular Defense Force

Swaziland
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force
(includes air wing), Royal Swaziland Police Force (RSPF) (2005)

Sweden
Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal
Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006)

Switzerland
  Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force
  (Schweizer Luftwaffe); Switzerland has no navy, but maintains a
  fleet of military patrol boats to patrol Swiss borders (2006)

Syria
  Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army (includes Syrian Arab
  Navy), Syrian Arab Air and Air Defense Force (includes Air Defense
  Command) (2005)

Taiwan
  Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard
  Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service
  Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command

Tanzania
Tanzanian People's Defense Force (JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing,
Air Defense Command (includes air wing), National Service

Thailand
  Royal Thai Army (RTA), Royal Thai Navy (RTN, includes Royal
  Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Knogtap Agard Thai, RTAF)
  (2006)

Tonga
Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force
(includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)

Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force,
Coast Guard (includes air wing) (2004)

Tunisia
Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat
al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)

Turkey
  Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces
  (includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk
  Hava Kuvvetleri) (2006)

Turkmenistan
Ground Forces, Artillery and Rocket Forces, Navy, Air
and Air Defense Forces (2006)

Ukraine
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani
Syly), Air Defense Forces (2002)

United Arab Emirates
  Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard),
  Air and Air Defense Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal
  Police Force)

United States
  Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast
  Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the
  Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the
  Department of the Navy

Uruguay
Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime
Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006)

Vanuatu
  no regular military forces; security forces comprise the
  Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) and paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force
  (VMF), which includes Vanuatu's naval force, known as the Police
  Maritime Wing (PMW); border security in Vanuatu is the joint
  responsibility of the Customs and Inland Revenue Service, VPF, VMF,
  and PMW (2003)

Venezuela
  National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN):
  Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces
  (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air
  Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or
  National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Vietnam
  People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN)
  (includes People's Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard),
  Air and Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense
  Command), People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force,
  Self-Defense Forces (2005)

Yemen
Army (includes Special Forces), Navy (includes Marines),
Unified Yemen Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2006)

Zambia
Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force,
Police, National Service

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army, Air
Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (2005)

Afghanistan
  revenues: $269 million
  expenditures: $561 million; including capital expenditures of $41.7
  million
  note: Afghanistan has also received $273 million from the
  Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order
  Trust Fund (FY04-05 budget est.)

Albania
  revenues: $1.96 billion
  expenditures: $2.377 billion; including capital expenditures of $500
  million (2005 est.)

Algeria
  revenues: $42.05 billion
  expenditures: $30.75 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8
  billion (2005 est.)

American Samoa
  revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63%
  in US grants)
  expenditures: $127 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY96/97)

Andorra
  revenues: $373.5 million
  expenditures: $373.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

Angola
  revenues: $8.5 billion
  expenditures: $10 billion; including capital expenditures of $963
  million (2005 est.)

Anguilla
  revenues: $22.8 million
  expenditures: $22.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  revenues: $123.7 million
  expenditures: $145.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Argentina
  revenues: $42.63 billion
  expenditures: $39.98 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Armenia
  revenues: $786.1 million
  expenditures: $930.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Aruba
  revenues: $507.9 million
  expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000)

Australia
  revenues: $249.8 billion
  expenditures: $240.2 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Austria
  revenues: $148.6 billion
  expenditures: $154.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Azerbaijan
  revenues: $3.18 billion
  expenditures: $2.986 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Bahamas, The
  revenues: $1.03 billion
  expenditures: $1.03 billion; including capital expenditures of $130
  million (FY04/05)

Bahrain
  revenues: $4.662 billion
  expenditures: $3.447 billion; including capital expenditures of $700
  million (2005 est.)

Bangladesh
  revenues: $5.993 billion
  expenditures: $8.598 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Barbados
  revenues: $847 million (including grants)
  expenditures: $886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Belarus
  revenues: $5.903 billion
  expenditures: $6.343 billion; including capital expenditures of $180
  million (2005 est.)

Belgium
  revenues: $180.4 billion
  expenditures: $180.5 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $1.56 billion (2005 est.)

Belize
  revenues: $262 million
  expenditures: $329 million; including capital expenditures of $70
  million (2005 est.)

Benin
  revenues: $766.8 million
  expenditures: $1.017 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Bhutan
  revenues: $346.6 million
  expenditures: including capital expenditures of $NA
  note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of
  Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)

Bolivia
  revenues: $2.848 billion
  expenditures: $3.189 billion; including capital expenditures of $741
  million (2005 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  revenues: $4.373 billion
  expenditures: $4.401 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Botswana
  revenues: $3.766 billion
  expenditures: $3.767 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Brazil
  revenues: $140.6 billion
  expenditures: $172.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

British Virgin Islands
  revenues: $204.7 million
  expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of
  $33.8 million (1997)

Brunei
  revenues: $3.765 billion
  expenditures: $4.815 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004 est.)

Bulgaria
  revenues: $11.18 billion
  expenditures: $10.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Burkina Faso
  revenues: $1.033 billion
  expenditures: $1.382 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Burma
  revenues: $473.3 million
  expenditures: $716.6 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (FY04/05 est.)

Burundi
  revenues: $215.4 million
  expenditures: $278 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Cambodia
  revenues: $559.4 million
  expenditures: $772 million; including capital expenditures of $291
  million (2005 est.)

Cameroon
  revenues: $3.263 billion
  expenditures: $2.705 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Canada
  revenues: $159.6 billion
  expenditures: $152.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

Cape Verde
  revenues: $328.1 million
  expenditures: $393.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Cayman Islands
  revenues: $423.8 million
  expenditures: $392.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1997)

Chad
  revenues: $765.2 million
  expenditures: $653.3 million; including capital expenditures of $146
  million (2005 est.)

Chile
  revenues: $29.2 billion
  expenditures: $24.75 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $3.33 billion (2005 est.)

China
  revenues: $392.1 billion
  expenditures: $424.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Colombia
  revenues: $46.82 billion
  expenditures: $48.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  revenues: $700 million
  expenditures: $750 million; including capital expenditures of $24
  million (2004 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  revenues: $1.328 billion
  expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Cook Islands
  revenues: $70.95 million
  expenditures: $69.05 million; including capital expenditures of
  $5.744 million (FY00/01 est.)

Costa Rica
  revenues: $2.722 billion
  expenditures: $3.195 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  revenues: $2.434 billion
  expenditures: $2.83 billion; including capital expenditures of $420
  million (2005 est.)

Croatia
  revenues: $17.69 billion
  expenditures: $19.35 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Cuba
  revenues: $22.11 billion
  expenditures: $23.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Cyprus
  revenues: Republic of Cyprus - $6.698 billion (2005 est.)
  expenditures: Republic of Cyprus - $7.122 billion (2005 est.)
  revenues: $685.7 million; north Cyprus - $231.3 million (2003 est.)
  expenditures: north Cyprus - $432.8 million (2003 est.)

Czech Republic
  revenues: $48.16 billion
  expenditures: $53.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Denmark
  revenues: $144 billion
  expenditures: $135 billion; including capital expenditures of $4.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Djibouti
  revenues: $135 million
  expenditures: $182 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1999 est.)

Dominica
  revenues: $73.9 million
  expenditures: $84.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2001)

Dominican Republic
  revenues: $5.322 billion
  expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1
  billion (2005)

East Timor
  revenues: $107.7 million
  expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004 est.)

Ecuador
  revenues: $8.822 billion
  expenditures: planned $8.153 billion; including capital expenditures
  of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)

Egypt
  revenues: $20.29 billion
  expenditures: $27.68 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.7
  billion (2005 est.)

El Salvador
  revenues: $2.84 billion
  expenditures: $3.167 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  revenues: $1.973 billion
  expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Eritrea
  revenues: $248.8 million
  expenditures: $409.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Estonia
  revenues: $4.91 billion
  expenditures: $4.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Ethiopia
  revenues: $2.338 billion
  expenditures: $2.88 billion; including capital expenditures of $788
  million (2005 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  revenues: $66.2 million
  expenditures: $67.9 million; including capital expenditures of $23.2
  million (FY98/99 est.)

Faroe Islands
  revenues: $488 million
  expenditures: $484 million; including capital expenditures of $21
  million (1999)

Fiji
  revenues: $720.5 million
  expenditures: $728.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Finland
  revenues: $99.61 billion
  expenditures: $97.14 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

France
  revenues: $1.06 trillion
  expenditures: $1.144 trillion; including capital expenditures of $23
  billion (2005 est.)

French Guiana
  revenues: $135.5 million
  expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105
  million (1996)

French Polynesia
  revenues: $865 million
  expenditures: $644.1 million; including capital expenditures of $185
  million (1996)

Gabon
  revenues: $2.463 billion
  expenditures: $1.618 billion; including capital expenditures of $325
  million (2005 est.)

Gambia, The
  revenues: $46.63 million
  expenditures: $62.66 million; including capital expenditures of $4.1
  million (2005 est.)

Gaza Strip
  revenues: $964 million
  expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA;
  note - these budget data include West Bank (2004)

Georgia
  revenues: $1.43 billion
  expenditures: $1.56 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Germany
  revenues: $1.249 trillion
  expenditures: $1.362 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Ghana
  revenues: $3.216 billion
  expenditures: $3.506 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Gibraltar
  revenues: $307 million
  expenditures: $284 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY00/01 est.)

Greece
  revenues: $94.13 billion
  expenditures: $103.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Greenland
  revenues: $646 million
  expenditures: $629 million; including capital expenditures of $85
  million (1999)

Grenada
  revenues: $85.8 million
  expenditures: $102.1 million; including capital expenditures of $28
  million (1997)

Guadeloupe
  revenues: $637.7 million
  expenditures: $680.1 million; including capital expenditures of
  $112.5 million (2002)

Guatemala
  revenues: $3.374 billion
  expenditures: $4.041 billion; including capital expenditures of $750
  million (2005 est.)

Guernsey
  revenues: $539.2 million
  expenditures: $448.3 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2002)

Guinea
  revenues: $305.6 million
  expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Guyana
  revenues: $320.1 million
  expenditures: $362.6 million; including capital expenditures of
  $93.4 million (2005 est.)

Haiti
  revenues: $400 million
  expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  revenues: $245.2 million
  expenditures: $260.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2002)

Honduras
  revenues: $1.693 billion
  expenditures: $1.938 billion; including capital expenditures of $106
  million (2005 est.)

Hong Kong
  revenues: $31.31 billion
  expenditures: $32.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.9
  billion (2005 est.)

Hungary
  revenues: $51.4 billion
  expenditures: $58.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Iceland
  revenues: $6.995 billion
  expenditures: $6.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $467
  million (2005 est.)

India
  revenues: $111.2 billion
  expenditures: $135.8 billion; including capital expenditures of $15
  billion (2005 est.)

Indonesia
  revenues: $54.3 billion
  expenditures: $57.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Iran
  revenues: $48.82 billion
  expenditures: $60.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Iraq
  revenues: $19.3 billion
  expenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5
  billion (2005 budget)

Ireland
  revenues: $70.46 billion
  expenditures: $69.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.5
  billion (2005 est.)

Isle of Man
  revenues: $485 million
  expenditures: $463 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY00/01 est.)

Israel
  revenues: $43.82 billion
  expenditures: $58.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Italy
  revenues: $785.7 billion
  expenditures: $861.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Jamaica
  revenues: $2.8 billion
  expenditures: $3.21 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $180.4 million (2005 est.)

Japan
  revenues: $1.429 trillion
  expenditures: $1.775 trillion; including capital expenditures
  (public works only) of about $71 billion (2005 est.)

Jersey
  revenues: $601 million
  expenditures: $588 million; including capital expenditures of $98
  million (2000 est.)

Jordan
  revenues: $2.8 billion
  expenditures: $4.688 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $1.092 billion (2005 est.)

Kazakhstan
  revenues: $12.19 billion
  expenditures: $12.44 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Kenya
  revenues: $3.715 billion
  expenditures: $3.88 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Kiribati
  revenues: $55.52 million
  expenditures: $59.71 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY05)

Korea, South
  revenues: $195 billion
  expenditures: $189 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Kuwait
  revenues: $47.21 billion
  expenditures: $20.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  revenues: $516.3 million
  expenditures: $539.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Laos
  revenues: $319.3 million
  expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Latvia
  revenues: $5.673 billion
  expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Lebanon
  revenues: $4.953 billion
  expenditures: $6.595 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Lesotho
  revenues: $738.5 million
  expenditures: $792.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (2005 est.)

Liberia
  revenues: $85.4 million
  expenditures: $90.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Libya
  revenues: $25.34 billion
  expenditures: $15.47 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Liechtenstein
  revenues: $424.2 million
  expenditures: $414.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1998 est.)

Lithuania
  revenues: $8.429 billion
  expenditures: $9.103 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004 est.)

Luxembourg
  revenues: $9.195 billion
  expenditures: $9.573 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $975.5 million (2005 est.)

Macau
  revenues: $3.16 billion
  expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY05/06)

Macedonia
  revenues: $2.105 billion
  expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital expenditures of $114
  million (2005 est.)

Madagascar
  revenues: $703.6 million
  expenditures: $853 million; including capital expenditures of $331
  million (2005 est.)

Malawi
  revenues: $844.6 million
  expenditures: $913.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Malaysia
  revenues: $30.57 billion
  expenditures: $34.62 billion; including capital expenditures of $9.4
  billion (2005 est.)

Maldives
  revenues: $265 million (excluding foreign grants)
  expenditures: $362 million; including capital expenditures of $80
  million (2004 est.)

Mali
  revenues: $764 million
  expenditures: $828 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2002 est.)

Malta
  revenues: $2.503 billion
  expenditures: $2.703 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Marshall Islands
  revenues: $42 million
  expenditures: $40 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1999)

Martinique
  revenues: $317.5 million
  expenditures: $317.5 million; including capital expenditures of $140
  million (1996)

Mauritania
  revenues: $421 million
  expenditures: $378 million; including capital expenditures of $154
  million (2002 est.)

Mauritius
  revenues: $1.377 billion
  expenditures: $1.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Mayotte
  revenues: $NA
  expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1991 est.)

Mexico
  revenues: $181 billion
  expenditures: $184 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005)

Micronesia, Federated States of revenues: $127.3 million ($69 million less grants) expenditures: $144.2 million; including capital expenditures of $17.9 million $NA (1998 est.)

Moldova
  revenues: $1.069 billion
  expenditures: $1.065 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Monaco
  revenues: $719.2 million
  expenditures: $864.1 million; including capital expenditures of
  $283.1 million (2004)

Mongolia
  revenues: $702 million
  expenditures: $651 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Montserrat
  revenues: $31.4 million
  expenditures: $31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4
  million (1997 est.)

Morocco
  revenues: $12.94 billion
  expenditures: $16.77 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $2.19 billion (2005 est.)

Namibia
  revenues: $1.945 billion
  expenditures: $2.039 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Nepal
  revenues: $1.153 billion
  expenditures: $1.789 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY05/06)

Netherlands
  revenues: $291.8 billion
  expenditures: $303.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  revenues: $757.9 million
  expenditures: $949.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2004)

New Zealand
  revenues: $43.1 billion
  expenditures: $37.57 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Nicaragua
  revenues: $1.134 billion
  expenditures: $1.358 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Niger
  revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign
  sources
  expenditures: $320 million; including capital expenditures of $178
  million (2002 est.)

Nigeria
  revenues: $12.86 billion
  expenditures: $13.54 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Niue
  revenues: $15.07 million
  expenditures: $16.33 million; including capital expenditures of
  $123,700

Norfolk Island
  revenues: $4.6 million
  expenditures: $4.8 million; including capital expenditures of $2
  million (FY99/00)

Northern Mariana Islands
  revenues: $193 million
  expenditures: $223 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY01/02 est.)

Norway
  revenues: $176.1 billion
  expenditures: $131.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Oman
  revenues: $14.36 billion
  expenditures: $10.61 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Pakistan
  revenues: $15.45 billion
  expenditures: $20.07 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Palau
  revenues: $72.07 million
  expenditures: $72.43 million; including capital expenditures of
  $12.98 million (FY98/99 est.)

Panama
  revenues: $3.426 billion
  expenditures: $3.959 billion; including capital expenditures of $471
  million (2005 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  revenues: $1.368 billion
  expenditures: $1.354 billion; including capital expenditures of $344
  million (2005 est.)

Paraguay
  revenues: $1.334 billion
  expenditures: $1.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $700
  million (2005 est.)

Peru
  revenues: $21.87 billion
  expenditures: $22.47 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8
  billion for general government, but excluding private enterprises
  (2005 est.)

Philippines
  revenues: $12.38 billion
  expenditures: $15.77 billion; including capital expenditures of NA
  (2005 est.)

Pitcairn Islands
  revenues: $746,000
  expenditures: $1.028 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY04/05)

Poland
  revenues: $52.73 billion
  expenditures: $63.22 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Portugal
  revenues: $78.84 billion
  expenditures: $90.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Puerto Rico
  revenues: $6.7 billion
  expenditures: $9.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY99/00)

Qatar
  revenues: $17.31 billion
  expenditures: $11.31 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2
  billion (2005 est.)

Reunion
  revenues: $554.7 million
  expenditures: $554.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1998)

Romania
  revenues: $29.97 billion
  expenditures: $31.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2
  billion (2005 est.)

Russia
  revenues: $176.7 billion
  expenditures: $125.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Rwanda
  revenues: $509.9 million
  expenditures: $584.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Saint Helena
  revenues: $11.2 million
  expenditures: $11 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (FY92/93)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  revenues: $89.7 million
  expenditures: $128.2 million; including capital expenditures of
  $19.5 million (2003 est.)

Saint Lucia
  revenues: $141.2 million
  expenditures: $146.7 million; including capital expenditures of
  $25.1 million (2000 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  revenues: $70 million
  expenditures: $60 million; including capital expenditures of $24
  million (1996 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  revenues: $94.6 million
  expenditures: $85.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Samoa
  revenues: $171.3 million
  expenditures: $78.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2001-02)

San Marino
  revenues: $400 million
  expenditures: $400 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  revenues: $26.39 million
  expenditures: $59.48 million; including capital expenditures of $54
  million (2004 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  revenues: $143.7 billion
  expenditures: $89.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Senegal
  revenues: $1.657 billion
  expenditures: $1.926 billion; including capital expenditures of $357
  million (2005 est.)

Serbia
  revenues: $11.45 billion
  expenditures: $11.12 billion; including capital expenditures $NA;
  note - figures are for Serbia and Montenegro; Serbian Statistical
  Office indicates that for 2006 budget, Serbia will have revenues of
  $7.08 billion (2005 est.)

Seychelles
  revenues: $343.3 million
  expenditures: $332.2 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Sierra Leone
  revenues: $96 million
  expenditures: $351 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2000 est.)

Singapore
  revenues: $18.67 billion
  expenditures: $18.21 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.1
  billion (2005 est.)

Slovenia
  revenues: $16.02 billion
  expenditures: $16.73 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Solomon Islands
  revenues: $49.7 million
  expenditures: $75.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (2003)

South Africa
  revenues: $65.91 billion
  expenditures: $70.62 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Spain
  revenues: $440.9 billion
  expenditures: $448.4 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $12.8 billion (2005 est.)

Sri Lanka
  revenues: $3.804 billion
  expenditures: $5.469 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Sudan
  revenues: $6.182 billion
  expenditures: $5.753 billion; including capital expenditures of $304
  million (2005 est.)

Svalbard
  revenues: $11.5 million
  expenditures: $11.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1998 est.)

Swaziland
  revenues: $805.6 million
  expenditures: $957.1 million; including capital expenditures of $147
  million (2005 est.)

Sweden
  revenues: $210.5 billion
  expenditures: $205.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Switzerland
  revenues: $138.1 billion
  expenditures: $143.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Syria
  revenues: $6.392 billion
  expenditures: $7.613 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $3.23 billion (2005 est.)

Taiwan
  revenues: $41.67 billion
  expenditures: $50.26 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $14.4 billion (2005 est.)

Tajikistan
  revenues: $442.3 million
  expenditures: $542.6 million; including capital expenditures of $86
  million (2005 est.)

Tanzania
  revenues: $2.235 billion
  expenditures: $2.669 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Thailand
  revenues: $30.64 billion
  expenditures: $31.76 billion; including capital expenditures of $5
  billion (2005 est.)

Togo
  revenues: $251.3 million
  expenditures: $292.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Tokelau
  revenues: $430,800
  expenditures: $2.8 million; including capital expenditures of NA
  (1987 est.)

Tonga
  revenues: $56.97 million
  expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9
  million (FY99/00 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  revenues: $4.5 billion
  expenditures: $4.06 billion; including capital expenditures of
  $117.3 million (2005 est.)

Tunisia
  revenues: $7.322 billion
  expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Turkey
  revenues: $93.58 billion
  expenditures: $115.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Turkmenistan
  revenues: $1.401 billion
  expenditures: $1.542 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  revenues: $47 million
  expenditures: $33.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1997-98 est.)

Tuvalu
  revenues: $22.78 million
  expenditures: $14.23 million; including capital expenditures of $4.2
  million (2000 est.)

Uganda
  revenues: $1.845 billion
  expenditures: $1.904 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Ukraine
  revenues: $23.59 billion
  expenditures: $22.98 billion; note - this is the consolidated budget
  (January-September 2005)

United Arab Emirates
  revenues: $34.93 billion
  expenditures: $29.41 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.4
  billion (2005 est.)

United Kingdom
  revenues: $881.4 billion
  expenditures: $951 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

United States
  revenues: $2.119 trillion
  expenditures: $2.466 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Uruguay
  revenues: $4.468 billion
  expenditures: $4.845 billion; including capital expenditures of $193
  million (2005 est.)

Uzbekistan
  revenues: $2.815 billion
  expenditures: $2.917 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Venezuela
  revenues: $39.63 billion
  expenditures: $41.27 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.6
  billion (2005 est.)

Vietnam
  revenues: $11.64 billion
  expenditures: $12.95 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8
  billion (2005 est.)

West Bank
  revenues: $964 million
  expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA;
  note - these budget data include Gaza Strip (2004)

Yemen
  revenues: $5.616 billion
  expenditures: $5.719 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Zambia
  revenues: $1.688 billion
  expenditures: $1.866 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Zimbabwe
  revenues: $1.409 billion
  expenditures: $1.905 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
  (2005 est.)

Afghanistan
  name: Kabul
  geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 12 E
  time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Akrotiri
  name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of
  Dhekelia
  geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Albania
  name: Tirana (Tirane)
  geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 19 50 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Algeria
  name: Algiers
  geographic coordinates: 36 47 N, 2 03 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

American Samoa
  name: Pago Pago
  geographic coordinates: 14 16 S, 170 42 W
  time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Andorra
  name: Andorra la Vella
  geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Angola
  name: Luanda
  geographic coordinates: 8 48 S, 13 14 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Anguilla
  name: The Valley
  geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 04 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Antigua and Barbuda
  name: Saint John's
  geographic coordinates: 17 06 N, 61 51 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Argentina
  name: Buenos Aires
  geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 27 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Armenia
  name: Yerevan
  geographic coordinates: 40 11 N, 44 30 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Aruba
  name: Oranjestad
  geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Australia
  name: Canberra
  geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 08 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last
  Sunday in March (ended first Sunday in April 2006)
  note: Australia is divided into three time zones

Austria
  name: Vienna
  geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Azerbaijan
  name: Baku (Baki, Baky)
  geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 51 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Bahamas, The
  name: Nassau
  geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Bahrain
  name: Manama
  geographic coordinates: 26 13 N, 50 35 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Bangladesh
  name: Dhaka
  geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 25 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Barbados
  name: Bridgetown
  geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Belarus
  name: Minsk
  geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Belgium
  name: Brussels
  geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Belize
  name: Belmopan
  geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Benin
  name: Porto-Novo (official capital)
  geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Cotonou (seat of government)

Bermuda
  name: Hamilton
  geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 46 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Bhutan
  name: Thimphu
  geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Bolivia
  name: La Paz (adminstrative capital)
  geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Sucre (constitutional capital)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  name: Sarajevo
  geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Botswana
  name: Gaborone
  geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Brazil
  name: Brasilia
  geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends
  third Sunday in February
  note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the
  Fernando de Noronha islands

British Virgin Islands
  name: Road Town
  geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Brunei
  name: Bandar Seri Begawan
  geographic coordinates: 4 52 S, 114 55 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Bulgaria
  name: Sofia
  geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Burkina Faso
  name: Ouagadougou
  geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Burma
  name: Rangoon (Yangon)
  geographic coordinates: 16 47 N, 96 10 E
  time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Naypyidaw is being established as a government center

Burundi
  name: Bujumbura
  geographic coordinates: 3 23 S, 29 22 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Cambodia
  name: Phnom Penh
  geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Cameroon
  name: Yaounde
  geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Canada
  name: Ottawa
  geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 40 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November
  note: Canada is divided into six time zones

Cape Verde
  name: Praia
  geographic coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W
  time difference: UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Cayman Islands
  name: George Town (on Grand Cayman)
  geographic coordinates: 19 20 N, 81 23 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Central African Republic
  name: Bangui
  geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Chad
  name: N'Djamena
  geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 15 03 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Chile
  name: Santiago
  geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends
  second Sunday in March

China
  name: Beijing
  geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 116 24 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone

Christmas Island
  name: The Settlement
  geographic coordinates: 18 44 N, 64 19 W
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  name: West Island
  geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E
  time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Colombia
  name: Bogota
  geographic coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Comoros
  name: Moroni
  geographic coordinates: 11 41 S, 43 16 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  name: Kinshasa
  geographic coordinates: 4 18 S, 15 18 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Congo, Republic of the
  name: Brazzaville
  geographic coordinates: 4 16 S, 15 17 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Cook Islands
  name: Avarua
  geographic coordinates: 21 12 S, 159 46 W
  time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Costa Rica
  name: San Jose
  geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Cote d'Ivoire
  name: Yamoussoukro
  geographic coordinates: 5 19 N, 4 02 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since
  1983, Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative center; the
  US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan

Croatia
  name: Zagreb
  geographic coordinates: 45 48 N, 15 58 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Cuba
  name: Havana
  geographic coordinates: 23 08 N, 82 22 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Cyprus
  name: Nicosia (Lefkosia)
  geographic coordinates: 35 10 N, 33 22 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Czech Republic
  name: Prague
  geographic coordinates: 40 55 N, 21 00 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Denmark
  name: Copenhagen
  geographic coordinates: 55 40 N, 12 35 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Dhekelia
  name: Episkopi Cantonment; located in Akrotiri
  geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Djibouti
  name: Djibouti
  geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 15 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Dominica
  name: Roseau
  geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Dominican Republic
  name: Santo Domingo
  geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

East Timor
  name: Dili
  geographic coordinates: 8 35 S, 125 36 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Ecuador
  name: Quito
  geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Egypt
  name: Cairo
  geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last
  Thursday in September

El Salvador
  name: San Salvador
  geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Equatorial Guinea
  name: Malabo
  geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Eritrea
  name: Asmara (Asmera)
  geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Estonia
  name: Tallinn
  geographic coordinates: 59 25 N, 24 45 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Ethiopia
  name: Addis Ababa
  geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

European Union
  name: Brussels (Belgium)
  geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the
  European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of
  Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  name: Stanley
  geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
  third Sunday in April

Faroe Islands
  name: Torshavn
  geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W
  time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Fiji
  name: Suva (on Viti Levu)
  geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Finland
  name: Helsinki
  geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 58 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

France
  name: Paris
  geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

French Guiana
  name: Cayenne
  geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

French Polynesia
  name: Papeete
  geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W
  time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Gabon
  name: Libreville
  geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Gambia, The
  name: Banjul
  geographic coordinates: 12 28 N, 16 39 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Georgia
  name: T'bilisi
  geographic coordinates: 41 43 N, 44 49 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Germany
  name: Berlin
  geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Ghana
  name: Accra
  geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Gibraltar
  name: Gibraltar
  geographic coordinates: 39 11 N, 5 22 W
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Greece
  name: Athens
  geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Greenland
  name: Nuuk (Godthab)
  geographic coordinates: 64 11 N, 51 44 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Greenland is divided into four time zones

Grenada
  name: Saint George's
  geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Guadeloupe
  name: Basse-Terre
  geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 61 44 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Guam
  name: Hagatna (Agana)
  geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 45 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Guatemala
  name: Guatemala
  geographic coordinates: 14 38 N, 90 31 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last
  Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009

Guernsey
  name: Saint Peter Port
  geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Guinea
  name: Conakry
  geographic coordinates: 9 31 N, 13 43 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Guinea-Bissau
  name: Bissau
  geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Guyana
  name: Georgetown
  geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Haiti
  name: Port-au-Prince
  geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Holy See (Vatican City)
  name: Vatican City
  geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Honduras
  name: Tegucigalpa
  geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
  2007

Hungary
  name: Budapest
  geographic coordinates: 47 30 N, 19 05 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Iceland
  name: Reykjavik
  geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W
  time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

India
  name: New Delhi
  geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E
  time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Indonesia
  name: Jakarta
  geographic coordinates: 6 10 S, 106 48 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Indonesia is divided into three time zones

Iran
  name: Tehran
  geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 26 E
  time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Iraq
  name: Baghdad
  geographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October

Ireland
  name: Dublin
  geographic coordinates: 53 20 N, 6 15 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Isle of Man
  name: Douglas
  geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 28 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Israel
  name: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its
  capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries,
  maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
  geographic coordinates: 32 05 N, 34 48 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the
  Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

Italy
  name: Rome
  geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Jamaica
  name: Kingston
  geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Japan
  name: Tokyo
  geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 139 46 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Jersey
  name: Saint Helier
  geographic coordinates: 49 12 N, 2 07 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Jordan
  name: Amman
  geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last
  Friday in September

Kazakhstan
  name: Astana
  geographic coordinates: 51 10 N, 71 30 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Kazakhstan is divided into three time zones

Kenya
  name: Nairobi
  geographic coordinates: 1 17 S, 36 49 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Kiribati
  name: Tarawa
  geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Korea, North
  name: Pyongyang
  geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Korea, South
  name: Seoul
  geographic coordinates: 37 34 N, 127 00 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Kuwait
  name: Kuwait
  geographic coordinates: 29 20 N, 47 59 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Kyrgyzstan
  name: Bishkek
  geographic coordinates: 42 54 N, 74 36 E
  time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Laos
  name: Vientiane
  geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Latvia
  name: Riga
  geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Lebanon
  name: Beirut
  geographic coordinates: 33 53 N, 35 30 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Lesotho
  name: Maseru
  geographic coordinates: 29 28 S, 27 30 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Liberia
  name: Monrovia
  geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 47 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Libya
  name: Tripoli
  geographic coordinates: 32 54 N, 13 11 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Liechtenstein
  name: Vaduz
  geographic coordinates: 47 09 N, 9 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Lithuania
  name: Vilnius
  geographic coordinates: 54 41 N, 25 19 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Luxembourg
  name: Luxembourg
  geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Macedonia
  name: Skopje
  geographic coordinates: 41 59 N, 21 26 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Madagascar
  name: Antananarivo
  geographic coordinates: 18 52 S, 47 30 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Malawi
  name: Lilongwe
  geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 44 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Malaysia
  name: Kuala Lumpur
  geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital;
  Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur

Maldives
  name: Male
  geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 31 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Mali
  name: Bamako
  geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Malta
  name: Valletta
  geographic coordinates: 35 54 N, 14 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Marshall Islands
  name: Majuro
  geographic coordinates: 7 05 N, 171 08 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Martinique
  name: Fort-de-France
  geographic coordinates: 14 36 N, 61 05 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Mauritania
  name: Nouakchott
  geographic coordinates: 18 06 N, 15 57 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Mauritius
  name: Port Louis
  geographic coordinates: 20 10 S, 57 30 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Mayotte
  name: Mamoudzou
  geographic coordinates: 12 47 S, 45 14 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Mexico
  name: Mexico (Distrito Federal)
  geographic coordinates: 19 24 N, 99 09 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Mexico is divided into four time zones

Micronesia, Federated States of
  name: Palikir
  geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 158 08 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Moldova
  name: Chisinau (Kishinev)
  geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 50 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Monaco
  name: Monaco
  geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 25 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Mongolia
  name: Ulaanbaatar
  geographic coordinates: 47 55 N, 106 53 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Saturday in March; ends last
  Saturday in September

Montenegro
  name: Podgorica (administrative capital)
  geographic coordinates: 42 26 N, 19 16 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Cetinje (capital city)

Montserrat
  name: Plymouth
  geographic coordinates: 16 44 N, 62 14 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity;
  interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in
  the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat

Morocco
  name: Rabat
  geographic coordinates: 34 02 N, 6 51 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Mozambique
  name: Maputo
  geographic coordinates: 25 58 S, 32 35 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Namibia
  name: Windhoek
  geographic coordinates: 22 34 S, 17 06 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
  first Sunday in April

Nauru
  no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Nepal
  name: Kathmandu
  geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E
  time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC
  during Standard Time)

Netherlands
  name: Amsterdam
  geographic coordinates: 52 23 N, 4 54 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: The Hague (seat of government)

Netherlands Antilles
  name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
  geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

New Caledonia
  name: Noumea
  geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E
  time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

New Zealand
  name: Wellington
  geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends
  third Sunday in March
  note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham
  Island

Nicaragua
  name: Managua
  geographic coordinates: 12 09 N, 86 17 W
  time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Niger
  name: Niamey
  geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Nigeria
  name: Abuja
  geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Niue
  name: Alofi
  geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Norfolk Island
  name: Kingston
  geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E
  time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Northern Mariana Islands
  name: Saipan
  geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Norway
  name: Oslo
  geographic coordinates: 59 55 N, 10 45 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Oman
  name: Muscat
  geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Pakistan
  name: Islamabad
  geographic coordinates: 33 42 N, 73 10 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Palau
  name: Melekeok
  geographic coordinates: 7 29 N, 134 38 E
  time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Panama
  name: Panama
  geographic coordinates: 8 58 N, 79 32 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Papua New Guinea
  name: Port Moresby
  geographic coordinates: 9 30 S, 147 10 E
  time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Paraguay
  name: Asuncion
  geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Peru
  name: Lima
  geographic coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)

Philippines
  name: Manila
  geographic coordinates: 14 35 N, 121 00 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Pitcairn Islands
  name: Adamstown
  geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W
  time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Poland
  name: Warsaw
  geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Portugal
  name: Lisbon
  geographic coordinates: 38 43 N, 9 08 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Puerto Rico
  name: San Juan
  geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Qatar
  name: Doha
  geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Reunion
  name: Saint-Denis
  geographic coordinates: 20 52 S, 55 28 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Romania
  name: Bucharest
  geographic coordinates: 44 26 N, 26 06 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Russia
  name: Moscow
  geographic coordinates: 55 45 N, 37 35 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Russia is divided into eleven time zones

Rwanda
  name: Kigali
  geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 04 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Saint Helena
  name: Jamestown
  geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  name: Basseterre
  geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Saint Lucia
  name: Castries
  geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  name: Saint-Pierre
  geographic coordinates: 46 46 N, 56 11 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
  2007

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  name: Kingstown
  geographic coordinates: 13 09 N, 61 14 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Samoa
  name: Apia
  geographic coordinates: 13 50 S, 171 45W
  time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

San Marino
  name: San Marino
  geographic coordinates: 43 56 N, 12 25 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Sao Tome and Principe
  name: Sao Tome
  geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Saudi Arabia
  name: Riyadh
  geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Senegal
  name: Dakar
  geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Serbia
  name: Belgrade
  geographic coordinates: 44 50 N, 20 30 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Seychelles
  name: Victoria
  geographic coordinates: 4 38 S, 55 27 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Sierra Leone
  name: Freetown
  geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Singapore
  name: Singapore
  geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Slovakia
  name: Bratislava
  geographic coordinates: 48 09 N, 17 07 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Slovenia
  name: Ljubljana
  geographic coordinates: 46 03 N, 14 31 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Solomon Islands
  name: Honiara
  geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
  time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Somalia
  name: Mogadishu
  geographic coordinates: 2 04 N, 45 22 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

South Africa
  name: Pretoria (administrative capital)
  geographic coordinates: 29 12 S, 28 10 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial
  capital)

Spain
  name: Madrid
  geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October
  note: Spain is divided into two time zones, including the Canary
  Islands

Sri Lanka
  name: Colombo
  geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E
  time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)

Sudan
  name: Khartoum
  geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Suriname
  name: Paramaribo
  geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Svalbard
  name: Longyearbyen
  geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Swaziland
  name: Mbabane
  geographic coordinates: 26 18 S, 31 06 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: Lobamba (royal and legislative capital)

Sweden
  name: Stockholm
  geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Switzerland
  name: Bern
  geographic coordinates: 46 57 N, 7 26 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Syria
  name: Damascus
  geographic coordinates: 33 30 N, 36 18 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 30 September

Taiwan
  name: Taipei
  geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E
  time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Tajikistan
  name: Dushanbe
  geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Tanzania
  name: Dar es Salaam
  geographic coordinates: 6 48 S, 39 17 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is
  planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now meets
  there on a regular basis

Thailand
  name: Bangkok
  geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Togo
  name: Lome
  geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Tokelau
  none; each atoll has its own administrative center
  time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Tonga
  name: Nuku'alofa
  geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W
  time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Trinidad and Tobago
  name: Port-of-Spain
  geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Tunisia
  name: Tunis
  geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E
  time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Turkey
  name: Ankara
  geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

Turkmenistan
  name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
  geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
  geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
  Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
  Sunday in October

Tuvalu
  name: Funafuti
  geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  note: administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on
  Fongafale Islet

Uganda
  name: Kampala
  geographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 25 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Ukraine
  name: Kyiv (Kiev)
  geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

United Arab Emirates
  name: Abu Dhabi
  geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
  time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

United Kingdom
  name: London
  geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 10 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
  Sunday in October

United States
  name: Washington, DC (capital)
  geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W
  time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
  first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
  2007
  note: the United States is divided into six time zones

Uruguay
  name: Montevideo
  geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W
  time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)
  daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends
  second Sunday in March

Uzbekistan
  name: Tashkent (Toshkent)
  geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 69 18 E
  time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Vanuatu
  name: Port-Vila (on Efate)
  geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E
  time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Venezuela
  name: Caracas
  geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Vietnam
  name: Hanoi
  geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E
  time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Virgin Islands
  name: Charlotte Amalie
  geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Wallis and Futuna
  name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
  geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W
  time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Western Sahara
  none
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Yemen
  name: Sanaa
  geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E
  time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Zambia
  name: Lusaka
  geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

Zimbabwe
  name: Harare
  geographic coordinates: 17 50 S, 31 03 E
  time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
  Standard Time)

American Samoa
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum
products 7%, machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.)

Angola
machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts;
medicines, food, textiles, military goods

Antigua and Barbuda
food and live animals, machinery and transport
equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

Argentina
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
manufactures, plastics

Aruba
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and
reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

Australia
  machinery and transport equipment, computers and office
  machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and
  petroleum products

Austria
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs

Bahamas, The
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures,
chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals

Bangladesh
machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel,
textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000)

Barbados
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction
materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Belarus
mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals,
foodstuffs, metals

Belgium
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds,
pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

Belize
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco

Bermuda
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment,
construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals

Bolivia
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft
parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Botswana
  foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport
  equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper
  products, metal and metal products

Bulgaria
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and
plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials

Burma
fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport
equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products

Cambodia
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction
materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products

Canada
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil,
chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods

Central African Republic
  food, textiles, petroleum products,
  machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals,
  pharmaceuticals

Chad
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods,
foodstuffs, textiles

Chile
  petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and
  telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles,
  natural gas

China
machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics,
optical and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel

Colombia
industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer
goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity

Comoros
rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum
products, cement, transport equipment

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
foodstuffs, mining and other
machinery, transport equipment, fuels

Croatia
machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals,
fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs

Cyprus
  Republic of Cyprus: consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants,
  intermediate goods, machinery, transport equipment; north Cyprus:
  vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery

Czech Republic
machinery and transport equipment 46%, raw materials
and fuels 15%, chemicals 10% (2003)

Denmark
machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures
for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods

Dominican Republic foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals

El Salvador
raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels,
foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Estonia
machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%,
textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)

Ethiopia
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products,
chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

European Union
machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil,
chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
fuel, food and drink, building
materials, clothing

Faroe Islands
  consumer goods 36%, raw materials and
  semi-manufactures 32%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels,
  fish, salt (1999)

Fiji
manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment,
petroleum products, food, chemicals

Finland
  foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
  transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and
  fabrics, grains

France
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft,
plastics, chemicals

French Guiana
food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport
equipment, fuels and chemicals

Georgia
fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and
other foods, pharmaceuticals

Greenland
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods,
food, petroleum products

Guadeloupe
foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer
goods, construction materials

Guatemala
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction
materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity

Guinea
petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment,
textiles, grain and other foodstuffs

Haiti
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment,
fuels, raw materials

Honduras
machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw
materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs (2000)

Hong Kong
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods,
capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)

Hungary
  machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%,
  fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0%
  (2003)

Iran
  industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
  foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military
  supplies

Ireland
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing

Israel
raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough
diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods

Italy
  engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy
  products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing;
  food, beverages, and tobacco

Jamaica
  food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel,
  parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport
  equipment, construction materials

Japan
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals,
textiles, raw materials (2001)

Jersey
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods,
foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals

Jordan
crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment,
manufactured goods

Kazakhstan
machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%,
foodstuffs 8% (2001)

Kenya
machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products,
motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics

Kiribati
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous
manufactured goods, fuel

Korea, South
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil,
steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics

Lebanon
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat
and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco

Lesotho
food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines,
petroleum products (2000)

Liberia
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment,
manufactured goods; foodstuffs

Libya
machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food,
consumer products

Liechtenstein
agricultural products, raw materials, machinery, metal
goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles

Lithuania
mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport
equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals

Macau
  raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods
  (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and
  oils

Malawi
food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods,
transportation equipment

Malaysia
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics,
vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals

Maldives
petroleum products, ships, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing,
intermediate and capital goods

Mali
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials,
foodstuffs, textiles

Malta
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured and
semi-manufactured goods; food, drink, tobacco

Marshall Islands
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels,
beverages and tobacco

Martinique
petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction
materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods

Mauritania
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital
goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Mauritius
manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs,
petroleum products, chemicals

Mayotte
food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment,
metals, chemicals

Mexico
  metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural
  machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair
  parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts

Micronesia, Federated States of
food, manufactured goods, machinery
and equipment, beverages

Moldova
mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment,
chemicals, textiles (2000)

Mongolia
machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products,
industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea

Montserrat
machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs,
manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials

Morocco
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications
equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics

Mozambique
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal
products, foodstuffs, textiles

Namibia
foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and
equipment, chemicals

Netherlands
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels,
foodstuffs, clothing

New Zealand
machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft,
petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics

Nicaragua
consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials,
petroleum products

Nigeria
machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured
goods, food and live animals

Niue
food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels,
lubricants, chemicals, drugs

Northern Mariana Islands food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products

Oman
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
livestock, lubricants

Pakistan
  petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics,
  transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron
  and steel, tea

Papua New Guinea
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured
goods, food, fuels, chemicals

Paraguay
road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products,
electrical machinery

Peru
petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery,
vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper

Philippines
raw materials, machinery and equipment, fuels, vehicles
and vehicle parts, plastic, chemicals, grains

Pitcairn Islands
fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour,
sugar, other foodstuffs

Poland
  machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate
  manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels,
  lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)

Portugal
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum,
textiles, agricultural products

Puerto Rico
chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food,
fish, petroleum products

Reunion
manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and
transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products

Romania
machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals,
textile and products, basic metals, agricultural products

Russia
machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat,
sugar, semifinished metal products

Rwanda
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum
products, cement and construction material

Saint Helena
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed,
building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Saint Lucia
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and
transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
meat, clothing, fuel, electrical
equipment, machinery, building materials

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
foodstuffs, machinery and
equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Sao Tome and Principe
machinery and electrical equipment, food
products, petroleum products

Saudi Arabia
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor
vehicles, textiles

Sierra Leone
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and
lubricants, chemicals

Slovakia
  machinery and transport equipment 41.1%, intermediate
  manufactured goods 19.3%, fuels 12.3%, chemicals 9.8%, miscellaneous
  manufactured goods 10.2% (2003)

Slovenia
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods,
chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food

Somalia
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction
materials, qat

South Africa
machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products,
scientific instruments, foodstuffs

Spain
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,
foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments

Sri Lanka
textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs,
machinery and transportation equipment

Sudan
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport
equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

Swaziland
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment,
foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Sweden
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor
vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Switzerland
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural
products, textiles

Syria
  machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery,
  food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical
  products, plastics, yarn, paper

Taiwan
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)

Tajikistan
electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide,
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

Tanzania
consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment,
industrial raw materials, crude oil

Thailand
capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials,
consumer goods, fuels

Trinidad and Tobago
machinery, transportation equipment,
manufactured goods, food, live animals

Turks and Caicos Islands food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials

United States
  agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9%
  (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications
  equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power
  machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines,
  furniture, toys) (2003)

Uzbekistan
machinery and equipment 49.8%, foodstuffs 16.4%,
chemicals, metals (1998)

Venezuela
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport
equipment, construction materials

Vietnam
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer,
steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Zambia
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products,
electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

Zimbabwe
machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures,
chemicals, fuels

Albania
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry
summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Algeria
  arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers
  along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high
  plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in
  summer

American Samoa
  tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
  annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to
  April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature
  variation

Angola
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool,
dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Antarctica
  severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation,
  and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West
  Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has
  the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January
  along the coast and average slightly below freezing

Arctic Ocean
  polar climate characterized by persistent cold and
  relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized
  by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and
  clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and
  foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

Atlantic Ocean
  tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast
  of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea;
  hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent
  from August to November

Australia
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east;
tropical in north

Austria
  temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent
  rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate
  summers with occasional showers

Bangladesh
tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid
summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)

Belarus
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between
continental and maritime

Belize
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November);
dry season (February to May)

Bhutan
  varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot
  summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in
  Himalayas

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  hot summers and cold winters; areas of high
  elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild,
  rainy winters along coast

British Indian Ocean Territory
tropical marine; hot, humid,
moderated by trade winds

British Virgin Islands
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by
trade winds

Burma
  tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest
  monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild
  temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon,
  December to April)

Burundi
  equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude
  variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual
  temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade
  but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m;
  average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February
  to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to
  August and December to January)

Cambodia
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry
season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Cameroon
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid
and hot in north

Cayman Islands
tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October)
and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)

Chile
temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region;
cool and damp in south

Christmas Island
tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and
humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season (December to April)

Clipperton Island
tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees
C, wet season (May to October)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
tropical with high humidity, moderated by
the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year

Congo, Democratic Republic of the tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)

Congo, Republic of the
  tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry
  season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity;
  particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

Cook Islands
  tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry
  season from April to November and a more humid season from December
  to March

Costa Rica
tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April);
rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands

Cote d'Ivoire
  tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three
  seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to
  May), hot and wet (June to October)

Croatia
  Mediterranean and continental; continental climate
  predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry
  summers along coast

Cuba
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to
April); rainy season (May to October)

Dominican Republic tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

Ecuador
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher
elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

El Salvador
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season
(November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Eritrea
  hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter
  in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest
  June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

European Union
cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to
temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate

Finland
  cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild
  because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current,
  Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

France
  generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and
  hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry,
  north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

Gambia, The
tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler,
dry season (November to May)

Germany
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind

Ghana
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast;
hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Guam
  tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by
  northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season
  (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation

Guernsey
temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of
days are overcast

Guinea
  generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to
  November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May)
  with northeasterly harmattan winds

Guinea-Bissau
  tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type
  rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season
  (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Guyana
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two
rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)

Holy See (Vatican City)
temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to
May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)

Hong Kong
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and
rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Iceland
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
winters; damp, cool summers

Indian Ocean
  northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest
  monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June
  and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and
  January/February in the southern Indian Ocean

Iraq
  mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
  summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
  borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
  melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
  central and southern Iraq

Ireland
  temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
  winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the
  time

Isle of Man
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about
one-third of the time

Johnston Atoll
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast
trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation

Kyrgyzstan
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical
in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Laos
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(December to April)

Lebanon
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Liberia
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to
cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Liechtenstein
continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow
or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Lithuania
transitional, between maritime and continental; wet,
moderate winters and summers

Macedonia
warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters
with heavy snowfall

Malawi
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May
to November)

Malaysia
tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast
(October to February) monsoons

Maldives
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to
March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Mali
  subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy,
  humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to
  February)

Marshall Islands
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to
November; islands border typhoon belt

Martinique
  tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to
  October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every
  eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid

Mauritius
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry
winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Mayotte
  tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during
  northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to
  November)

Micronesia, Federated States of tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Montenegro
Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and
relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Nepal
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to
subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Northern Mariana Islands
  tropical marine; moderated by northeast
  trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season
  December to June, rainy season July to October

Norway
  temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current;
  colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers;
  rainy year-round on west coast

Oman
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong
southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Pacific Ocean
  planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind
  patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade
  winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by
  seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south
  of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central
  America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much
  less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same
  latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is
  monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when
  moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry
  season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian
  landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike
  southeast and east Asia from May to December

Panama
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season
(May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Papua New Guinea
  tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March),
  southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature
  variation

Paraguay
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the
eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Peru
varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate
to frigid in Andes

Philippines
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April);
southwest monsoon (May to October)

Pitcairn Islands
tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast
trade winds; rainy season (November to March)

Poland
  temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with
  frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and
  thundershowers

Reunion
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and
dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Romania
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog;
sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Russia
  ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in
  much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in
  the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to
  frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool
  along Arctic coast

Rwanda
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to
January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Saint Helena
  Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade
  winds
  Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
  Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
  (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes;
little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Saint Lucia
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season
January to April, rainy season May to August

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
cold and wet, with much mist and fog;
spring and autumn are windy

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
tropical; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Senegal
  tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has
  strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by
  hot, dry, harmattan wind

Serbia
  in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot,
  humid summers with well distributed rainfall); in other parts,
  continental and Mediterranean climate (hot, dry summers and autumns
  and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall)

Seychelles
  tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast
  monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest
  monsoon (March to May)

Sierra Leone
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to
December); winter dry season (December to April)

Singapore
  tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons
  - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon
  (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early
  evening thunderstorms

Slovenia
  Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate
  with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and
  valleys to the east

Somalia
  principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to
  February), moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south;
  southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in
  the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili)
  between monsoons

South Africa
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny
days, cool nights

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  variable, with mostly
  westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of
  calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

Southern Ocean
  sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius
  to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the
  continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature
  contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about
  latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average
  winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward
  to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees
  south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures
  well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense
  persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline
  ice-free throughout the winter

Spain
  temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and
  cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy
  and cool along coast

Sri Lanka
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March);
southwest monsoon (June to October)

Sudan
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies
by region (April to November)

Svalbard
  arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool
  summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and
  north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most
  of the year

Sweden
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly
cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Switzerland
  temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy,
  rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with
  occasional showers

Syria
  mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and
  mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather
  with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus

Taiwan
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June
to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Tajikistan
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters;
semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Thailand
  tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to
  September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
  southern isthmus always hot and humid

Tonga
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to
May), cool season (May to December)

Tunisia
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry
summers; desert in south

Turks and Caicos Islands
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds;
sunny and relatively dry

Tuvalu
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to
November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Uganda
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to
February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Ukraine
  temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern
  Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest
  in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from
  cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm
  across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

United Kingdom
  temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds
  over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are
  overcast

United States
  mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida,
  arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the
  Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low
  winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in
  January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes
  of the Rocky Mountains

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker, Howland, and
  Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning
  sun
  Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry;
  consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature
  variation
  Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to
  February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by
  prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual
  rainfall occurs during the winter
  Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area
  of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and
  southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between
  4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year

Uzbekistan
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild
winters; semiarid grassland in east

Vanuatu
  tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to
  October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected
  by cyclones from December to April

Vietnam
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season
(May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Virgin Islands
  subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds,
  relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation;
  rainy season September to November

Wallis and Futuna
  tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April);
  cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year
  (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C

West Bank
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with
altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Western Sahara
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air
currents produce fog and heavy dew

World
  a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates -
  bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that
  separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

Yemen
  mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in
  western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot,
  dry, harsh desert in east

Azerbaijan
0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian
Sea (800 km est.)

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: 35.2 km
  Europa Island: 22.2 km
  Glorioso Islands: 35.2 km
  Juan de Nova Island: 24.1 km
  Tromelin Island: 3.7 km

Kazakhstan
  0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral
  Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian
  Sea (1,894 km)

Norway
  25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long
  fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km;
  length of island coastlines 58,133 km)

Saint Helena
  Saint Helena: 60 km
  Ascension Island: NA
  Tristan da Cunha: 40 km

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker Island: 4.8 km
  Howland Island: 6.4 km
  Jarvis Island: 8 km
  Johnston Atoll: 34 km
  Kingman Reef: 3 km
  Midway Islands: 15 km
  Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km

Uzbekistan
0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the
southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

World
  356,000 km
  note: 98 nations and other entities are islands that border no other
  countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and
  Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
  Baker Island, Barbados, Bassas da India, Bermuda, Bouvet Island,
  British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde,
  Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling)
  Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Cyprus,
  Dominica, Europa Island, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe
  Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands, Glorioso Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard
  Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man,
  Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll,
  Juan de Nova Island, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives,
  Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated
  States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa
  Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern
  Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines,
  Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts
  and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and
  the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore,
  Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
  Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and
  Tobago, Tromelin Island, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
  Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

Afghanistan
Pakistan 23.9%, US 11.8%, Germany 6.8%, India 6.5%,
Turkey 5.1%, Turkmenistan 5%, Russia 4.7%, Kenya 4.4% (2005)

Albania
Italy 29.3%, Greece 16.4%, Turkey 7.5%, China 6.6%, Germany
5.4%, Russia 4% (2005)

Algeria
France 28.2%, Italy 7.8%, Spain 7.1%, China 6.6%, Germany
6.3%, US 5.5% (2005)

Angola
South Korea 20.8%, Portugal 13.6%, US 12.7%, South Africa
7.5%, Brazil 5.6%, France 5.3%, China 5.1% (2005)

Antigua and Barbuda
US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore
12.7%, Spain 6.5% (2005)

Armenia
Russia 13.5%, Belgium 8%, Germany 7.9%, Ukraine 7%,
Turkmenistan 6.3%, US 6.2%, Israel 5.8%, Iran 5%, Romania 4.2% (2005)

Azerbaijan
Russia 17%, UK 9.1%, Singapore 9.1%, Turkey 7.4%, Germany
6.1%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.1% (2005)

Bahamas, The
US 22.5%, South Korea 20.2%, Spain 7.8%, Brazil 7.1%,
Italy 6.5%, Germany 5.4% (2005)

Bahrain
Saudi Arabia 36.4%, Japan 6.6%, Germany 6.4%, US 5.4%, UK
5%, UAE 4.1% (2005)

Bangladesh
India 14.1%, China 13.5%, Kuwait 8.5%, Singapore 6.2%,
Japan 4.1%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2005)

Belgium
Netherlands 17.8%, Germany 17.2%, France 11.4%, UK 6.8%,
Ireland 6.5%, US 5.4% (2005)

Belize
US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%,
China 4.6%, Spain 4.4% (2005)

Benin
France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK
5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)

Bolivia
Brazil 21.9%, Argentina 16.7%, US 13.8%, Chile 6.9%, Peru
6.5%, Japan 6.1%, China 5.8% (2005)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.7%, Slovenia 13.1%,
Italy 11%, Austria 6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)

Botswana
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%,
Zimbabwe 4% (2004)

Brunei
Singapore 32.7%, Malaysia 23.3%, Japan 6.9%, UK 5.3%,
Thailand 4.5%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Bulgaria
Russia 15.6%, Germany 13.6%, Italy 9%, Turkey 6.1%, Greece
5%, France 4.7% (2005)

Burundi
Kenya 12.9%, Tanzania 10.6%, Belgium 10.4%, Italy 8.1%,
France 5.4%, Uganda 5.3%, China 5%, India 4.1% (2005)

Cambodia
  Hong Kong 16.1%, China 13.6%, France 12.1%, Thailand 11.2%,
  Taiwan 10.2%, South Korea 7.5%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4.9%, Japan
  4.1% (2005)

Cameroon
France 25%, Nigeria 12.5%, Belgium 6.6%, China 5.8%, US
5.3%, Thailand 4.7%, Germany 4.4% (2005)

Cape Verde
Portugal 41.5%, Italy 8%, Netherlands 7.3%, Spain 5.5%,
France 4.8%, Belgium 4.7%, Brazil 4.3% (2005)

Central African Republic
France 16.7%, Netherlands 10.4%, Cameroon
9.8%, US 7.4% (2005)

Chad
France 21.1%, Cameroon 15.5%, US 12.1%, Belgium 6.8%, Portugal
4.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)

Chile
Argentina 14.8%, US 14.6%, Brazil 11.7%, China 7.8%, South
Korea 4.8%, Yemen 4.4% (2005)

China
Japan 15.2%, South Korea 11.6%, Taiwan 11.2%, US 7.4%, Germany
4.6% (2005)

Comoros
France 20.5%, South Africa 11.7%, UAE 9.1%, Kenya 8%,
Pakistan 5%, Mauritius 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, India 4.1% (2005)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  South Africa 16.5%, Belgium 16.1%,
  France 9.1%, Zambia 6.9%, Kenya 5.7%, Germany 4.6%, US 4.5%, Cote
  d'Ivoire 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)

Congo, Republic of the
France 25.6%, China 11.3%, US 8.1%, India 8%,
Italy 7.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

Costa Rica
US 41.3%, Japan 5.6%, Venezuela 4.8%, Mexico 4.8%,
Ireland 4.3%, Brazil 4.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

Croatia
Italy 15.9%, Germany 14.9%, Russia 9.1%, Slovenia 6.8%,
Austria 5.8%, China 4.7%, France 4.2% (2005)

Cuba
China 14.9%, Spain 13.9%, Canada 8.6%, US 8.5%, Germany 7.4%,
Italy 5.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Japan 4.1% (2005)

Czech Republic
Germany 30%, Russia 5.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, China 5.1%,
Poland 5%, Italy 4.8%, France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2005)

Denmark
Germany 20.5%, Sweden 13.8%, Norway 6.6%, Netherlands 6.6%,
UK 6%, China 4.7%, France 4.2%, Italy 4.1% (2005)

Djibouti
Saudi Arabia 21.7%, India 18.5%, China 10%, Ethiopia 4.8%,
France 4.5%, US 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2005)

Dominica
US 25.3%, China 20.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.3%, South
Korea 7.1%, Japan 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005)

Egypt
US 10.6%, Germany 7%, China 6.5%, France 6.3%, Italy 5.7%,
Saudi Arabia 4.8% (2005)

Equatorial Guinea
US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%,
Cote d'Ivoire 8.7%, UK 7% (2005)

Estonia
Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.8%, Russia 9.4%, Sweden 8.8%,
Lithuania 6.1%, Latvia 4.7% (2005)

Ethiopia
Saudi Arabia 14.7%, China 12.6%, US 12.4%, **COUNTRY**
9.6%, India 6.7%, Italy 4.6% (2005)

Faroe Islands
Denmark 46.2%, Norway 18.2%, Germany 8.2%, Spain 7.5%,
Iceland 4.8% (2005)

Finland
Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 13.9%, Netherlands 6.2%,
Denmark 4.6%, UK 4.3%, China 4.2% (2005)

France
Germany 18.9%, Belgium 10.7%, Italy 8.2%, Spain 7%,
Netherlands 6.5%, UK 5.9%, US 5.1% (2005)

Gambia, The
China 21.3%, Senegal 11.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.4%, Brazil
6%, US 5.2%, UK 5.1%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)

Georgia
Russia 15.4%, Turkey 11.4%, Azerbaijan 9.4%, Ukraine 8.8%,
Germany 8.3%, US 6% (2005)

Germany
France 8.7%, Netherlands 8.5%, US 6.6%, China 6.4%, UK 6.3%,
Italy 5.7%, Belgium 5%, Austria 4% (2005)

Ghana
Nigeria 15.4%, China 12.7%, US 6.4%, UK 5.3%, Netherlands
4.1%, South Africa 4.1% (2005)

Gibraltar
Spain 23.4%, Russia 12.3%, Italy 12%, UK 9%, France 8.9%,
Netherlands 6.8%, US 4.7% (2005)

Greece
Germany 12.7%, Italy 12.4%, Russia 7.8%, France 5.7%,
Netherlands 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2005)

Guadeloupe
France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands
Antilles 2% (2004)

Guatemala
US 38.1%, Mexico 7.6%, El Salvador 4.8%, South Korea 4.8%,
Panama 4.4% (2005)

Guinea
China 8.5%, US 7.3%, France 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Italy
4.7%, Belgium 4.1% (2005)

Guinea-Bissau
Italy 25.3%, Senegal 18.6%, Portugal 15.8%, Cote
d'Ivoire 4.3% (2005)

Hong Kong
China 45%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7.2%, Singapore 5.8%, US
5.1%, South Korea 4.4% (2005)

Hungary
Germany 27.2%, Russia 7.5%, China 7.2%, Austria 6.7%, Italy
4.9%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Iceland
Germany 13.4%, US 9.1%, Sweden 8.6%, Denmark 7.3%, Norway
7.2%, UK 5.9%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 4.7% (2005)

Indonesia
Singapore 16.4%, Japan 12%, China 10.1%, US 6.7%, Thailand
6%, South Korea 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Australia 4.4% (2005)

Iran
Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%,
South Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005)

Israel
US 13.4%, Belgium 10.1%, Germany 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Switzerland
5.5%, China 4.2% (2005)

Italy
Germany 17.2%, France 9.9%, Netherlands 5.7%, China 4.6%,
Belgium 4.5%, Spain 4.2% (2005)

Japan
China 21%, US 12.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, UAE 4.9%, Australia
4.7%, South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4% (2005)

Jordan
Saudi Arabia 20.9%, China 8%, Germany 7.1%, US 6.2%, South
Korea 4.1% (2005)

Kenya
UAE 13.6%, Saudi Arabia 9.9%, US 9.8%, India 8.3%, South
Africa 7.9%, China 7.1%, UK 5.4% (2005)

Kuwait
US 14%, Germany 10.7%, Japan 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.2%, UK
5.6%, France 4.8%, China 4.5% (2005)

Latvia
Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 13.6%, Russia 8.6%, Estonia 7.9%,
Poland 6.4%, Finland 5.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Sweden 5.1% (2005)

Lebanon
Italy 11.1%, Syria 10.7%, France 9.2%, Germany 6.5%, China
5.4%, US 5.3%, UK 4.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.3% (2005)

Libya
Italy 21.5%, Germany 10.4%, Tunisia 5.6%, Turkey 4.9%, UK
4.9%, France 4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, China 4.6% (2005)

Luxembourg
Belgium 28.2%, Germany 21.8%, China 12.8%, France 9.6%,
Netherlands 5.1% (2005)

Macau
China 43.1%, Japan 10.9%, Hong Kong 10%, Singapore 5.2%, US
4.1%, Taiwan 4% (2005)

Macedonia
Russia 13.2%, Germany 10.4%, Greece 9.2%, Bulgaria 7.3%,
Italy 6% (2005)

Madagascar
France 16.6%, China 10.6%, Iran 7.9%, Mauritius 6.5%,
South Africa 5.9%, Hong Kong 5% (2005)

Malawi
South Africa 37.9%, Zambia 8.7%, Mozambique 7.8%, Zimbabwe
7.3%, India 6.4%, Tanzania 4.6% (2005)

Malaysia
Japan 14.6%, US 13%, Singapore 11.8%, China 11.6%, Taiwan
5.6%, Thailand 5.3%, South Korea 5%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Maldives
Singapore 24.1%, UAE 15.7%, India 11.3%, Malaysia 7.2%, Sri
Lanka 5.7%, UK 4.5% (2005)

Malta
Italy 32.3%, UK 11.5%, France 9.6%, Germany 8%, US 5.5%,
Singapore 4.1% (2005)

Marshall Islands
US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China,
Philippines (2004)

Mauritania
France 18.5%, UK 7.2%, US 7%, China 6%, Spain 5%, Belgium
4.3% (2005)

Mauritius
France 12.1%, South Africa 11%, India 7.2%, Finland 6.1%,
China 6%, Germany 5.3%, Bahrain 5.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

Moldova
Ukraine 20.9%, Russia 11.7%, Romania 11.2%, Germany 8.3%,
Italy 6.6%, Turkey 4.1% (2005)

Mongolia
Russia 35.8%, China 25.7%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 6%,
Germany 4.2% (2005)

Montenegro
Greece 10.2%, Italy 10.2%, Germany 9.6%, Bosnia and
Herzegovina 9.2% (2003)

Morocco
France 18.2%, Spain 11%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, Russia 6.8%,
Italy 6.1%, China 5.2%, Germany 4.7% (2005)

Nepal
India 47.5%, UAE 11.2%, China 10.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait
4.1% (2005)

Netherlands
Germany 16.6%, Belgium 9.3%, China 8.8%, US 7.6%, UK
5.8%, France 4.7%, Russia 4.4% (2005)

Netherlands Antilles
Venezuela 52.3%, US 21.4%, Italy 4.9%,
Netherlands 4.6% (2005)

New Zealand
Australia 20.9%, US 11%, Japan 11%, China 10.9%, Germany
4.9% (2005)

Nicaragua
US 19.6%, Mexico 10.3%, Venezuela 9.5%, Costa Rica 8.5%,
Guatemala 6.7%, El Salvador 4.5%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Niger
  France 14.5%, US 10.7%, French Polynesia 7.5%, Nigeria 7.4%,
  Italy 6.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.1%, Belgium 4.6%, Germany 4.5%, China
  4.5% (2005)

Nigeria
China 10.4%, US 7.3%, UK 6.7%, Netherlands 6%, France 5.9%,
Germany 4.2% (2005)

Norfolk Island
Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia,
Europe (2004)

Norway
Sweden 14.6%, Germany 13.6%, Denmark 7.3%, UK 6.8%, China
5.5%, US 5%, France 4% (2005)

Pakistan
China 13.8%, Saudi Arabia 10.3%, UAE 8.8%, Japan 6.1%, US
5%, Kuwait 5%, Germany 4.8% (2005)

Papua New Guinea
Australia 54.6%, Singapore 13.4%, Japan 4.3%,
Malaysia 4.2% (2005)

Peru
US 18.2%, China 8.5%, Brazil 8%, Ecuador 7.4%, Colombia 6.1%,
Argentina 5.1%, Chile 5.1%, Venezuela 4.1% (2005)

Philippines
US 19.2%, Japan 17%, Singapore 7.9%, Taiwan 7.5%, China
6.3%, South Korea 4.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2005)

Poland
Germany 29.6%, Russia 8.7%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 5.9%,
France 5.7% (2005)

Portugal
Spain 29%, Germany 13.4%, France 8.5%, Italy 5.2%,
Netherlands 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2005)

Qatar
France 11.5%, Japan 10.5%, US 10.4%, Germany 8.4%, Saudi
Arabia 7.3%, UK 7%, Italy 6.5%, South Korea 5.5%, UAE 4.8% (2005)

Romania
Italy 15.5%, Germany 14%, Russia 8.3%, France 6.8%, Turkey
4.9%, China 4.1% (2005)

Russia
Germany 13.6%, Ukraine 8%, China 7.4%, Japan 6%, Belarus
4.7%, US 4.7%, Italy 4.6%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)

Saint Helena
UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania
8.5%, US 4.6% (2005)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
US 46.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.7%, UK 5.4%,
France 4.5%, Japan 4.2% (2005)

Saint Lucia
US 24.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.5%, Netherlands 14.5%,
Venezuela 5.6%, UK 5.6%, France 4.7% (2005)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
France 36.1%, Singapore 12.5%,
Italy 11.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.9%, US 7.2% (2005)

Saudi Arabia
US 13%, Germany 9.5%, Japan 7.9%, China 7.3%, France
4.7%, Italy 4.2% (2005)

Senegal
France 22.8%, Nigeria 11.4%, Brazil 4.5%, Thailand 4.3%, US
4.2%, UK 4% (2005)

Seychelles
Saudi Arabia 16.7%, Spain 14.9%, Singapore 7.6%, France
7.5%, Italy 6.2%, South Africa 6.2% (2005)

Sierra Leone
Germany 18.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.2%, UK 8.5%, US 6.9%,
China 5.6%, Netherlands 5.4%, South Africa 4.1% (2005)

Singapore
Malaysia 14.4%, US 12.4%, China 10.8%, Japan 10.1%,
Indonesia 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2005)

Slovakia
Germany 25.1%, Czech Republic 19.3%, Russia 10.5%, Austria
6.1%, Poland 4.7%, Hungary 4.6%, Italy 4.5% (2005)

Slovenia
Germany 19.5%, Italy 18.6%, Austria 12%, France 7.2%,
Croatia 4.2% (2005)

Solomon Islands
Australia 25.8%, Singapore 25.3%, NZ 4.6%, Fiji
4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2005)

Somalia
Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, Brazil 8.4%, India 8%, Oman
5.3%, UAE 5% (2005)

South Africa
Germany 14.9%, US 7%, China 6.9%, UK 6.8%, Saudi Arabia
6.5%, Japan 5.9%, Iran 5.8%, France 4.3% (2005)

Spain
Germany 15%, France 14.5%, Italy 8.5%, UK 5.8%, Netherlands
4.9%, China 4.3% (2005)

Sri Lanka
India 19.7%, China 9.9%, Singapore 7.2%, Iran 5.5%,
Malaysia 4.6%, Hong Kong 4.5% (2005)

Sudan
China 20.7%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 5.9%, Egypt 5.5%, Japan
5.1%, India 4.8% (2005)

Suriname
US 29.3%, Netherlands 17.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.7%,
China 6.5%, Japan 5.2% (2005)

Sweden
Germany 17.5%, Denmark 8.9%, Norway 7.8%, UK 6.6%,
Netherlands 6.2%, Finland 5.8%, France 5% (2005)

Switzerland
Germany 31.6%, Italy 10.5%, France 10%, US 5.6%,
Netherlands 4.8%, Austria 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005)

Syria
Saudi Arabia 10.6%, China 5.6%, Egypt 5.4%, Italy 5.3%, UAE
5.2%, Ukraine 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2005)

Taiwan
Japan 25.3%, US 11.6%, China 11%, South Korea 7.3%, Saudi
Arabia 4.1% (2005)

Tajikistan
  Russia 19.3%, Kazakhstan 12.7%, Uzbekistan 11.5%,
  Azerbaijan 8.6%, China 7%, Ukraine 6.2%, Romania 4.6%, Turkmenistan
  4% (2005)

Tanzania
South Africa 12.2%, China 9.6%, India 7%, UAE 6.1%, Kenya
5.2%, UK 4.1% (2005)

Thailand
Japan 22%, China 9.4%, US 7.4%, Malaysia 6.8%, UAE 4.8%,
Singapore 4.5% (2005)

Togo
France 17.8%, China 13.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.5%, Italy 4.5%,
Spain 4.3% (2005)

Trinidad and Tobago
US 27.7%, Venezuela 13.3%, Brazil 11.8%, Japan
5.5%, Canada 4.2% (2005)

Turkey
Germany 11.7%, Russia 11%, Italy 6.5%, China 5.9%, France 5%,
US 4.6%, UK 4% (2005)

Turkmenistan
  UAE 12.4%, Azerbaijan 10.9%, US 9.4%, Russia 8.9%,
  Ukraine 7.4%, Turkey 7.2%, Iran 6.1%, Germany 5.3%, Kazakhstan 4.2%
  (2005)

Uganda
Kenya 32%, UAE 8.6%, South Africa 6.4%, India 5.7%, China
5.2%, UK 4.4%, US 4.1%, Japan 4% (2005)

United Arab Emirates
UK 10%, China 9.7%, US 9.4%, India 9.2%,
Germany 5.9%, Japan 5.4%, France 4.7%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

United Kingdom
Germany 12.8%, US 8.7%, France 7.1%, Netherlands
6.6%, China 5%, Norway 4.7%, Belgium 4.6%, Italy 4% (2005)

United States
Canada 16.9%, China 15%, Mexico 10%, Japan 8.2%,
Germany 5% (2005)

Uzbekistan
Russia 26.7%, South Korea 15.3%, Germany 8.9%, China
7.2%, Kazakhstan 6.4%, Turkey 4.7%, Ukraine 4.7% (2005)

Vanuatu
Australia 18.4%, Japan 16.6%, Singapore 14.7%, Poland 8.5%,
NZ 7.2%, Fiji 6.3% (2005)

Vietnam
China 16.3%, Singapore 12.8%, Taiwan 11.7%, Japan 10.4%,
South Korea 9.9%, Thailand 6.8% (2005)

Western Sahara
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so
trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2004)

Saudi Arabia
  pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of
  Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for
  assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $230 million to development
  in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft
  loans to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187
  million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits
  for Pakistan earthquake relief

United Arab Emirates
  since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund
  for Development has given about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries
  (2004)

Afghanistan
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January
2004; signed 16 January 2004

Akrotiri
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in
Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960

Algeria
  8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976, effective 22
  November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28
  November 1996

Andorra
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991,
approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 4 May 1993

Angola
  11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6
  March 1991, and 26 August 1992; note - a new constitution will
  likely be passed following the next legislative election

Armenia
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments
adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005

Bangladesh
  4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended
  following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended
  many times

Belarus
  15 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November
  1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became
  effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing
  presidential term limits

Belgium
7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to
create a federal state

Bhutan
  no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001,
  the king commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March
  2005 publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December
  1995, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the
  entities also has its own constitution

Brunei
  29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of
  Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
  January 1984)

Burkina Faso
2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991
formally adopted; amended April 2000

Burma
  3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; national
  convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but
  collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include
  participation of democratic opposition

Cameroon
20 May 1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally
adopted; revised January 1996

Canada
  made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial
  decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution
  consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a
  federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April
  1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from
  Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and
  Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments

Cape Verde
  new constitution came into force 25 September 1992;
  underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially
  increasing the powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the
  position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)

Central African Republic
ratified by popular referendum 5 December
2004; effective 27 December 2004

Chad
passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum
removed constitutional term limits

Chile
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 1989,
1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005

Christmas Island
Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as
amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23
November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992

Cyprus
  16 August 1960; from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no
  longer participated in the government; negotiations to create the
  basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for
  better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held
  intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974
  Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own
  constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated
  State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern
  Cyprus" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in
  1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5
  May 1985

Denmark
  5 June 1849 adoption of original constitution; a major
  overhaul of 5 June 1953 allowed for a unicameral legislature and a
  female chief of state

Dhekelia
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in
Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960

Equatorial Guinea
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991;
amended January 1995

Eritrea
  a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was
  replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet
  implemented

European Union
  based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris,
  which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951;
  the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community
  (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957;
  the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union
  (Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the
  Treaty of Nice in 2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty,
  signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for
  ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum
  before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in
  French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 caused a suspension of
  the ratification process

Fiji
enacted on 25 July 1997 to encourage multiculturalism and make
multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

France
  adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October
  1958; amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to
  comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam
  Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in
  1993; amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to
  a five-year term

Gambia, The
  24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and
  approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished January
  1997

Germany
23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the
united German people 3 October 1990

Guatemala
  31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended
  25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June
  1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993

Guinea-Bissau
16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26
February 1993, 9 June 1993, NA 1996

Haiti
  approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles
  reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a
  military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991, military
  government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to
  constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution remains
  technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's
  departure in 2004

Holy See (Vatican City) new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929)

Hong Kong
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National
People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Hungary
  18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April
  1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals
  and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and
  also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997
  amendment streamlined the judicial system

Indonesia
  August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
  Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of
  amemdments concluded in 2002

Iran
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the
presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Isle of Man
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of
1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution

Israel
  no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
  constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948),
  the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli
  citizenship law

Jordan
1 January 1952; amended 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1973,
1974, 1976, 1984

Kazakhstan
first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January
1993; new constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995

Kenya
12 December 1963; amended as a republic 1964; reissued with
amendments 1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2001

Korea, North
adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972,
revised again in April 1992, and September 1998

Kyrgyzstan
  adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by
  President Askar AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2
  February 2003 significantly expands the powers of the president at
  the expense of the legislature; following the spring 2005
  demonstrations, a new Constitutional Council was appointed and the
  reform process is ongoing

Latvia
  15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental
  Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had
  supplemented the constitution

Lebanon
  23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently
  Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of
  October 1989

Macau
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's
Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"

Macedonia
  adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991;
  amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments
  strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to
  the judiciary

Moldova
new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August
1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979

Morocco
10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create
bicameral legislature) September 1996

Netherlands Antilles
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the
Netherlands, as amended

New Zealand
  consists of a series of legal documents, including
  certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The
  Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter;
  adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987

Northern Mariana Islands
  Constitution of the Commonwealth of the
  Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant
  Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986

Oman
  none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal
  decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a
  constitution which, among other things, clarifies the royal
  succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from
  holding interests in companies doing business with the government,
  establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil
  liberties for Omani citizens

Pakistan
  12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored with
  amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in
  stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003

Pitcairn Islands
  30 November 1838; reformed 1904 with additional
  reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance
  of 1964

Poland
adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed by
national referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997

Puerto Rico
ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July
1952, effective 25 July 1952

Qatar
ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by
the amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005

San Marino
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the
functions of a constitution

Saudi Arabia
  governed according to Shari'a law; the Basic Law that
  articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was
  introduced in 1993

Serbia
  28 September 1990; note - a new draft constitution approved
  by Parliament on 30 September 2006 stresses that Kosovo is an
  integral part of Serbia; the draft must still be approved by a
  national referendum

Singapore
3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State
of Singapore Constitution)

Slovakia
  ratified 1 September 1992, effective 1 January 1993;
  changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president;
  amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU
  membership

Somalia
  25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
  note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as
  the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing

South Africa
  10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified
  by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
  President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
  February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Sudan
  12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April 1985;
  interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of
  30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially
  suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA,
  Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of
  Southern Sudan signed December 2005

Swaziland
the first constitution was signed into law in July 2005
and is scheduled to be implemented in January 2006

Switzerland
  revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal
  Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999,
  officially entered into force 1 January 2000

Thailand
  constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997;
  abrogated on 19 September 2006 after coup; interim constitution
  promulgated on 1 October 2006; junta has promised new constitution
  by October 2007

Togo
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the
Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order
2006 (effective 9 August 2006)

Uganda
8 October 1995; in 2005 the constitution was amended removing
presidential term limits and legalizing a multiparty political system

Uruguay
  27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June
  1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two
  constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7
  January 1997

Afghanistan
  international pledges made by more than 60 countries and
  international financial institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference
  for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for
  2004-09

American Samoa
important financial support from the US, more than
$40 million in 1994

Bahrain
$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from
the UAE and Kuwait (2002)

Cambodia
$504 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for
2005 by international donors

Cameroon
  in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's
  debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26
  billion

Central African Republic
ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional
budget subsidies from France (2002 est.)

Chad
  $238.3 million received; note - $125 million committed by
  Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development
  Bank; ODA $246.9 million (2003 est.)

Cook Islands
$13.1 million; note - New Zealand continues to furnish
the greater part (1995)

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus - $NA; north Cyprus - $700 million from
Turkey in grants and loans, which are usually forgiven (2003-06)

Czech Republic
$2.8 billion in committed EU structural adjustment
and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Guam
  Guam receives large transfer payments from the US Federal
  Treasury ($143 million in 1997) into which Guamanians pay no income
  or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress,
  the Guam Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal
  income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal employees
  stationed in Guam (2001 est.)

Guyana
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative
(HIPC) $253 million (1997)

Hungary
$3.4 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and
cohesion funds (2004-06)

Indonesia
  $43 billion
  note: Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003 but still
  receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia
  (CGI), which pledged $2.8 billion in grants and loans for 2004 and
  again in 2005; nearly $5 billion in aid money pledged by a variety
  bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental organization (NGO)
  donors following the 2004 tsunami; money is slated for use in relief
  and rebuilding efforts in Aceh (2002)

Korea, North
  $NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food
  aid, worth approximately $118 million, through the World Food
  Program appeal in 2004, plus additional aid from bilateral donors
  and non-governmental organizations

Lebanon
$2.2 billion received (2003), out of the $4.2 billion in
soft loans pledged at the November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference

Micronesia, Federated States of $86.3 million under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US pledged $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001; the level of aid has been subsequently reduced

Montserrat
Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for
spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)

Netherlands Antilles $21.5 million IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2004)

Palau
  $19.6 million; note - the Compact of Free Association with the
  US, entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October
  1994, provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years
  in return for furnishing military facilities

Poland
$13.9 billion in available EU structural adjustment and
cohesion funds (2004-06)

Russia
  in FY01 from US, $979 million (including $750 million in
  non-proliferation subsidies); in 2001 from EU, $200 million (2000
  est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
approximately $60 million in annual grants
from France

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$10.5 million (1995); note - EU
$34.5 million (2004)

Serbia
  $2 billion pledged in 2001 to Serbia and Montenegro
  (disbursements to follow over several years; aid pledged by EU and
  US has been placed on hold because of lack of cooperation by Serbia
  in handing over General Ratco MLADIC to the criminal court in The
  Hague)

Slovakia
$1.9 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and
cohesion funds (2004-06)

Slovenia
$484 million in committed EU structural adjustment and
cohesion funds (2004-06)

Suriname
  $46 million Netherlands provided $37 million for project
  and program assistance, European Development Fund $4 million,
  Belgium $2 million (2003)

Tuvalu
$13 million; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and
the US (1999 est.)

Vietnam
$2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international
donors for 2000 (2004)

Zimbabwe
$178 million; note - the EU and the US provide food aid on
humanitarian grounds (2000 est.)

Austria
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Belgium
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Benin
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

British Indian Ocean Territory
both the British Pound (GBP) and the
US Dollar (USD) are accepted

Burkina Faso
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Cameroon
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note -
responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Central African Republic
  Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
  (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central
  African States

Chad
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Congo, Republic of the
  Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF);
  note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African
  States

Cote d'Ivoire
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot pound (CYP); Turkish Cypriot
area: Turkish New lira (YTL)

Equatorial Guinea
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note
- responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

European Union
  euro, British pound, Cypriot pound, Czech koruna,
  Danish krone, Estonian kroon, Hungarian forint, Latvian lat,
  Lithuanian litas, Maltese lira, Polish zloty, Slovak koruna,
  Slovenian tolar, Swedish krona

Finland
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

France
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

French Guiana
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Gabon
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note -
responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Germany
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Greece
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Guinea-Bissau
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Ireland
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Israel
  new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency
  abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for
  Standardization (ISO) code for the NIS

Italy
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Luxembourg
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Mali
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Netherlands
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Niger
  Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
  responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
  (BCEAO)

Portugal
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
  member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Romania
leu (ROL) is being phased out in 2006; "new" leu (RON) was
introduced in 2005 due to currency revaluation: 10,000 ROL = 1 RON

Senegal
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Serbia
new Yugoslav dinar (YUM); note - in Kosovo both the euro and
the Yugoslav dinar are legal

Spain
  euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
  euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions
  of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
  currency for everyday transactions with the member countries

Togo
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Syria
$858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data
that may understate actual spending

World
  aggregate real expenditure on arms worldwide has increased in
  the beginning of the 21st century, with the largest increase in the
  US; a rough estimate for 2005 is $1.2 trillion (at puchasing power
  parity) (2005 est.)

Australia
  Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos
  (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald
  Islands, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island

France
  Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French
  Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands,
  Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and
  Futuna
  note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

United Kingdom
  Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
  British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,
  Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Ascension, South
  Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

United States
  American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island,
  Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa
  Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin
  Islands, Wake Island
  note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
  the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a
  political relationship with all four political units: the Northern
  Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US
  (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands
  signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21
  October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact
  of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau
  concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1
  October 1994)

Afghanistan
  most Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been repatriated,
  but thousands still remain in Iran, many at their own choosing;
  Coalition and Pakistani forces continue to patrol remote tribal
  areas to control the borders and stem organized terrorist and other
  illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings between Pakistani
  and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary
  encroachments; regional conflicts over water-sharing arrangements
  with Amu Darya and Helmand River states

Albania
  the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the
  rights of ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the
  peaceful resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian
  groups in neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania,"
  but the idea has little appeal among Albanian nationals; thousands
  of unemployed Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other
  developed countries

Algeria
  Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and
  rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; most of the
  approximately 102,000 Western Saharan Sahrawi refugees are sheltered
  in camps in Tindouf, Algeria; Algeria's border with Morocco remains
  an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other
  of harboring militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve
  relations, Morocco, in mid-2004, unilaterally lifted the requirement
  that Algerians visiting Morocco possess entry visas - a gesture not
  reciprocated by Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed
  bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize
  southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of
  about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern
  Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in
  southeastern Morocco

Angola
many Cabinda exclave secessionists have sought shelter in
neighboring states

Antarctica
  Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty
  Summary in government type entry); Argentina, Australia, Chile,
  France, NZ, Norway, and UK claim land and maritime sectors (some
  overlapping) for a large portion of the continent; the US and many
  other states do not recognize these territorial claims and have made
  no claims themselves (the US and Russia reserve the right to do so);
  no claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and
  150 degrees west; several states with territorial claims in
  Antarctica have expressed their intention to submit data to the UN
  Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend their
  continental shelf claims to adjoining undersea ridges

Argentina
  Argentina continues to assert its claims to the
  UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia
  and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly
  occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to
  seek settlement by force; territorial claim in Antarctica partially
  overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly
  region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus
  of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics
  trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations;
  uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera
  Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with
  Argentina in question; action by the joint boundary commission,
  established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, for mapping and
  demarcating the disputed boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field
  (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending

Armenia
  Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in
  Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied
  16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in
  Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly
  ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia;
  about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in
  Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through
  Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains
  closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in
  Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; tens of thousands
  of Armenians emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment

Ashmore and Cartier Islands Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed the surrounding waters to Indonesian traditional fishing and created a national park in the region while continuing to prospect for hydrocarbons in the vicinity

Australia
  East Timor and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the
  disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split
  hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development
  Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute
  hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia (see
  also Ashmore and Cartier Islands dispute); regional states express
  concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical
  mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia asserts land and
  maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia
  submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the
  Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margin from both
  its mainland and Antarctic claims

Austria
  Austrian anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of
  the Czech-Austrian border to protest operation of the Temelin
  nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic

Azerbaijan
  Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in
  Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied
  16% of Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were
  driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic
  Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia;
  Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to
  Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in
  Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
  and Russia ratify Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on
  equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth
  allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in
  disputed waters; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on
  dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the
  Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of
  their boundary at certain crossing areas

Bahamas, The
  disagrees with the US on the alignment of the maritime
  boundary; continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees
  fleeing economic privation and political instability

Bangladesh
  discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small
  section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both
  countries, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border
  trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the
  porous border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall
  off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint
  Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are
  missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha
  Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation;
  Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources

Barbados
  in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to
  compulsory international arbitration that will result in a binding
  award challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and
  Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian
  waters and the southern limit of Barbadian traditional fishing;
  joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves
  Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN
  Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela
  to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the
  Caribbean Sea

Belarus
  1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over
  unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing
  border security; the whole boundary with Latvia and more than half
  the boundary with Lithuania remains undemarcated; discussions toward
  economic and political union with Russia proceed slowly

Belize
  Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely
  uninhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS seeks to
  revive the 2002 failed Belize-Guatemala Differendum that created a
  small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in
  Caribbean, joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and
  substantial US-UK financial package

Benin
  Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of
  riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of
  Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains
  undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a
  consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land
  boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border
  persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the
  boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary
  stones

Bhutan
  approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as
  refugees in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High
  Commissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India to
  expel Indian separatists

Bolivia
  Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the
  Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead
  unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for
  Bolivian natural gas and other commodities

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and
  Montenegro have delimited most of their boundary, but sections along
  the Drina River remain in dispute; discussions continue with Croatia
  on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to
  maritime access that hinder ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Botswana
  commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve
  small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the
  Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana
  residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango
  hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built
  electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to
  find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long
  supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between
  Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River,
  thereby de facto recognizing their short, but not clearly delimited
  Botswana-Zambia boundary

Brazil
  unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay
  borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal
  narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations;
  uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the
  Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting
  tripoint with Argentina; in 2004 Brazil submitted its claims to the
  United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to extend
  its maritime continental margin

British Indian Ocean Territory
  Mauritius and Seychelles claim the
  Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former
  inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now
  residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the
  right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an
  immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the
  exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to
  the largest island in the chain;

Brunei
  in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in
  their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have
  stalemated prompting consideration of international legal
  adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is
  in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone
  encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but
  makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002
  "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has
  eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally
  binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants

Burkina Faso
  two villages are in dispute along the border with
  Benin; Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars;
  Burkina Faso border regions remain a staging area for Liberia and
  Cote d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught in local
  fighting; the Ivoirian Government accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering
  Ivoirian rebels

Burma
  over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic
  groups with substantial numbers of kin beyond its borders; despite
  continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
  with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
  rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; ethnic Karens
  flee into Thailand to escape fighting between Karen rebels and
  Burmese troops; in 2005 Thailand sheltered about 121,000 Burmese
  refugees; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese
  hydroelectric dam on the Salween River near the border;
  environmentalists in Burma and Thailand continue to voice concern
  over China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the
  Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province; India seeks cooperation
  from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists from hiding in remote
  Burmese uplands

Burundi
  Tutsi, Hutu, other conflicting ethnic groups, associated
  political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces
  continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the
  boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
  Uganda in an effort to gain control over populated and natural
  resource areas; government heads pledge to end conflict, but
  localized violence continues despite the presence of about 6,000
  peacekeepers from the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) since 2004;
  although some 150,000 Burundian refugees have been repatriated, as
  of February 2005, Burundian refugees still reside in camps in
  western Tanzania as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cambodia
  Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to
  check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Thailand dispute
  sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and Thai
  encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with
  Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands;
  Cambodia accuses Thailand of obstructing access to Preah Vihear
  temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; in 2004,
  Cambodian-Laotian and Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commissions
  re-erected missing markers completing most of their demarcations

Cameroon
  ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and
  maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission,
  which continues to meet regularly to resolve differences bilaterally
  and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of
  the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; implementation of
  the ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime
  boundary in the Gulf of Guinea is impeded by imprecisely defined
  coordinates and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and
  Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; Nigeria
  initially rejected cession of the Bakassi Peninsula, then agreed,
  but much of the indigenous population opposes cession; only Nigeria
  and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to
  ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger
  and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Canada
  managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon
  Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the
  disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; working toward greater
  cooperation with US in monitoring people and commodities crossing
  the border; uncontested sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans
  Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland

Central African Republic
  about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002
  civil conflict in the CAR still reside in southern Chad; periodic
  skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral
  populations along the border with southern Sudan persist

Chad
  since the expulsions of residents from Darfur in 2003 by
  Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military, about 200,000 refugees
  remain in eastern Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the
  Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from
  cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern
  Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad
  Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which
  also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Chile
  Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the
  Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead
  unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to
  Bolivian gas and other commodities; Peru proposes changing its
  latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line
  with a southwestern axis; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean
  Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British
  claims; action by the joint boundary commission, established by
  Chile and Argentina in 2001, for mapping and demarcating the
  disputed boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo
  Sur) remains pending

China
  in 2005, China and India began drafting principles to resolve
  all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes
  together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate
  discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation,
  and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures
  have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's
  largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under
  the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and
  Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does
  not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in
  1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India
  as well as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the
  Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan,
  Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct
  of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the
  Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by
  some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of
  facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil
  companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint
  accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China
  occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and
  Taiwan; China and Taiwan have become more vocal in rejecting both
  Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu
  Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East
  China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain
  islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute
  with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is
  considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens
  of thousands of North Koreans; China and Russia prepare to demarcate
  the boundary agreed to in October 2004 between the long-disputed
  islands at the Amur and Ussuri; demarcation of the China-Vietnam
  boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary
  delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004,
  implementation has been delayed; environmentalists in Burma and
  Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of
  hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan
  Province

Colombia
  Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and
  against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary
  involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the
  Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank;
  dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Los Monjes Islands
  near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics,
  guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all of its
  neighbors' borders and have created a serious refugee crisis with
  over 300,000 persons having fled the country, mostly into
  neighboring states

Congo, Democratic Republic of the heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues unabated in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawing in the neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region since 1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo continue to flee the fighting primarily into Uganda; 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004 with the remainder in the DRC expected to return in 2005; in 2005, DRC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the DRC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Congo, Republic of the
  about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing
  internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the
  Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in
  the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is
  indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area

Costa Rica
  in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the
  ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of
  Costa Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which Nicaragua
  retains sovereignty

Cote d'Ivoire
  rebel and ethnic fighting against the central
  government in 2002 has spilled into neighboring states, driven out
  foreign cocoa workers from nearby countries, and, in 2004, resulted
  in 6,000 peacekeepers deployed as part of UN Operation in Cote
  d'Ivoire (UNOCI) assisting 4,000 French troops already in-country;
  the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of
  supporting Ivorian rebels

Croatia
  discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over
  several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime
  access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the
  Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would
  have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and
  several villages to Croatia, remains un-ratified and in dispute; as
  a European Union peripheral state, neighboring Slovenia must conform
  to the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and
  commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close
  cross-border ties with Croatia

Cuba
US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual
agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease

Cyprus
  hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto
  autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot
  Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus); the
  1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in
  Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and
  south; March 2003 reunification talks failed, but Turkish-Cypriots
  later opened their borders to temporary visits by Greek Cypriots; on
  24 April 2004, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities
  voted in simultaneous and parallel referenda on whether to approve
  the UN-brokered Annan Plan that would have ended the 30-year
  division of the island by establishing a new "United Cyprus
  Republic," a majority of Greek Cypriots voted "no"; on 1 May 2004,
  Cyprus entered the European Union still divided, with the EU's body
  of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the
  north

Czech Republic
  in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the
  restitution of Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech
  Republic confiscated in 1945 as German property; individual Sudeten
  Germans seek restitution for property confiscated in connection with
  their expulsion from Czechoslovakia after World War II; Austrian
  anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian
  border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in
  the Czech Republic

Denmark
  Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line;
  Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe
  Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm; Faroese continue
  to study proposals for full independence; uncontested sovereignty
  dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between
  Ellesmere Island and Greenland

Djibouti
  Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with
  "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to
  various factions in Somalia; thousands of Somali refugees await
  repatriation in UNHCR camps in Djibouti

Dominica
  Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge
  Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other
  island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human
  habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the
  Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive
  Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large
  portion of the Caribbean Sea

Dominican Republic
  increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the
  Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico
  to find work

East Timor
  UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) has
  maintained about 1,000 peacekeepers in East Timor since 2002; East
  Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey, and
  delimit the land boundary, but several sections of the boundary
  especially around the Oekussi enclave remain unresolved; Indonesia
  and East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral
  island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which prevents delimitation of the
  northern maritime boundaries; many refugees who left East Timor in
  2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Australia
  and East Timor agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the
  boundary for 50 years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly
  outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002
  Timor Sea Treaty; dispute with Australia has hampered creation of a
  southern maritime boundary with Indonesia

Ecuador
  organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate
  across Ecuador's shared border and caused over 20,000 refugees to
  flee into Ecuador in 2004

Egypt
  Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the two triangular
  areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along
  the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt
  is developing the Hala'ib Triangle north of the Treaty line; since
  the attack on Taba and other Egyptian resort towns on the Red Sea in
  October 2004, Egypt vigilantly monitors the Sinai and borders with
  Israel and the Gaza Strip; Egypt does not extend domestic asylum to
  some 70,000 persons who identify themselves as Palestinians but who
  largely lack UNRWA assistance and, until recently, UNHCR recognition
  as refugees

El Salvador
  in 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled
  on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El
  Salvador-Honduras boundary, but despite Organization of American
  States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full
  demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling
  advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf
  of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador
  continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ
  decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca

Equatorial Guinea
  in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement
  of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf
  of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over
  an island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined
  maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi
  allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been
  pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the
  sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a
  maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Eritrea
  Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002
  Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision,
  but despite international intervention, mutual animosities,
  accusations, and armed posturing have prevented demarcation;
  Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until claimed
  technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are
  addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000
  war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented
  immediately without modifications; in 2005 Eritrea began severely
  restricting the operations of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to
  Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitoring the 25km-wide Temporary
  Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000; Sudan sustains over 110,000
  Eritrean refugees and accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel
  groups

Estonia
  in 2005, Russia refuses to sign the 1996 technical border
  agreement with Estonia when Estonia prepares a unilateral
  declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses;
  Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population
  in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for
  realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty
  that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the
  Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of
  the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen
  border rules

Ethiopia
  Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002
  Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision,
  but mutual animosities, accusations, and armed posturing prevail,
  preventing demarcation despite international intervention; Ethiopia
  refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until technical errors
  made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed,
  including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war;
  Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately
  without modifications; Ethiopia has only an administrative line and
  no international border with the Oromo region of southern Somalia
  where it maintains alliances with local clans in opposition to the
  unrecognized Somali Interim Government in Mogadishu; "Somaliland"
  secessionists provide port facilities and trade ties to landlocked
  Ethiopia; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Sudan have
  been delayed by civil war

European Union
  as a political union, the EU has no border disputes
  with neighboring countries, but Estonia and Latvia have no land
  boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and
  maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and
  maritime disputes with Morocco; the EU has set up a Schengen area -
  consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention
  implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free
  movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in
  Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into
  EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1
  May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
  France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal,
  Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as
  part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area
  since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current
  membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take
  part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect
  to police and criminal matters; the 10 new member states that joined
  the EU in 2004 eventually are expected to participate in Schengen,
  following a transition period to upgrade their border controls and
  procedures

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  Argentina, which claims the
  islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in
  1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK
  continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks

Faroe Islands
  because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources
  have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full
  independence have been deferred; Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands'
  fisheries median line boundary; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute
  Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends
  beyond 200 nm

Finland
  various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia
  and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but the Finnish
  Government asserts no territorial demands

France
  Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India,
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros
  claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial
  dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of
  French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica
  (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands,
  east of New Caledonia

French Guiana
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and
Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
French claim to "Adelie Land" in
Antarctica is not recognized by the US

Gabon
  UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the
  sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to
  establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only
  a few hundred out of the 20,000 Republic of the Congo refugees who
  fled militia fighting in 2000 remain in Gabon

Gambia, The
  attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms
  smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern
  Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west
  African states

Gaza Strip
  West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with
  current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement
  - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation;
  Israel removed settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip
  in August 2005

Georgia
  Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common
  border, leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime
  boundary unresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as
  the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in
  Abkhazia; UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a
  peacekeeping force in Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered
  throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia;
  boundary with Armenia remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups
  in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the
  Georgian government; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the
  alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas

Ghana
Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked
in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire

Gibraltar
  in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by
  referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the
  government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks
  between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant
  Gibraltar even greater autonomy

Greece
  Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their
  complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the
  Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; Greece rejects the use of
  the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Greenland
  managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans
  Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and
  Greenland

Guatemala
  Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain
  forests of Belize's border region; Organization of American States
  (OAS) is attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that
  created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime
  corridor in Caribbean, a joint ecological park for the disputed
  Sapodilla Cays, and a substantial US-UK financial package;
  Guatemalans enter Mexico illegally seeking work or transit to the US

Guinea
  conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in
  neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in
  domestic instability; Sierra Leone has pressured Guinea to remove
  its forces from the town of Yenga, occupied since 1998

Guinea-Bissau
  attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms
  smuggling, and political instability from a separatist movement in
  Senegal's Casamance region

Guyana
  all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by
  Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana
  has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims
  before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with
  Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of
  land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute
  over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration
  under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
  to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of
  the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Haiti
  since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization
  Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite
  efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic
  privation and civil unrest continue to cross into the Dominican
  Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims
  US-administered Navassa Island

Honduras
  in 1992, International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the
  delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El
  Salvador-Honduras border, but despite Organization of American
  States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full
  demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling
  advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf
  of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El
  Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the
  ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims
  Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize, but agreed to creation of a
  joint ecological park and Guatemalan corridor in the Caribbean in
  the failed 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum, which the OAS is
  attempting to revive; Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in
  1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over a complex dispute
  over islands and maritime boundaries in the Caribbean Sea

Hungary
  in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special
  social and cultural benefits - and voted down a referendum to extend
  dual citizenship - to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring
  states, which have objected to such measures; consultations continue
  between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its
  portion the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the
  Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
  border, Hungary must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Iceland
  Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands'
  fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute
  Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends
  beyond 200 nm

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan
  de Nova Island: claimed by Madagascar
  Tromelin Island: claimed by Mauritius

India
  since China and India launched a security and foreign policy
  dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute
  over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear
  proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to
  Pakistan, and other matters continue; various talks and
  confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse
  tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005
  earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of
  the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with
  portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin),
  India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern
  Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in
  Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly
  militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the
  impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar Dam on the
  Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration;
  UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has
  maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not
  recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964;
  disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to
  defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary,
  in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed
  boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch;
  Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat
  State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small
  section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in
  both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
  cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists
  through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to
  fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with
  Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay
  of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks
  cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam
  separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint
  Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed
  boundary sections; India maintains a strict border regime to keep
  out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities
  from Nepal

Indonesia
  East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet,
  survey, and delimit land boundary, but several sections of the
  boundary remain unresolved; many East Timorese refugees who left in
  2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Indonesia
  and East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral
  island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which hinders a decision on a
  northern maritime boundary; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and
  Australia settled some parts of their maritime boundary but
  outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan
  islands to Malaysia in 2002 left maritime boundary in the
  hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in hostile
  confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to the Ambalat oil
  block; the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to
  and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia
  and Singapore pledged in 2005 to finalize their 1973 maritime
  boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Batam
  Island; Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants
  create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a
  problem in the Malacca Strait

Iran
  Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed tributaries
  to the Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a
  maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the
  mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute
  Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Iran
  stands alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of
  the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors

Iraq
  coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security;
  Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction
  disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf;
  Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq

Ireland
Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that
the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Israel
  West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current
  status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement -
  permanent status to be determined through further negotiation;
  Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier
  along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel
  withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four
  settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is
  Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan
  Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce
  Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor
  ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
  incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
  region

Italy
  Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of
  thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and
  northern Africa

Japan
  the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu,
  Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as
  the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril
  Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by
  Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to
  signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities;
  Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do)
  occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both
  Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto
  (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic
  zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon
  prospecting

Kazakhstan
  in 2005, Kazakhstan agreed with Russia, Turkmenistan, and
  Uzbekistan to commence demarcating their boundaries; delimitation
  with Kyrgyzstan is complete; creation of a seabed boundary with
  Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains unresolved; equidistant
  seabed treaties have been ratified with Azerbaijan and Russia in the
  Caspian Sea, but no resolution has been made on dividing the water
  column among any of the littoral states

Kenya
  Kenya served as an important mediator in brokering Sudan's
  north-south separation in February 2005; Kenya provides shelter to
  approximately a quarter of a million refugees including Ugandans who
  flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord's
  Resistance Army (LRA) rebels; the Kenya-Somalia border is open to
  pastoralists and is susceptible to cross-border clan insurgencies;
  Kenya's administrative limits extend beyond the treaty border into
  the Sudan, creating the Ilemi Triangle

Korea, North
  China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of
  thousands of North Koreans escaping famine, economic privation, and
  political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty
  of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers and a section of
  boundary around Paektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; Military
  Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has
  separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime
  disputes with South over the Northern Limit Line; North Korea
  supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks
  (Tok-do/Take-shima)

Korea, South
  Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide
  Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953;
  periodic maritime disputes with North Korea over the Northern Limit
  Line; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks
  (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954

Kuwait
  Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime
  boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the
  Persian Gulf

Kyrgyzstan
  delimitation with Kazakhstan is complete; disputes in
  Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan;
  delimitation of 130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by
  serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Laos
  Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to
  check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of
  demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas
  along Mekong River and Thai squatters; concern among Mekong
  Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong
  River will affect water levels

Latvia
  Russia refuses to sign the 1997 boundary treaty due to
  Latvian insistence on a unilateral clarificatory declaration
  referencing Soviet occupation of Latvia and territorial losses;
  Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in
  Latvia; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime
  boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil
  exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's
  external border, Latvia must implement the strict Schengen border
  rules

Lebanon
  Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of
  Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim
  Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978

Liberia
  although Liberia's domestic fighting among disparate rebel
  groups, warlords, and youth gangs was declared over in 2003, civil
  unrest persists, and in 2004, 133,000 Liberian refugees remained in
  Guinea, 72,000 in Cote d'Ivoire, 67,000 in Sierra Leone, and 43,000
  in Ghana; Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in
  Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone; since 2003, the UN Mission in
  Liberia (UNMIL) has maintained about 18,000 peacekeepers in Liberia;
  the Cote d'Ivoire Government accuses Liberia of supporting Ivoirian
  rebels; UN sanctions ban Liberia from exporting diamonds and timber

Libya
  Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern
  Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in Niger in currently dormant
  disputes; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in
  southern Libya

Liechtenstein
  in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the
  restitution of Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech
  Republic confiscated in 1945 as German property

Lithuania
  Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their
  boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty
  ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania
  operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling
  from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still
  conforming, as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
  border, to strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has
  not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania,
  primarily due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons

Macedonia
  ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the
  boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia
  and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Greece continues to reject
  the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Madagascar
claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands,
and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)

Malawi
disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake
Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

Malaysia
  Malaysia has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands
  together with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly
  Brunei; while the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
  South China Sea" has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is
  not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties;
  Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the
  national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on
  conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands;
  disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore,
  Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, maritime
  boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih - but parties
  agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years; ICJ
  awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands, also claimed by Indonesia and
  Philippines, to Malaysia but left maritime boundary in the
  hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in hostile
  confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to the Ambalat oil
  block; separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim
  southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with
  Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a now
  dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; in 2003,
  Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed
  offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated
  prompting consideration of international adjudication; Malaysia's
  land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; piracy
  remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Mauritania
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in
recent years

Mauritius
  Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered
  British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who
  reside chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship but no
  right to patriation in the UK; claims French-administered Tromelin
  Island

Mexico
  prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices
  and infrastructure in the border region have strained water-sharing
  arrangements with the US; the US has stepped up efforts to stem
  nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world
  from illegally crossing the border with Mexico

Moldova
  Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customs posts to
  monitor transit through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region
  which remains under OSCE supervision

Montenegro
  ethnic Albanians in Kosovo refuse demarcation of the
  boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia
  and Montenegro delimitation agreement, which includes a section of
  boundary with Montenegro

Morocco
  claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty
  remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
  effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have
  failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals;
  Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta,
  Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de
  Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; discussions
  have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation setting
  limits on exploration and refugee interdiction since Morocco's 2002
  rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from
  the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching
  areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa

Namibia
  border commission has yet to resolve small residual disputes
  with Botswana along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu
  marshlands along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest
  Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on
  Popa Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of
  the boundary in the Orange River; Namibia has supported and in 2004
  Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to
  build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing
  a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the
  river

Nepal
  joint border commission continues to work on small disputed
  sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter
  border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal
  cross-border activities

New Caledonia
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia
claimed by France and Vanuatu

New Zealand
asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross
Dependency) [see Antarctica]

Nicaragua
  Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and
  against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary
  involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the
  Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; the
  1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite
  resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca,
  which considers Honduran access to the Pacific; legal dispute over
  navigational rights of San Juan River on border with Costa Rica

Niger
  Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant
  dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with
  Nigeria, remains undemarcated; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded
  the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation
  treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria
  boundaries

Nigeria
  ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and
  maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission
  to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with
  demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in
  Lake Chad in the north; following the UN-brokered Greentree
  Agreement of 12 June 2006, Nigeria, in completion of the 2002 ICJ
  decision on the Cameroon-Nigerian land boundary, handed sovereignty
  of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon on 14 August; all Nigerian
  military forces have reportedly withdrawn from the region but
  Nigeria will continue to maintain a police and administrative
  presence in the southeastern "transition zone" for a period of up to
  two years; Nigeria pledges to provide for the resettlement of those
  Bakassi residents who wish to remain Nigerian citizens; the ICJ
  ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial
  Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but
  imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a
  sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an
  island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in
  implementation; a joint task force was established in 2004 that
  resolved disputes over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km land
  boundary with Benin on the Okpara River; only Nigeria and Cameroon
  have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the
  delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and
  Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Norway
  Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud
  Land and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, Russia
  and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents
  Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits
  within the Svalbard Treaty zone

Oman
  boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in
  2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al
  Madhah exclave, but details have not been made public

Pakistan
  various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously
  have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the
  October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains
  the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial
  dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China
  (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir
  and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and
  Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers
  since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic
  Kashmir lands to China in 1964; in 2004, India and Pakistan
  instituted a cease-fire in the Kashmir, and in 2005 restored bus
  service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has
  taken its dispute on the impact of India's building the Baglihar Dam
  on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for
  arbitration and in general the two states still dispute Indus River
  water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare discussions on a
  maritime boundary, in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion
  of the disputed the Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of
  Kutch; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's
  Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, had
  repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees and had undertaken a census
  to count the remaining million or more, many of whom remain at their
  own choosing; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to
  control the border with Afghanistan and stem organized terrorist or
  other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings with Afghan
  and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary
  encroachments

Panama
organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate
within the border region with Panama

Papua New Guinea
  relies on assistance from Australia to keep out
  illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including
  goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and
  secessionists

Paraguay
  unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay
  borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal
  narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations

Peru
  Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral law
  to shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundary
  along the parallel of latitude to an equidistance line which favors
  Peru; organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have
  penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru does not support Bolivia's
  claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor
  through Chile along the Peruvian border

Philippines
  Philippines claims sovereignty over certain of the
  Spratly Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands,
  also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002
  "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has
  eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally
  binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in
  March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines,
  and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic
  activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant
  claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the
  Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of
  attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf

Poland
as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
border, Poland must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Portugal
  Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the
  territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the
  1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Puerto Rico
  increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the
  Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year
  looking for work

Romania
  Romania and Ukraine have taken their dispute over
  Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea
  maritime boundary to the ICJ for adjudication; Romania also opposes
  Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border
  through Ukraine to the Black Sea; Hungary amended the status law
  extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians
  in Romania, to which Romania had objected

Russia
  in 2005, China and Russia ratified the treaty to divide up
  the islands in the Amur, Ussuri, and Argun Rivers, representing the
  final portion of their centuries-long border disputes; the
  sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri,
  Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern
  Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," occupied by the
  Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed by
  Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty
  formally ending World War II hostilities; Russia and Georgia agree
  on delimiting all but small, strategic segments of the land boundary
  and the maritime boundary; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas
  such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Kodori Gorge
  in Abkhazia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia signed equidistance
  boundaries in the Caspian seabed but the littoral states have no
  consensus on dividing the water column; Russia and Norway dispute
  their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights
  beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty
  zone; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia
  (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following the
  Second World War but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial
  demands; in May 2005, Russia recalled its signatures to the 1996
  border agreements with Estonia (1996) and Latvia (1997), when the
  two Baltic states announced issuance of unilateral declarations
  referencing Soviet occupation and ensuing territorial losses; Russia
  demands better treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia;
  Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the
  boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the
  now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within
  Estonia; Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their
  boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty
  ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania
  operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling
  from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still
  conforming, as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
  border, to strict Schengen border rules; delimitation of land
  boundary with Ukraine is complete, but states have renewed
  discussions on demarcation; the dispute over the maritime boundary
  between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov
  remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and
  on-going expert-level discussions; discussions toward economic and
  political union with Belarus advance slowly; Kazakhstan and Russia
  boundary delimitation ratified November 2005 and demarcation is
  underway; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Maritime Boundary
  Agreement with the US in the Bering Sea

Rwanda
  Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic
  groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various
  government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region,
  transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the
  Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and
  natural resources - government heads pledge to end conflicts, but
  localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; DROC
  and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism in 2005 to
  address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels
  and the Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means
  and bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004, Rwandan refugees
  lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  joins other Caribbean states to counter
  Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a
  criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its
  EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Saint Lucia
  joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's
  claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under
  UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf
  over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Saudi Arabia
  despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation
  of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah
  Treaty is almost complete; Saudi Arabia still maintains the
  concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the
  border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities;
  Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary
  with Iran; the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and
  text rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated
  in a treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the
  agreement was not formally ratified

Senegal
  The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem Senegalese
  citizens from the Casamance region fleeing separatist violence,
  cross border raids, and arms smuggling

Serbia
  the final status of the Serbian province of Kosovo remains
  unresolved and several thousand peacekeepers from the UN Interim
  Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) have administered the
  region since 1999, with Kosovar Albanians overwhelmingly supporting
  and Serbian officials opposing Kosovo independence; the
  international community had agreed to begin a process to determine
  final status but contingency of solidifying multi-ethnic democracy
  in Kosovo has not been satisfied; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo refuse
  demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the
  2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Serbia
  and Montenegro delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and
  Herzegovina, but sections with Serbia along the Drina River remain
  in dispute

Seychelles
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos
Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)

Sierra Leone
  domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups,
  warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and
  Sierra Leone perpetuate insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms
  trafficking, ethnic conflicts, and refugees in border areas; UN
  Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000
  peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone pressures
  Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga occupied since
  1998

Singapore
  disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh
  water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works,
  bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca
  Island/Pulau Batu Putih - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island
  dispute within three years; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005
  to finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining
  unresolved areas north of Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in
  the Malacca Strait

Slovakia
  Hungary amended its status law extending special social and
  cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, to which
  Slovakia had protested; consultations continue between Slovakia and
  Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion of the
  Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a
  member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovakia
  must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Slovenia
  the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement,
  which would have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to
  Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains unratified and in
  dispute; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
  border, Slovenia must implement the strict Schengen border rules to
  curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe
  while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia

Solomon Islands
  Australian Defense Force leads the Regional
  Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation
  of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political
  order and reinforce regional security

Somalia
  "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to
  landlocked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional
  states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from
  neighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and in
  conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative line
  with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances
  with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali Interim
  Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu;
  rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically
  spills over into Kenya

South Africa
  South Africa has placed military along the border to
  stem the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape
  political persecution; managed dispute with Namibia over the
  location of the boundary in the Orange River

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  Argentina, which claims
  the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied the islands by
  force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force

Southern Ocean
  Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica
  entry), but Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK
  assert claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in
  the Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in
  extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations
  Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea
  ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or
  maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves
  (the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal
  claims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and
  150 degrees west

Spain
  in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by
  referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared
  sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks
  between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant
  Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over
  the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de
  Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and
  surrounding waters; Morocco serves as the primary launching site of
  illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not
  recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based
  on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and
  the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Spratly Islands
  all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China,
  Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the
  Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone
  that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has
  not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the
  "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,"
  which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code
  of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the
  Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
  seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

Sudan
  the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel
  militia fighting since the mid-twentieth century have penetrated all
  of its border states that provide shelter for fleeing refugees and
  cover to disparate domestic and foreign conflicting elements; since
  2003, Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military have driven about
  200,000 Darfur region refugees into eastern Chad; large numbers of
  Sudanese refugees have also fled to Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, the
  Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
  southern Sudan provides shelter to Ugandans seeking periodic
  protection from soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army; Sudan
  accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to
  demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by
  civil and ethnic fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundary
  extends into the southern Sudan, creating the "Ilemi Triangle";
  Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer triangular areas that
  extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd
  Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is
  economically developing the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of the Treaty
  Line; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water
  and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations from
  the Central African Republic along the border

Suriname
  area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and
  Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a
  triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a
  historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks
  United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitration
  to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of
  the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Svalbard
  despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their
  maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights
  beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone

Syria
  Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong
  UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone
  since 1964; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in Golan Heights;
  international pressure prompts the removal of Syrian troops and
  intelligence personnel stationed in Lebanon since October 1976; 2004
  Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan

Taiwan
  involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia,
  Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands;
  the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China
  Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code
  of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands
  are occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003,
  China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims
  to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and
  Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East
  China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting

Tajikistan
  boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede 1,000 sq km of
  Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China relinquishing
  claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands, but neither state has
  published maps of ceded areas and demarcation has not yet commenced;
  talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove
  minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with
  Kyrgyzstan

Tanzania
disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake
Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

Thailand
  separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim
  southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia
  to stem terrorist activities; southeast Asian states have enhanced
  border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue
  on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over
  several areas along Mekong River and Thai squatters; despite
  continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
  with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
  rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia and
  Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers;
  Cambodia claims Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory and
  obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia
  by ICJ decision in 1962; ethnic Karens from Burma flee into Thailand
  - to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops -
  resulting in Thailand sheltering about 120,000 Burmese refugees in
  2005; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric
  dam construction on the Salween River near the border;
  environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about
  China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the
  Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province

Togo
in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint
commission continues to resurvey the boundary

Trinidad and Tobago
  Barbados will assert its claim before the UN
  Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that the northern limit of
  Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into
  its waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to challenge
  this boundary as it may extend into its waters as well

Turkey
  complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece
  in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria
  and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper
  Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of
  Kurds in Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over
  Nagorno-Karabakh

Turkmenistan
  cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan
  creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states;
  bilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and
  contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; demarcation of
  land boundary with Kazakhstan has started but Caspian seabed
  delimitation remains stalled

Turks and Caicos Islands have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

Uganda
  Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic
  groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government
  forces; Ugandan refugees have fled the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)
  into the southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
  LRA forces have attacked Kenyan villages across the border

Ukraine
  1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to
  unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing
  border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is
  complete and parties have renewed discussions on demarcation; the
  dispute over the maritime boundary between Russia and Ukraine
  through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite
  a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level
  discussions; Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customs
  posts to monitor transit through Moldova's break-away Transnistria
  Region, which remains under OSCE supervision; in 2004 Ukraine and
  Romania took their dispute over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy
  (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary to the ICJ for
  adjudication; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation
  canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea

United Arab Emirates
  the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published
  a map and text rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as
  stipulated in a treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds
  that the agreement was not formally ratified; boundary agreement was
  signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including
  Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of
  the agreement and maps showing the alignment have not been
  published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island,
  which Iran occupies

United Kingdom
  in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by
  referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between
  the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal
  participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproves
  of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and
  Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean
  Territory), and its former inhabitants since their eviction in 1965;
  most Chagossians reside in Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK
  citizenship but no right to patriation in the UK; UK rejects
  sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the
  Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South
  Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic
  Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean
  claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the
  Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

United States
  prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded
  practices and infrastructure in the border region strain
  water-sharing arrangements with Mexico; the US has stepped up
  efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other
  parts of the world from crossing illegally into the US from Mexico;
  illegal immigrants from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the
  Dominican Republic, attempt to enter the US through Florida by sea;
  1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits
  Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with
  Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and
  around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; US and
  Canada seek greater cooperation in monitoring people and commodities
  crossing the border; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree
  on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased
  from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area
  can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa
  Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has
  reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of
  any other state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Uruguay
  uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the
  Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with
  Argentina

Uzbekistan
  prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan
  and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya
  river states; delimitation with Kazakhstan complete with demarcation
  underway; border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is
  hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Vanuatu
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by
Vanuatu and France

Venezuela
  claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in
  Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has
  expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before
  the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that
  Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into
  their waters; dispute with Colombia over Los Monjes islands and
  maritime boundary near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized
  illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's
  shared border region resulting in several thousand residents
  migrating away from the border; US, France, and the Netherlands
  recognize Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island,
  which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a
  large portion of the Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
  Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest
  Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation and
  other states' recognition of it

Vietnam
  southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to
  check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese
  squatters and armed encroachments along border; after years of
  Cambodia claiming Vietnam had moved or destroyed boundary markers,
  in 2005, after much domestic debate, Cambodia ratified an agreement
  with Vietnam that settled all but a small portion of the land
  boundary; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is
  hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands; in 2004,
  Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commission agrees to erect missing
  markers in two adjoining provinces; demarcation of the China-Vietnam
  boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary
  delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004,
  implementation has been delayed; China occupies Paracel Islands also
  claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with
  China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the
  Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
  the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally
  binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants;
  Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the
  Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China,
  the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
  seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

West Bank
  West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current
  status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement -
  permanent status to be determined through further negotiation;
  Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier
  along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel
  withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August
  2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce
  Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem,
  monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
  incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
  region

Western Sahara
  Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose
  sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has
  remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN
  Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts
  to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected
  all brokered proposals

World
  stretching over 250,000 km, the world's 329 international land
  boundaries separate the 193 independent states and 73 dependencies,
  areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entities;
  ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and language have divided states
  into separate political entities as much as history, physical
  terrain, political fiat, or conquest, resulting in sometimes
  arbitrary and imposed boundaries; maritime states have claimed
  limits and have so far established over 130 maritime boundaries and
  joint development zones to allocate ocean resources and to provide
  for national security at sea; boundary, borderland/resource, and
  territorial disputes vary in intensity from managed or dormant to
  violent or militarized; most disputes over the alignment of
  political boundaries are confined to short segments and are today
  less common and less hostile than borderland, resource, and
  territorial disputes; undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and
  unmanaged boundaries, however, encourage illegal cross-border
  activities, uncontrolled migration, and confrontation; territorial
  disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they
  may be brought on by resource competition; ethnic and cultural
  clashes continue to be responsible for much of the territorial
  fragmentation around the world; disputes over islands at sea or in
  rivers frequently form the source of territorial and boundary
  conflict; other sources of contention include access to water and
  mineral (especially petroleum) resources, fisheries, and arable
  land; nonetheless, most nations cooperate to clarify their
  international boundaries and to resolve territorial and resource
  disputes peacefully; regional discord today prevails not so much
  between the armed forces of independent states as between stateless
  armed entities that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local
  populations, leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant
  refugees, hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental
  degradation

Yemen
  Yemen protests Eritrea fishing around the Hanish Islands
  awarded to Yemen by the ICJ in 1999; Saudi Arabia still maintains
  the concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the
  border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities;
  Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a
  security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in
  sections of the boundary

Zambia
  in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana
  and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de
  facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited,
  Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river

Zimbabwe
  Botswana has built electric fences and South Africa has
  placed military along the border to stem the flow of thousands of
  Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political persecution;
  Namibia has supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to
  plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi
  River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly
  delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river

Afghanistan
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%,
Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%

Albania
  Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb,
  Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
  note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from
  1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)

Algeria
  Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
  note: almost all Algerians are Berber in origin, not Arab; the
  minority who identify themselves as Berber live mostly in the
  mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also
  Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural
  heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for
  autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has
  offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools

American Samoa
native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white
1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census)

Angola
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed
European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Anguilla
black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%,
other 1.5% (2001 Census)

Argentina
  white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed
  white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white
  groups 3%

Armenia
Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3%
(2001 census)

Austria
  Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians,
  Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or
  unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)

Azerbaijan
  Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%,
  other 3.9% (1999 census)
  note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
  region

Belarus
Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian
2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)

Benin
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja,
Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Bermuda
black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%,
unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)

Bhutan
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of
several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Bolivia
Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry)
30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other
  0.6% (2000)
  note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid
  confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Botswana
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other,
including Kgalagadi and white 7%

Brazil
  white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black
  6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified
  0.7% (2000 census)

Bulgaria
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including
Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)

Burma
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian
2%, Mon 2%, other 5%

Burundi
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%,
Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000

Cameroon
  Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%,
  Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other
  African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Canada
  British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European
  15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed
  background 26%

Cayman Islands
mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of
various ethnic groups 20%

Central African Republic
Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%,
Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%

Chad
  200 distinct groups; in the north and center: Arabs, Gorane
  (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi,
  Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are
  Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang,
  Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1,000
  French citizens live in Chad

China
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao,
Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

Christmas Island
Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001)

Colombia
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed
black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  over 200 African ethnic groups of
  which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba,
  Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about
  45% of the population

Congo, Republic of the
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%,
Europeans and other 3%

Cook Islands
Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 87.7%, part Cook Island
Maori 5.8%, other 6.5% (2001 census)

Costa Rica
white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%,
Chinese 1%, other 1%

Cote d'Ivoire
  Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes
  16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000
  Lebanese and 14,000 French) (1998)

Croatia
Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak,
Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)

Ecuador
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%,
Spanish and others 7%, black 3%

Egypt
Egyptian 98%, Berber, Nubian, Bedouin, and Beja 1%, Greek,
Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%

Equatorial Guinea
Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni
(primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Eritrea
Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea
coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%

Estonia
Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian
1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)

Ethiopia
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%,
Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Fiji
  Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian
  admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas
  Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)

Finland
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma
0.2%, Sami 0.1%

France
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Indochinese, Basque minorities

French Guiana
black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese,
Amerindian 12%, other 10%

French Polynesia
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%,
metropolitan French 4%

Gabon
  Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang,
  Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000,
  including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

Gambia, The
African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola
10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1%

Georgia
Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%,
other 2.5% (2002 census)

Germany
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of
Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)

Ghana
African 98.5% (includes Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%,
Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)

Gibraltar
Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German,
North Africans

Greece
  Greek 98%, Turkish and other 2%
  note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in
  Greece

Greenland
Greenlander 88% (Inuit and Greenland-born whites), Danish
and others 12% (2000)

Grenada
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East
Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

Guadeloupe
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese,
Chinese less than 5%

Guam
  Chamorro 37.1%, Filipino 26.3%, other Pacific islander 11.3%,
  white 6.9%, other Asian 6.3%, other ethnic origin or race 2.3%,
  mixed 9.8% (2000 census)

Guatemala
  Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish
  called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam
  7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%,
  other 0.1% (2001 census)

Guernsey
UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from
other European countries

Guinea-Bissau
African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca
14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Honduras
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%,
black 2%, white 1%

Iceland
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%,
population of foreign origin 6%

Indonesia
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays
7.5%, other 26%

Iran
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%,
Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Israel
  Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born
  22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly
  Arab) (2004)

Italy
  Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
  Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
  Greek-Italians in the south)

Jamaica
black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%,
mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%

Japan
  Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241,
  Brazilian 182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914)
  note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan
  in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil
  (2004)

Jersey
Jersey 51.1%, British 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white
6.6%, Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census)

Kazakhstan
Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek
2.5%, German 2.4%, Tatar 1.7%, Uygur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999 census)

Kenya
  Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii
  6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and
  Arab) 1%

Korea, North
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese
community and a few ethnic Japanese

Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%,
Ukrainian 1%, Uygur 1%, other 5.7% (1999 census)

Laos
  Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung
  (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic
  Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Latvia
Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian
2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)

Lebanon
  Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
  note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but
  rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be
  called Phoenicians

Liberia
  indigenous African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru,
  Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella,
  Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of
  immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5%
  (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

Libya
Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians,
Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Lithuania
Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or
unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)

Luxembourg
  Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese,
  Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European
  (guest and resident workers)

Macau
Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry)
1%, other 3.3% (2001 census)

Macedonia
Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%,
Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)

Madagascar
  Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers
  (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry -
  Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian,
  Creole, Comoran

Malawi
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni,
Ngonde, Asian, European

Malaysia
Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%,
others 7.8% (2004 est.)

Mali
Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%,
Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

Malta
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians,
with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)

Martinique
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%,
East Indian and Chinese less than 5%

Mauritius
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%,
Franco-Mauritian 2%

Mexico
mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly
Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Moldova
  Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%,
  Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)
  note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Mongolia
Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%,
other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)

Montenegro
Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%,
other (Muslims, Croats, Roma) 12%

Mozambique
African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and
others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

Namibia
  black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
  note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9%
  to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups includes Herero 7%,
  Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%

Nepal
  Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%,
  Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other
  32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census)

Netherlands
  Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin
  mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians)
  (1999 est.)

New Caledonia
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%,
Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%

New Zealand
European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander
4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)

Nicaragua
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black
9%, Amerindian 5%

Niger
  Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri
  (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200
  French expatriates

Nigeria
  Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more
  than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and
  politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo
  (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

Niue
Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%,
Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)

Norfolk Island
descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New
Zealander, Polynesian

Northern Mariana Islands
Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%,
Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%, mixed 4.8% (2000 census)

Oman
Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan,
Bangladeshi), African

Pakistan
  Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir
  (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their
  descendants)

Palau
  Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures)
  69.9%, Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%,
  Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%
  (2000 census)

Panama
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and
mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%

Peru
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white
15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Philippines
  Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%,
  Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%,
  other 25.3% (2000 census)

Poland
Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%,
other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)

Portugal
  homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African
  descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less
  than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

Puerto Rico
white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%,
Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%

Romania
Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%,
German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)

Russia
Russian 79.8%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 2%, Bashkir 1.2%,
Chuvash 1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002 census)

Saint Kitts and Nevis predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian
6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%

Samoa
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and
Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%

Sao Tome and Principe
  mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan
  slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract
  laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children
  of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)

Senegal
Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka
3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

Sierra Leone
  20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%,
  other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves
  who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century),
  refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of
  Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Slovakia
Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%,
Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Slovenia
Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or
unspecified 12% (2002 census)

Solomon Islands
Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%,
other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)

South Africa
black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%,
Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

Sri Lanka
  Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%,
  Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census
  provisional data)

Suriname
  Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their
  ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the
  19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%,
  "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in
  the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior)
  10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Sweden
  indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami
  minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns,
  Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Tajikistan
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%,
other 2.6% (2000 census)

Tanzania
  mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting
  of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European,
  and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African

Togo
African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina,
and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Trinidad and Tobago
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed
20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

Uganda
  Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi
  6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro
  3%, Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%,
  Rundi 2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%

Ukraine
  Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan
  0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian
  0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)

United Arab Emirates
  Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South
  Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians)
  8% (1982)
  note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

United Kingdom
  white (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh
  4.9%, Northern Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani
  1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)

United States
  white 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and
  Alaska native 1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2%
  (2003 est.)
  note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US
  Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American
  descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican
  origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group
  (white, black, Asian, etc.)

Uzbekistan
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak
2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Venezuela
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African,
indigenous people

Vietnam
Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome
1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% (1999 census)

Virgin Islands
black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%,
mixed 3.5% (2000 census)

Zimbabwe
African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and
Asian 1%, white less than 1%

Afghanistan
  afghanis per US dollar - 541 (2005), 48 (2004), 49
  (2003), 41 (2002), 66 (2001)
  note: in 2002, the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized
  at about 50 afghanis to the dollar; before 2002, the market rate
  varied widely from the official rate

Albania
leke per US dollar - 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863
(2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001)

Algeria
Algerian dinars per US dollar - 73.276 (2005), 72.061
(2004), 77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002), 77.215 (2001)

Andorra
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Angola
kwanza per US dollar - 88.6 (2005), 83.541 (2004), 74.606
(2003), 43.53 (2002), 22.058 (2001)

Anguilla
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
  (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Antigua and Barbuda
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7
  (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Argentina
Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233
(2004), 2.9006 (2003), 3.0633 (2002), 0.9995 (2001)

Armenia
drams per US dollar - 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76
(2003), 573.35 (2002), 555.08 (2001)

Aruba
Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79
(2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)

Australia
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598
(2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Austria
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Azerbaijan
  Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 4,727.1 (2005),
  4,913.48 (2004), 4,910.73 (2003), 4,860.82 (2002), 4,656.58 (2001)
  note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000
  old manats equal to 1 new manat

Bahamas, The
Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1
(2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001)

Bahrain
Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004),
0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001)

Bangladesh
taka per US dollar - 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15
(2003), 57.888 (2002), 55.807 (2001)

Barbados
Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2
(2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001)

Belarus
Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26
(2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002), 1,390 (2001)

Belgium
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Belize
Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2
(2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001)

Benin
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Bermuda
Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged
to the US dollar)

Bhutan
ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583
(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)

Bolivia
bolivianos per US dollar - 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004),
7.6592 (2003), 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  marka per US dollar - 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752
  (2004), 1.7329 (2003), 2.0782 (2002), 2.1857 (2001)
  note: the marka is pegged to the euro

Botswana
pulas per US dollar - 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499
(2003), 6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001)

Brazil
reals per US dollar - 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771
(2003), 2.9208 (2002), 2.3577 (2001)

Brunei
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902
(2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)

Bulgaria
leva per US dollar - 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327
(2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001)

Burkina Faso
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
  dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
  733.04 (2001)

Burma
  kyats per US dollar - 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764
  (2003), 6.5734 (2002), 6.6841 (2001)
  note: these are official exchange rates; unofficial exchange rates
  ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar,
  and by year-end 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US
  dollar

Burundi
Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91
(2004), 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002), 830.35 (2001)

Cambodia
riels per US dollar - 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004),
3,973.33 (2003), 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001)

Cameroon
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar
  - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Canada
Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004),
1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001)

Cape Verde
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 88.67 (2005),
88.808 (2004), 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001)

Cayman Islands
Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October
2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993)

Central African Republic
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs
  (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003),
  696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Chad
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Chile
Chilean pesos per US dollar - 560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004),
691.43 (2003), 688.94 (2002), 634.94 (2001)

China
yuan per US dollar - 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277
(2003), 8.277 (2002), 8.2771 (2001)

Christmas Island
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005),
1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095
(2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Colombia
Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,320.75 (2005), 2,628.61
(2004), 2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002), 2,299.63 (2001)

Comoros
  Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 395.6 (2005), 396.21
  (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001)
  note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677
  Comoran francs per euro

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  Congolese francs per US dollar -
  437.86 (2005), 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003), 346.49 (2002), 206.62
  (2001)

Congo, Republic of the
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF)
  per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99
  (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Cook Islands
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005),
1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Costa Rica
Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 477.79 (2005), 437.91
(2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001)

Cote d'Ivoire
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
  dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
  733.04 (2001)

Croatia
kuna per US dollar - 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035
(2003), 7.8687 (2002), 8.34 (2001)

Cuba
  Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93
  note: Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso
  (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although
  the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the
  official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC
  (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals
  can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban
  pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP
  and CUC at a 1:1 ratio.

Cyprus
  Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004),
  0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002), 0.6431 (2001), Turkish lira per US
  dollar - 1.36 (2005), 1.426 million (2004), 1.501 million (2003),
  1.507 million (2002), 1.226 million (2001)

Czech Republic
koruny per US dollar - 23.957 (2005), 25.7 (2004),
28.209 (2003), 32.739 (2002), 38.035 (2001)

Denmark
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004),
6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Djibouti
Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.72 (2005), 177.72
(2004), 177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002), 177.72 (2001)

Dominica
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
(2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Dominican Republic
Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005),
42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001)

Ecuador
25,000 (2005), 25,000 (2004), 25,000 (2003), 25,000 (2002),
25,000 (2001)

Egypt
Egyptian pounds per US dollar - 5.78 (2005), 6.1962 (2004),
5.8509 (2003), 4.4997 (2002), 3.973 (2001)

Equatorial Guinea
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per
  US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99
  (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Eritrea
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004),
13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001)

Estonia
  krooni per US dollar - 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856
  (2003), 16.612 (2002), 17.478 (2001), note - the krooni is pegged to
  the euro

Ethiopia
  birr per US dollar - 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004), 8.5997
  (2003), 8.5678 (2002), 8.4575 (2001)
  note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily
  basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank

European Union
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  Falkland pounds per US dollar -
  0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947
  (2001)
  note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound

Faroe Islands
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911
(2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Fiji
Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.691 (2005), 1.7331 (2004),
1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001)

Finland
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

France
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

French Guiana
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

French Polynesia
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US
  dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002),
  133.26 (2001)
  note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Gabon
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Gambia, The
dalasi per US dollar - 30.38 (2005), 30.03 (2004),
27.306 (2004), 19.918 (2003), 15.687 (2002), 15.687 (2001)

Gaza Strip
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482
(2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)

Georgia
lari per US dollar - 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004), 2.1457
(2003), 2.1957 (2002), 2.073 (2001)

Germany
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Ghana
cedis per US dollar - 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4
(2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001)

Gibraltar
  Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462
  (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

Greece
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Greenland
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911
(2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Grenada
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
(2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Guadeloupe
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 j(2001)

Guatemala
quetzales per US dollar - 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004),
7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002), 7.8586 (2001)

Guernsey
  Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004),
  0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Guinea
Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2005), 2,225 (2004),
1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001)

Guinea-Bissau
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
  dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
  733.04 (2001)
  note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the
  euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Guyana
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005), 198.31
(2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001)

Haiti
gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367
(2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001)

Holy See (Vatican City)
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Honduras
lempiras per US dollar - 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004),
17.345 (2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001)

Hong Kong
Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7773 (2005), 7.788
(2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001)

Hungary
forints per US dollar - 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31
(2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001)

Iceland
Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 62.982 (2005), 70.192
(2004), 76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001)

India
Indian rupees per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004),
46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)

Indonesia
Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9
(2004), 8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002), 10,260.9 (2001)

Iran
  rials per US dollar - 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9
  (2003), 6,907 (2002), 1,753.6 (2001)
  note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime
  since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002

Iraq
New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second
half, 2003), 0.3109 (2001)

Ireland
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Isle of Man
Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004),
0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)

Israel
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482
(2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)

Italy
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Jamaica
Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 62.51 (2005), 61.197
(2004), 57.741 (2003), 48.416 (2002), 45.996 (2001)

Japan
yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93
(2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001)

Jersey
  Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004),
  0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound

Jordan
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004),
0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001)

Kazakhstan
tenge per US dollar - 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004),
149.58 (2003), 153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001)

Kenya
Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 75.554 (2005), 79.174 (2004),
75.936 (2003), 78.749 (2002), 78.563 (2001)

Kiribati
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598
(2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Korea, North
  official: North Korean won per US dollar - 170
  (December 2004), 150 (December 2002), 2.15 (December 2001); market:
  North Korean won per US dollar - 300-600 (December 2002)

Korea, South
South Korean won per US dollar - 1,024.1 (2005),
1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002), 1,291 (2001)

Kuwait
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004),
0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001)

Kyrgyzstan
soms per US dollar - 41.012 (2005), 42.65 (2004), 43.648
(2003), 46.937 (2002), 48.378 (2001)

Laos
kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569
(2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001)

Latvia
lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715
(2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001)

Lebanon
Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5
(2004), 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001)

Lesotho
maloti per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648
(2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Liberia
Liberian dollars per US dollar - NA (2005), 54.906 (2004),
59.379 (2003), 61.754 (2002), 48.583 (2001)

Libya
Libyan dinars per US dollar - 1.3084 (2005), 1.305 (2004),
1.2929 (2003), 1.2707 (2002), 0.6051 (2001)

Liechtenstein
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435
(2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001)

Lithuania
litai per US dollar - 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609
(2003), 3.677 (2002), 4 (2001)

Luxembourg
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Macau
patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021
(2003), 8.033 (2002), 8.034 (2001)

Macedonia
Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.92 (2005), 49.41
(2004), 54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.037 (2001)

Madagascar
Malagasy ariary per US dollar - 2,003 (2005), 1,868.9
(2004), 1,238.3 (2003), 1,366.4 (2002), 1,317.7 (2001)

Malawi
Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 108.894 (2005), 108.898
(2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002), 72.197 (2001)

Malaysia
ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004), 3.8
(2003), 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001)

Maldives
rufiyaa per US dollar - 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8
(2003), 12.8 (2002), 12.24 (2001)

Mali
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Malta
Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.34578 (2005), 0.34466 (2004),
0.37723 (2003), 0.43362 (2002), 0.45004 (2001)

Martinique
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Mauritania
ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2005), NA (2004), 263.03
(2003), 271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001)

Mauritius
Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.496 (2005), 27.499
(2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001)

Mayotte
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Mexico
Mexican pesos per US dollar - 10.898 (2005), 11.286 (2004),
10.789 (2003), 9.656 (2002), 9.342 (2001)

Moldova
lei per US dollar - 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004), 13.945
(2003), 13.571 (2002), 12.865 (2001)

Monaco
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Mongolia
togrogs/tugriks per US dollar - 1,187.17 (2005), 1,185.3
(2004), 1,146.5 (2003), 1,110.3 (2002), 1,097.7 (2001)

Montenegro
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8089 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Montserrat
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
  (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Morocco
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004),
9.574 (2003), 11.021 (2002), 11.303 (2001)

Mozambique
meticais per US dollar - 23,061 (2005), 22,581 (2004),
23,782 (2003), 23,678 (2002), 20,704 (2001)

Namibia
Namibian dollars per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597
(2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Nauru
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598
(2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Nepal
Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 71.368 (2005), 73.674 (2004),
76.141 (2003), 77.877 (2002), 74.949 (2001)

Netherlands
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar -
1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)

New Caledonia
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US
  dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002),
  133.26 (2001)

New Zealand
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005),
1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Nicaragua
gold cordobas per US dollar - 16.733 (2005), 15.937
(2004), 15.105 (2003), 14.251 (2002), 13.372 (2001)

Niger
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Nigeria
nairas per US dollar - 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22
(2003), 120.58 (2002), 111.23 (2001)

Niue
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087
(2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Norfolk Island
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005),
1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Norway
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408
(2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001)

Oman
Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004),
0.3845 (2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001)

Pakistan
Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 59.515 (2005), 58.258
(2004), 57.752 (2003), 59.724 (2002), 61.927 (2001)

Papua New Guinea
kina per US dollar - 3.08 (2005), 3.2225 (2004),
3.5635 (2003), 3.8952 (2002), 3.3887 (2001)

Paraguay
guarani per US dollar - 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004),
6,424.3 (2003), 5,716.3 (2002), 4,105.9 (2001)

Peru
nuevo sol per US dollar - 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004), 3.4785
(2003), 3.5165 (2002), 3.5068 (2001)

Philippines
Philippine pesos per US dollar - 55.086 (2005), 56.04
(2004), 54.203 (2003), 51.604 (2002), 50.993 (2001)

Pitcairn Islands
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005),
1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Poland
  zlotych per US dollar - 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891
  (2003), 4.08 (2002), 4.0939 (2001)
  note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty

Portugal
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Qatar
Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64
(2003), 3.64 (2002), 3.64 (2001)

Reunion
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Russia
Russian rubles per US dollar - 28.284 (2005), 28.814 (2004),
30.692 (2003), 31.349 (2002), 29.169 (2001)

Rwanda
Rwandan francs per US dollar - 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004),
537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002), 442.8 (2001)

Saint Helena
  Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005),
  0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
  note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound

Saint Kitts and Nevis
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7
(2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Saint Lucia
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
(2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005),
0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
East Caribbean dollars per US
dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

Samoa
tala per US dollar - 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732
(2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001)

San Marino
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Sao Tome and Principe
dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2005), (2004),
9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001)

Saudi Arabia
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004),
3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001)

Senegal
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Seychelles
Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004),
5.4007 (2003), 5.48 (2002), 5.8575 (2001)

Sierra Leone
leones per US dollar - 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004),
2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002), 1,986.2 (2001)

Singapore
Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902
(2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)

Slovakia
koruny per US dollar - 31.018 (2005), 32.257 (2004), 36.773
(2003), 45.327 (2002), 48.355 (2001)

Slovenia
tolars per US dollar - 192.71 (2005), 192.38 (2004), 207.11
(2003), 240.25 (2002), 242.75 (2001)

Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.5299
(2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001)

Somalia
  Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000),
  2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January
  1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995)
  note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent
  country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own
  currency, the Somaliland shilling

South Africa
rand per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004),
7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Spain
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886
(2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 100.498 (2005), 101.194
(2004), 96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002), 89.383 (2001)

Sudan
Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 243.61 (2005), 257.91 (2004),
260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001)

Suriname
  Surinamese dollars per US dollar - 2.7317 (2005),
  Surinamese guilders per US dollar - 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003),
  2.3468 (2002), 2.1785 (2001)
  note: during 1998, the exchange rate splintered into four distinct
  rates; in January 1999 the government floated the guilder, but
  subsequently fixed it when the black-market rate plunged; in January
  2004, the government introduced the Surinamese dollar as replacement
  for the guilder, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket

Svalbard
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408
(2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001)

Swaziland
emalangeni per US dollar - 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004),
7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001)

Sweden
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004),
8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001)

Switzerland
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435
(2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001)

Syria
  Syrian pounds per US dollar - (public sector rate): 11.225
  (2005), 11.225 (2004), 11.225 (2003), 11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001),
  (parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut): NA (2005), NA (2004),
  52.8 (2003), 52.4 (2002), 50.4 (2001), (official rate for repaying
  loans): 11.25 (2004)

Taiwan
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 31.71 (2005), 34.418
(2004), 34.575 (2003), 33.8 (2002), 33.09 (2001)

Tajikistan
Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.1166 (2005), 2.9705
(2004), 3.0614 (2003), 2.7641 (2002), 2.3722 (2001)

Tanzania
Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - 1,128.93 (2005),
1,089.33 (2004), 1,038.42 (2003), 966.58 (2002), 876.41 (2001)

Thailand
baht per US dollar - 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004), 41.485
(2003), 42.96 (2002), 44.432 (2001)

Togo
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
  527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04
  (2001)

Tokelau
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087
(2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Tonga
pa'anga per US dollar - 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142
(2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001)

Trinidad and Tobago
  Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar -
  6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002), 6.2332
  (2001)

Tunisia
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455
(2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)

Turkey
  Turkish liras per US dollar - 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004),
  1.5009 (2003), 1.5072 (2002), 1.2256 (2001)
  note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish Lira (TRL) was converted to
  new Turkish Lira (YTL) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish
  Lira

Turkmenistan
  in recent years the unofficial rate has hovered around
  24,000 to 25,000 Turkmen manats to the dollar; the official rate has
  consistently been 5,200 manat to the dollar

Tuvalu
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095
(2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Uganda
Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1,780.7 (2005), 1,810.3
(2004), 1,963.7 (2003), 1,797.6 (2002), 1,755.7 (2001)

Ukraine
hryvnia per US dollar - 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004), 5.3327
(2003), 5.3266 (2002), 5.3722 (2001)

United Arab Emirates
  Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.6725 (2005),
  3.6725 (2004), 3.6725 (2003), 3.6725 (2002), 3.6725 (2001)
  note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002

United Kingdom
British pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462
(2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)

United States
  British pounds per US dollar - 0.5500 (2005), 0.5462
  (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001); Canadian
  dollars per US dollar - 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010 (2004), 1.4011 (2003),
  1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001); Japanese yen per US dollar - 110.22
  (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001);
  euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.8866 (2003),
  1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001); Chinese yuan per US dollar - 8.1943
  (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.2770 (2003), 8.2770 (2002), 8.2271 (2001)

Uruguay
Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 24.479 (2005), 28.704
(2004), 28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002), 13.319 (2001)

Uzbekistan
Uzbekistani soum per US dollar - 1,020 (2005), 971.265
(2004), 771.029 (2002), 423.832 (2002), 236.61 (2001)

Vanuatu
vatu per US dollar - NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19
(2003), 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001)

Venezuela
bolivares per US dollar - 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004),
1,607 (2003), 1,161 (2002), 723.7 (2001)

Vietnam
dong per US dollar - 15,746 (2005), (2004), 15,510 (2003),
15,280 (2002), 14,725 (2001)

Wallis and Futuna
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per
  US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71
  (2002), 133.26 (2001)

West Bank
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482
(2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)

Western Sahara
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868
(2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001)

Yemen
Yemeni rials per US dollar - 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004),
183.45 (2003), 175.63 (2002), 168.67 (2001)

Zambia
Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9
(2004), 4,733.3 (2003), 4,398.6 (2002), 3,610.9 (2001)

Zimbabwe
  Zimbabwean dollars per US dollar - 4,303.28 (2005),
  5,068.66 (2004), 697.424 (2003), 55.036 (2002), 55.052 (2001)
  note: these are official exchange rates; non-official rates vary
  significantly

Afghanistan
  chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of
  Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents
  Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government; former King ZAHIR Shah holds the honorific, "Father of
  the Country," and presides symbolically over certain occasions, but
  lacks any governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary
  head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
  Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia
  MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004); note - the
  president is both chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: 27 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers
  are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
  elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by
  direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no
  candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of
  voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a
  second round; a president can only be elected for two terms;
  election last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote -
  Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANOONI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ
  11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda
  JALAL 1.2%

Akrotiri
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY
  (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of
  Defence
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is
  appointed by the monarch

Albania
  chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU
  (since 24 July 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister,
  nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
  elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24
  June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); prime minister appointed by
  the president
  election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly
  vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19

Algeria
  chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28
  April 1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Abdelaziz BELKHADEM
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2004 (next
  to be held in April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for
  second term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 85%, Ali BENFLIS
  6.4%, Abdellah DJABALLAH 5%

American Samoa
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
  (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20
  January 2001)
  head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet made up of 12 department directors
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US
  president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor
  elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 2 and 16 November
  2004 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote
  - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3%

Andorra
  chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
  1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish
  Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003),
  represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA)
  head of government: Executive Council President Albert PINTAT
  SANTOLARIA (since 27 May 2005)
  cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive
  Council president
  elections: Executive Council president elected by the General
  Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year
  term; election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held April-May
  2009)
  election results: Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA elected executive council
  president; percent of General Council vote - NA

Angola
  chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21
  September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21
  September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and
  head of government; Fernando de Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS was
  appointed Prime Minister on 6 December 2002
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by universal ballot for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under
  the 1992 constitution; President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in
  1979) without opposition under a one-party system and stood for
  reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections 29-30 September
  1992 (next to be held September 2006 or 2007)
  election results: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI
  40.1%, making a run-off election necessary; the run-off was not held
  and SAVIMBI's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola
  (UNITA) repudiated the results of the first election; the civil war
  resumed leaving DOS SANTOS in his current position as the president

Anguilla
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
  represented by Governor Andrew N. GEORGE (since 10 July 2006)
  head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March
  2000)
  cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the
  elected members of the House of Assembly
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed chief minister by the governor

Antigua and Barbuda
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir James B.
  CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)
  head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24
  March 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
  the advice of the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
  by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following
  legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
  leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
  by the governor general

Argentina
  chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May
  2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);
  Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 27 April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007)
  election results: results of the presidential election of 27 April
  2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez
  MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other
  8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was
  awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on
  the eve of the election

Armenia
  chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March
  1998)
  head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARGARYAN (since 12 May
  2000)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February and 5
  March 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister appointed by
  the president and confirmed with the majority support of the
  National Assembly; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must
  resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program
  election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of
  vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%

Aruba
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30
  April 1980), represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since
  11 May 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30
  October 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for
  a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime
  minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last
  held 2005 (next to be held by 2009)
  election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent
  of legislative vote - NA

Australia
  chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.)
  Michael JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11
  March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005)
  cabinet: prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament,
  candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to
  serve as government ministers
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime
  minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as
  prime minister by the governor general
  note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party

Austria
  chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004)
  head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4
  February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October
  2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
  of the chancellor
  elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year
  term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held
  25 April 2004 (next to be held April 2010); chancellor traditionally
  chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National
  Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of
  the chancellor
  election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote -
  Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6%
  note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe

Azerbaijan
  chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October
  2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November
  2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas ABBASOV (since 10 November
  2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and
  confirmed by the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2003
  (next to be held October 2008); prime minister and first deputy
  prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the
  National Assembly
  election results: Ilham ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote -
  Ilham ALIYEV 76.8%, Isa GAMBAR 14%

Bahamas, The
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1
  February 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002)
  and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime
  minister's recommendation
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the
  prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Bahrain
  chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March
  1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the
  monarch, born 21 October 1969)
  head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa
  (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman
  al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister
  appointed by the monarch

Bangladesh
  chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6
  September 2002); note - the president's duties are normally
  ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the constitution
  ("Caretaker Government Amendment"), the president's role becomes
  significant at times when Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker
  government is installed - at presidential direction - to supervise
  the elections
  head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October
  2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the
  president
  elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16
  September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only
  presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next
  election to be held by 2007); following legislative elections, the
  leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed
  prime minister by the president
  election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission
  elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote
  - NA

Barbados
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS
  (since 1 June 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7
  September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May
  2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the
  prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Belarus
  chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20
  July 1994)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKIY (since 19
  December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since
  December 2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the
  1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999,
  however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a
  November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9 September 2001;
  an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits allowing
  president to run in a third election held on 19 March 2006; prime
  minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent
  of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%,
  Aleksandr KOZULIN 2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud

Belgium
  chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir
  Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
  head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July
  1999)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional;
  following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
  the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime
  minister by the monarch and then approved by parliament
  note: government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP.A-Spirit

Belize
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17
  November 1993)
  head of government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28
  August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September
  1998)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime
  minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Benin
  chief of state: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006
  (next to be held March 2011)
  election results: YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote -
  YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%

Bermuda
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002)
  head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006);
  Deputy Premier Paula COX
  cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed premier by the governor

Bhutan
  chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July
  1972)
  head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay
  NGEDUP (since 5 September 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the
  monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,
  five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council
  (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms
  in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the
  monarch with two-thirds vote

Bolivia
  chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22
  January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January
  2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22
  January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January
  2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18
  December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected president; percent
  of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGA
  Ramirez 28.6%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANI
  Morishit 6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2%; Guildo ANGULA Cabrera 0.7%

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency
  Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency
  member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the
  three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC
  (since 1 October 2006 - Croat) and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October
  2006 - Bosniak)
  head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan
  TERZIC (since 20 December 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman;
  approved by the National House of Representatives
  elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one
  Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years);
  the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she
  was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the
  chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1
  October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council
  of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the
  National House of Representatives
  election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of
  the Serb vote; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the Croat vote; Haris
  SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the Bosniak vote
  note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko
  LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC
  (since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); President
  of the Republika Srpska: Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006)

Botswana
  chief of state: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April
  1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998)
  and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004
  (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president
  election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of
  National Assembly vote - 52%

Brazil
  chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
  January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1
  January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1
  October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October
  2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)
  election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president
  - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%

British Indian Ocean Territory
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
  (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004);
  Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both
  reside in the UK
  cabinet: NA
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and
  administrator appointed by the monarch

British Virgin Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April
  2006)
  head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17
  June 2003)
  cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of
  the Legislative Council
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed chief minister by the governor

Brunei
  chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL
  Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief
  of state and head of government
  head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
  (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
  the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a
  Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on
  religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the
  monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of
  Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the
  succession to the throne if the need arises
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Bulgaria
  chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January
  2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August
  2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and
  Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  elected by the National Assembly
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011);
  chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by
  the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime
  ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the
  National Assembly
  election results: Georgi PURVANOV reelected president; percent of
  vote - Georgi PURVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV
  elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67

Burkina Faso
  chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15
  October 1987)
  head of government: Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest YONLI (since 6
  November 2000)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005
  (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was
  amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years,
  enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president
  with the consent of the legislature
  election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of
  popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA
  4.9%

Burma
  chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development
  Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
  head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by the SPDC; military junta, so named
  15 November 1997, assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name
  State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
  elections: none

Burundi
  chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August
  2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29
  August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8
  September 2006)
  head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August
  2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29
  August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8
  September 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
  elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted
  in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected
  by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents
  nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament
  election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the
  parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in
  February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by
  a two-thirds majority of the legislature

Cambodia
  chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)
  and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK
  AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16
  July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in
  practice named by the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council;
  following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or
  majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the
  National Assembly and appointed by the king

Cameroon
  chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted
  by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004
  (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote -
  Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga
  Haman ADJI 3.7%

Canada
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February
  2006)
  cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from
  among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a
  five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House
  of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the
  governor general

Cape Verde
  chief of state: President Pedro Verona PIRES (since 22
  March 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1
  February 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 February 2006
  (next to be held February 2011); prime minister nominated by the
  National Assembly and appointed by the president
  election results: Pedro PIRES reelected president; percent of vote -
  Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 51.2%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 48.8%

Cayman Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952); Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005)
  head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS
  (since 18 May 2005)
  cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor,
  four members elected by the Legislative Assembly)
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or coalition is appointed by the
  governor Leader of Government Business

Central African Republic
  chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE
  (since 15 March 2003 coup)
  head of government: Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005);
  note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13
  March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister
  appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority
  election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of
  second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE
  (MLPC) 35.4%

Chad
  chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno (since 4
  December 1990)
  head of government: Prime Minister Pascal YOADIMNADJI (since 3
  February 2005)
  cabinet: Council of State, members appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  term; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the
  two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second
  round of voting; last held 3 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2011);
  prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president;
  percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire
  COUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%,
  Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum
  altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and
  permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection

Chile
  chief of state: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11
  March 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11
  March 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a single four-year
  term; election last held 11 December 2005, with runoff election held
  15 January 2006 (next to be held December 2009)
  election results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent
  of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria 53.5%; Sebastian PINERA Echenique
  46.5%

China
  chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and
  Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
  head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003);
  Executive Vice Premier HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premiers
  WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI
  Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
  (NPC)
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March
  2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National
  People's Congress
  election results: HU Jintao elected president by the 10th National
  People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted
  against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong
  elected vice president by the 10th National People's Congress with a
  total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190
  abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant

Christmas Island
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
  head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
  by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
  Australia

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
  head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30
  January 2006)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
  by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
  Australia

Colombia
  chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7
  August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August
  2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002)
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the two dominant parties
  - the PL and PSC - and independents
  elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for
  a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28
  May 2006 (next to be held in May 2010)
  election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez reelected president;
  percent of vote - Alvaro URIBE Velez 62%, Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz 22%,
  Horacio SERPA Uribe 12%, other 4%

Comoros
  chief of state: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May
  2006);
  head of government: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May
  2006);
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency
  rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three
  main islands in the Union; election last held 14 May 2006 (next to
  be held by May 2010); prime minister appointed by the president;
  note - the post of Prime Minister has been vacant since May 2002
  election results: Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of
  vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed
  DJAANFAMI 13.7%

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  chief of state: President Joseph
  KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination
  of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph
  KABILA succeeded to the presidency; the president is both the chief
  of state and head of government
  head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001);
  note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire
  KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the
  presidency; the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the president
  elections: under the new constitution the president is elected by
  popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  elections last held 30 July 2006 with a second round held on 29
  October 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: results of 29 October 2006 elections (second
  round); Joseph KABILA 58%, Jean-Pierre BEMBA Gombo 42%
  note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA,
  following the latter's assassination in January 2001; negotiations
  with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a transitional
  government in July 2003 with free elections held on 30 July 2006 and
  29 October 2006 where the poplar vote confirmed Joseph KABILA as
  president

Congo, Republic of the
  chief of state: President Denis
  SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in
  which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October
  1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president
  Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next
  to be held in 2009)
  election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent
  of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU
  2.7%

Cook Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Frederick GOODWIN (since 9 February 2001); New
  Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since 6 September 2005),
  representative of New Zealand
  head of government: Prime Minister Jim MARURAI (since 14 December
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister Terepai MAOATE (since 9 August 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively
  responsible to Parliament
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the UK representative is
  appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner is
  appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

Coral Sea Islands
administered from Canberra by the Department of
the Environment, Sport, and Territories

Costa Rica
  chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8
  May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006);
  Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May
  2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006);
  Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president
  elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5
  February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of
  vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otto SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto
  GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%; note - official
  results pending the resolution of election challenges

Cote d'Ivoire
  chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26
  October 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Charles Konan BANNY (since 7
  December 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be
  held by October 2006, after the government postponed the election);
  prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Laurent GBAGBO elected president; percent of vote
  - Laurent GBAGBO 59.4%, Robert GUEI 32.7%, Francis WODIE 5.7%, other
  2.2%

Croatia
  chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18
  February 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ivo SANADER (since 9 December
  2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Jadranka KOSOR (since 23 December
  2003) and Damir POLANCEC (since 15 February 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and
  approved by the parliamentary Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 January 2005
  (next to be held January 2010); the leader of the majority party or
  the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime
  minister by the president and then approved by the Assembly
  election results: Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote
  - Stjepan MESIC 66%, Jadranka KOSOR (HDZ) 34% in the second round

Cuba
  chief of state: President of the Council of State and President
  of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from
  February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished;
  president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the
  Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of
  Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President of the Council of State and President
  of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from
  February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished;
  president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the
  Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of
  Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the
  Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the
  31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its
  behalf when it is not in session
  elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National
  Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003
  (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of
  legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president;
  percent of legislative vote - 100%

Cyprus
  chief of state: President Tassos PAPADOPOULOS (since 1 March
  2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the
  1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
  head of government: President Tassos PAPADOPOULOS (since 1 March
  2003); note - post of vice president is currently vacant; under the
  1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and
  vice president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  election last held 16 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)
  election results: Tassos PAPADOPOULOS elected president; percent of
  vote - Tassos PAPADOPOULOS 51.5%, Glafkos KLIRIDIS 38.8%, Alekos
  MARKIDIS 6.6%
  note: Mehmet Ali TALAT became "president" of north Cyprus, 24 April
  2005, after "presidential" elections on 17 April 2005; results -
  Mehmet Ali TALAT 55.6%, Dervis EROGLU 22.7%; Ferdi Sabit SOYER is
  "prime minister"; there is a Council of Ministers (cabinet) in north
  Cyprus, appointed by the "prime minister"

Czech Republic
  chief of state: President Vaclav KLAUS (since 7 March
  2003)
  note: the Czech Republic's first president Vaclav HAVEL stepped down
  from office on 2 February 2003 having served exactly 10 years;
  parliament finally elected a successor on 28 February 2003 after two
  inconclusive elections in January 2003
  head of government: Prime Minister Mirek TOPOLANEK (since 4
  September 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Petr NECAS (since 4 September
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); last successful election held 28
  February 2003 (after earlier elections held 15 and 24 January 2003
  were inconclusive; next election to be held January 2008); prime
  minister appointed by the president
  election results: Vaclav KLAUS elected president on 28 February
  2003; Vaclav KLAUS 142 votes, Jan SOKOL 124 votes (third round;
  combined votes of both chambers of parliament)

Denmark
  chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972);
  Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born
  26 May 1968)
  head of government: Prime Minister Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN (since 27
  November 2001)
  cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch

Dhekelia
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY
  (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of
  Defence
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is
  appointed by the monarch

Djibouti
  chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May
  1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4
  March 2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2005 (next
  to be held by April 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent
  of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%

Dominica
  chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since
  October 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8
  January 2004); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister
  Pierre CHARLES
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a
  five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held
  October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of
  legislative vote - NA%

Dominican Republic
  chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna
  (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro
  (since 16 August 2004); note - the president is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  head of government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16
  August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16
  August 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 16 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2008)
  election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ elected president; percent of
  vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ (PLD) 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez
  (PRD) 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA (PRSC) 8.7%

East Timor
  chief of state: President Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since
  20 May 2002); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but
  is able to veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national
  elections; he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO
  head of government: Prime Minister Jose RAMOS-HORTA (since 10 July
  2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Estanlislau Maria Alexio da SILVA
  (since 10 July 2006); Second Deputy Prime Minister Rui Maria do
  ARAUJO (since 10 July 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 April 2002 (next
  to be held in May 2007)
  election results: Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO elected president; percent
  of vote - Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO 82.7%, Francisco Xavier do AMARAL
  17.3%

Ecuador
  chief of state: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April
  2005); Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government; former President Lucio GUTIERREZ was removed from office
  by congress effective 20 April 2005
  head of government: President Alfredo PALACIO (since 20 April 2005);
  Vice President Nicanor Alejandro SERRANO Aguilar (since 5 May 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
  ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve
  consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff
  election scheduled for 26 November 2006 (next to be held October
  2010)
  election results: results of the 15 October 2006 election; percent
  of vote - Alvaro NOBOA 26.8%; Rafael CORREA 22.8%; Gilmar GUTIERREZ
  17.4%; Leon ROLDOS Aguilera 14.8%; Cynthia VITERI 9.6%; note - a
  runoff election will be held 26 November 2006 between NOBOA and
  CORREA

Egypt
  chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14
  October 1981)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term (no
  term limits); note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a
  constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a
  multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was nominated
  by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a
  national, popular referendum; last referendum held 26 September
  1999; first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7
  September 2005; next election scheduled for 2011
  election results: Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote
  - Hosni MUBARAK 88.6%, Ayman NOUR 7.6%, Noman GOMAA 2.9%

El Salvador
  chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez
  (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1
  June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
  of government
  head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1
  June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 21
  March 2004 (next to be held March 2009)
  election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president;
  percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik
  HANDAL (FMLN) 35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%

Equatorial Guinea
  chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.)
  Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized
  power in a military coup)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA
  (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono
  NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be
  held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers
  appointed by the president
  election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president;
  percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino
  Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud

Eritrea
  chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June
  1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
  head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
  cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority;
  members appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8
  June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did
  not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)
  election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of
  National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

Estonia
  chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9
  October 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
  approved by Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure
  two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the
  Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus
  members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between
  the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election
  last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held fall of 2011); prime
  minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
  election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23
  September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received
  174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left
  blank or invalid

Ethiopia
  chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8
  October 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August
  1995)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
  constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
  approved by the House of People's Representatives
  elections: president elected by the House of People's
  Representatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held October 2007);
  prime minister designated by the party in power following
  legislative elections
  election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of
  vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%

European Union
  chief of union: President of the European Commission
  Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)
  cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each
  member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy
  areas)
  elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by
  member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other
  Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire
  Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004
  (next to be held 2009)
  election results: European Parliament approved the European
  Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions
  note: the European Council brings together heads of state and
  government and the president of the European Commission and meets at
  least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major
  political issues relating to European integration and to issue
  general policy guidelines

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch

Faroe Islands
  chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since
  14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS,
  chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3
  February 2004)
  cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held
  20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008)
  election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent
  of parliamentary vote - NA

Fiji
  chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda
  (since 18 July 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10
  September 2000)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
  members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
  elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister
  appointed by the president; election last held 8 March 2006 (next to
  be held in 2011)
  election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president
  by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA

Finland
  chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June
  2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Eero HEINALUOMA (since 24 September
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
  president, responsible to parliament
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 January 2006
  (next to be held January 2012); the president appoints the prime
  minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the
  majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament
  must approve the appointment
  election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli
  NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti Vanhanen (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA
  (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held
  29 January 2006 - HOLONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%
  note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP

France
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
  head of government: Prime Minister Dominique DE VILLEPIN (since 31
  May 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  suggestion of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held
  21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round April 2007,
  second round May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National
  Assembly majority and appointed by the president
  election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of
  vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN
  (FN) 18.04%

French Guiana
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France
  (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE
  (since 19 July 2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT
  (since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine
  KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional
  Councils are appointed by the members of those councils

French Polynesia
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France
  (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the
  Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
  head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU
  (since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial Assembly Antony
  GEROS (since 9 May 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members
  of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as
  ministers
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
  advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
  territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly
  are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no
  term limits)

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  chief of state: President
  Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Senior
  Administrator Michel CHAMPON

Gabon
  chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2
  December 1967)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20
  January 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
  consultation with the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be
  held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected;
  percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 79.2%, Pierre
  MAMBOUNDOU 13.6%, Zacharie MYBOTO 6.6%

Gambia, The
  chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since
  18 October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the
  Junta); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18
  October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the
  Junta); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 22 September 2006 (next to be
  held in 2011)
  election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent
  of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 67.3%, Ousainou DARBOE 26.6%

Georgia
  chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25
  January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government for the power ministries: state security
  (includes interior) and defense
  head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
  2004); Prime Minister Zurab NOGHAIDELI (since 17 February 2005);
  note - the president is the chief of state and head of government
  for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and
  defense; the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 January 2004
  (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of
  vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%

Germany
  chief of state: President Horst KOEHLER (since 1 July 2004)
  head of government: Chancellor Angela MERKEL (since 22 November 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by
  the president on the recommendation of the chancellor
  elections: president elected for a five-year term (eligible for a
  second term) by a Federal Convention, including all members of the
  Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the
  state parliaments; election last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held
  23 May 2009); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the
  Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 22
  November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: Horst KOEHLER elected president; received 604
  votes of the Federal Convention against 589 for Gesine SCHWAN;
  Angela MERKEL elected chancellor; vote by Federal Assembly 397 to
  202 with 12 abstentions

Ghana
  chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January
  2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January
  2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject
  to approval by Parliament
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
  election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in
  election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%

Gibraltar
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October
  2006)
  head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected
  members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation
  with the chief minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
  appointed chief minister by the governor

Greece
  chief of state: President Karolos PAPOULIAS (since 12 March
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos (Kostas) KARAMANLIS
  (since 7 March 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by parliament for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 February 2005
  (next to be held by February 2010); according to the Greek
  Constitution, presidents may only serve two terms; president
  appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in election
  to become prime minister and form a government
  election results: Karolos PAPOULIAS elected president; number of
  parlimentary votes, 279 out of 300

Greenland
  chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14
  January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Soren MOLLER (since
  April 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December
  2002)
  cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the parliament
  (Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed
  by the monarch; prime minister is elected by parliament (usually the
  leader of the majority party); election last held 3 December 2002
  (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
  note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit

Grenada
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June
  1995)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Guadeloupe
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since
  17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 12
  June 2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT
  (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Victorin
  LUREL (since 2 April 2004)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and
  Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
  election results: NA

Guam
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
  January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
  2001)
  head of government: Governor Felix P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003)
  and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo MOYLAN (since 6 January 2003)
  cabinet: heads of executive departments; appointed by the governor
  with the consent of the Guam legislature
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president
  and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the
  same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (can serve two
  consecutive terms, then must wait a full term before running again);
  election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
  election results: Felix P. CAMACHO reelected governor; Dr. Michael
  W. CRUZ elected lieutenant governor; percent of vote - NA

Guatemala
  chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
  (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas
  (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
  (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas
  (since 14 January 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 November
  2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
  election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of
  vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9%

Guernsey
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28
  October 2005)
  head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
  cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
  by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion
  election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of
  vote of the States of Deliberation NA

Guinea
  chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military
  government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)
  head of government: vacant; note - Prime Minister Cellou Dalein
  DIALLO was dismissed on 5 April 2006
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); candidate must receive a majority of the votes
  cast to be elected president; election last held 21 December 2003
  (next to be held December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by
  the president
  election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote
  - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6%

Guinea-Bissau
  chief of state: President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA
  (since 1 October 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Aristides GOMES (since 2 November
  2005)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 24 July 2005 (next to be held
  in 2010); prime minister appointed by the president after
  consultation with party leaders in the legislature
  election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of
  vote, second ballot - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52.4%, Malan Bacai SANHA
  47.6%

Guyana
  chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August
  1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President
  Janet JAGAN and reelected in 2001, and again in 2006
  head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992,
  except for a period as chief of state after the death of President
  Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
  responsible to the legislature
  elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party
  list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every
  five years (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006
  (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of
  vote 54.6%

Haiti
  chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since 30
  May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
  the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 7 February
  2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the
  president, ratified by the National Assembly
  election results: Rene PREVAL elected president; percent of vote -
  Rene PREVAL 51%

Holy See (Vatican City)
  chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19
  April 2005)
  head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE
  (since 15 September 2006)
  cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope
  elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals;
  election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of
  the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope
  election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI

Honduras
  chief of state: President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27
  January 2006); First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez
  (since 27 January 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); Third Vice
  President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  head of government: President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27
  January 2006); First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez
  (since 27 January 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); Third Vice
  President (vacant)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
  election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (PL) elected president -
  49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa (PN) 46.1%, other 4.1%

Hong Kong
  chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15
  March 2003)
  head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of 14 official members and 15
  non-official members
  elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to
  second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee
  dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005;
  Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25
  May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005
  and 24 June 2005; TSANG was elected on 16 June 2005 to fill final
  two years of TUNG's term (next election to be held in March 2007)

Hungary
  chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29
  September 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on
  the recommendation of the president
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6-7
  June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by
  the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president;
  election last held 29 September 2004
  election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple
  majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY
  elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12
  note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of
  legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the
  third round

Iceland
  chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1
  August 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Geir H. HAARDE (since 7 June 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president, largely a ceremonial post, is elected by
  popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last
  held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually the prime minister
  election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON
  12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Iles Eparses
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France
  (since 17 May 1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel
  CHAMPON

India
  chief of state: President A.P.J. Abdul KALAM (since 25 July
  2002); Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
  elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
  the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held
  July 2002 (next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected by
  both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held
  12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen
  by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative
  elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May
  2009)
  election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of
  electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice
  president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%

Indonesia
  chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since
  20 October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
  October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
  October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
  October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year
  terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry;
  last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president
  receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%

Iran
  chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4
  June 1989)
  head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August
  2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
  legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
  appointments to the more sensitive ministries
  note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are
  three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly elected
  body of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged with
  determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his
  performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency
  Council or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policy
  advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent and
  temporary members representing all major government factions, some
  of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exerts
  supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative
  branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the
  Council of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council of
  Guardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics and
  jurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposed
  legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; the
  Council also vets candidates for suitability and supervises national
  elections
  elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of
  Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with a
  two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of
  vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%

Iraq
  chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005);
  Vice Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22
  April 2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the
  Presidency Council)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May
  2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since
  20 May 2006)
  cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
  Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham
  SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
  elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
  Representatives

Ireland
  chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November
  1997)
  head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
  by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 31 October 1997
  (next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to
  a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004
  presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by the
  House of Representatives and appointed by the president
  election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -
  Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
  note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
  Democrats

Isle of Man
  chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K.
  HADDACKS (since 17 October 2005)
  head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
  by the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is elected
  by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held
  December 2006)
  election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the
  Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004

Israel
  chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006);
  Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the
  Knesset
  elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by
  the Knesset for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last
  held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007); following legislative
  elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally
  the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing
  coalition
  election results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member
  Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,
  received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON
  continued as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January
  2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition
  government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the
  National Union; controversy surrounding SHARON's disengagement plan
  ultimately led to the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah
  Judaism (UTJ) coalition government in January 2005

Italy
  chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May
  2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
  president of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 17 May
  2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  approved by the president
  elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
  both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a
  seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006
  (next to be held May 2013); prime minister appointed by the
  president and confirmed by parliament
  election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the fourth
  round of voting; electoral college vote - 543

Jamaica
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February
  2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON-MILLER (since 30
  March 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime
  minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House
  of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor
  general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime
  minister

Japan
  chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
  head of government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 September
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires
  that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following
  legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of
  majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime
  minister; monarch is hereditary
  election results: ABE was elected prime minister with 339 of 476
  votes cast in the House of Representatives and 136 of 240 votes cast
  in the House of Councilors.

Jersey
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  head of government: Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14
  June 2006); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
  cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
  bailiff appointed by the monarch

Jordan
  chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999);
  Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH, is first in
  line to inherit the throne
  head of government: Prime Minister Marouf al-BAKHIT (since 24
  November 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ziad FARIZ (since 24 November
  2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
  with the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
  by the monarch

Kazakhstan
  chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
  (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected
  president 1 December 1991)
  head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June
  2003); Deputy Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 19 January 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 4 December 2005 (next to be
  held in 2012); prime minister and first deputy prime minister
  appointed by the president
  election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
  percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 91.1%, Zharmakhan A.
  TUYAKBAI 6.6%, Alikhan M. BAIMENOV 1.6%
  note: President NAZARBAYEV arranged a referendum in 1995 that
  extended his term of office and expanded his presidential powers:
  only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss
  the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his
  discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities

Kenya
  chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December
  2002); Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002);
  Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); in addition to receiving the largest
  number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must
  also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven
  provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 27
  December 2002 (next to be held December 2007); vice president
  appointed by the president
  election results: President Mwai KIBAKI elected; percent of vote -
  Mwai KIBAKI 63%, Uhuru KENYATTA 30%

Kiribati
  chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003);
  Vice President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief
  of state and head of government
  head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
  President Teima ONORIO
  cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the
  members of the House of Parliament
  elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential
  candidates from among its members and then those candidates compete
  in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a
  four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 4
  July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2007); vice president
  appointed by the president
  election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA
  9.1%

Korea, North
  chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note -
  on 3 September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA)
  reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a
  position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA
  reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also with
  responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic
  credentials; SPA appointed PAK Pong Ju premier
  head of government: Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 3 September 2003);
  Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun
  (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
  cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's
  Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
  elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September
  2008)
  election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees
  for positions and ran unopposed

Korea, South
  chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25
  February 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook (since 20 April
  2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006);
  KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September
  2006)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
  minister's recommendation
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
  term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in
  December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent
  of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
  on prime minister's recommendation
  election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote -
  ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%

Kuwait
  chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since
  29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah
  head of government: Prime Minister NASIR al-Muhammad al-Ahmad
  al-Sabah (since 7 February 2006) First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR
  Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime
  Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February
  2006) and Ismail al-SHATTI (since 10 July 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
  approved by the amir
  elections: none; the amir is hereditary; prime minister and deputy
  prime ministers appointed by the amir

Kyrgyzstan
  chief of state: President Kurmanbek BAKIYEV (since 14
  August 2005); note - former President Askar AKAYEV resigned
  effective 11 April 2005 following widespread protests that forced
  him to flee the country on 24 March 2005
  head of government: Prime Minister Feliks KULOV (since 1 September
  2005); First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar USENOV (since 10 May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister; note - the new constitution of
  November 2006 calls for the legislature to appoint the prime
  minister and members of the Cabinet after the elections of 2010
  elections: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 July 2005
  (next scheduled for 2010); prime minister nominated by the president
  for approval by Parliament; note - the new constitution of November
  2006 calls for the legislature to appoint the prime minister and
  members of the Cabinet after the elections of 2010
  election results: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected president; percent of
  vote - Kurmanbek BAKIYEV 88.6%, Tursunbai BAKIR-UULU 3.9%, other
  candidates 7.5%; Feliks KULOV approved as prime minister 55-8

Laos
  chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8
  June 2006) and Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June
  2006); Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002),
  Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit [since 8 June
  2006], Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February
  1998), and Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March
  2001)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
  by the National Assembly
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next
  to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and
  elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term
  election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG
  Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote -
  100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of
  National Assembly vote - 97%

Latvia
  chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July
  1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  appointed by the Parliament
  elections: president reelected by Parliament for a four-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held
  by June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president;
  parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast

Lebanon
  chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November
  1998)
  head of government: Prime Minister Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June
  2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
  the president and members of the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year
  term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15
  October 1998 (next to be held in 2007 based on three-year
  extension); note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted
  96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the
  prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
  in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the
  president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni
  Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim
  election results: for 15 October 1998 election: Emile LAHUD elected
  president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against,
  10 abstentions

Lesotho
  chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996);
  note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November
  1990 to February 1995, while his father was in exile
  head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May
  1998)
  cabinet: Cabinet
  elections: none - according to the constitution, the leader of the
  majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister;
  the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution,
  which came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is
  a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative
  powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to
  depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession,
  or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not
  of mature age

Liberia
  chief of state: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 16
  January 2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (since 6 January
  2006); note - the President is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the
  Senate
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 November 2005
  (next to be held NA 2011)
  election results: Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF elected president; percent
  of vote, second round - Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF (UP) 59.6%, George
  WEAH (CDC) 40.4%
  note: a UN-brokered cease-fire among warring factions and the
  Liberian Government resulted in the August 2003 resignation of
  former president, Charles TAYLOR; a jointly agreed upon replacement,
  Chairman Gyude BRYANT, assumed office as head of the National
  Transitional Government on 14 October 2003; free elections were held
  11 October 2005, with a runoff election between the two leading
  candidates on 8 November 2005

Libya
  chief of state: Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar
  al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969); note - holds no official title,
  but is de facto chief of state
  head of government: Secretary of the General People's Committee
  (Prime Minister) al-Baghdadi Ali al-MAHMUDI (since 5 March 2006)
  cabinet: General People's Committee established by the General
  People's Congress
  elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of
  people's committees; head of government elected by the General
  People's Congress; election last held 2 March 2000 (next to be held
  NA)
  election results: NA

Liechtenstein
  chief of state: Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November
  1989, assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince
  ALOIS, son of the monarch (born 11 June 1968); note - on 15 August
  2004, HANS ADAM transferred the official duties of the ruling prince
  to ALOIS, but HANS ADAM retains status of chief of state
  head of government: Head of Government Ottmar HASLER (since 5 April
  2001) and Deputy Head of Government Rita KIEBER-BECK (since 5 April
  2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag is
  usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the
  leader of the largest minority party in the Landtag is usually
  appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch

Lithuania
  chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July
  2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  nomination of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004
  (next to be held June 2009); prime minister appointed by the
  president on the approval of the Parliament
  election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote
  - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas
  KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13, with 5 abstentions

Luxembourg
  chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000);
  Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November
  1981)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1
  January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and
  appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following popular
  elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority
  party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed
  prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister is
  appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of
  Deputies
  note: government coalition - CSV and LSAP

Macau
  chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March
  2003)
  head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20
  December 1999)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of one government secretary,
  three legislators, four businessmen, one pro-Beijing unionist, and
  one pro-Beijing educator
  elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee
  for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last
  held 29 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected received 296 votes;
  three members submitted blank ballots; one member was absent

Macedonia
  chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI (since 28 August
  2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all
  the deputies in the Assembly; note - current cabinet formed by the
  government coalition parties VMRO/DPMNE, NSDP, PDSH/DPA, and several
  small parties
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); two-round election last held 14 April
  and 28 April 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); prime minister
  elected by the Assembly following legislative elections
  election results: Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president on
  second-round ballot; percent of vote - Branko CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%,
  Sasko KEDEV 37.3%

Madagascar
  chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May
  2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 December 2001
  (next to be held December 2006); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: percent of vote - Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 50.5%,
  Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 37.7%

Malawi
  chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 May 2004 (next
  to be held May 2009)
  election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of
  vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (UDF) 35.9%, John TEMBO (MCP) 27.1%,
  Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA (MC) 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA (NDA) 8.7%,
  Justin MALEWEZI (independent) 2.5%

Malaysia
  chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin
  (since 13 December 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since
  31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul
  Razak (since 7 January 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
  members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
  elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers
  of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held 3
  November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister designated
  from among the members of the House of Representatives; following
  legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins a plurality
  of seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister
  election results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler

Maldives
  chief of state: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11
  November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11
  November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president nominated by the Majlis and then the nomination
  must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51% approval
  margin is required); president elected for a five-year term;
  election last held 17 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2008)
  election results: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected in
  referendum held 17 October 2003; percent of popular vote - Maumoon
  Abdul GAYOOM 90.3%

Mali
  chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June
  2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi MAIGA (since 30
  April 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 May 2002 (next
  to be held April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE elected president; percent of
  vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 64.4%, Soumaila CISSE 35.6%

Malta
  chief of state: President Edward FENECH ADAMI (since 4 April
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 29
  March 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
  coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president for a
  five-year term; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the
  president on the advice of the prime minister
  election results: Eddie FENECH ADAMI elected president; House of
  Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes

Marshall Islands
  chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5
  January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of
  the legislature
  elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own
  members for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 2003
  (next to be held November 2007)
  election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of
  Parliament vote - 100%

Martinique
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since
  17 May 1995); Prefect Yves DASSONVILLE (since 14 January 2004); note
  - took office 8 February 2004
  head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE
  (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred
  MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and
  Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils for
  six-year terms

Mauritania
  chief of state: Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, whose
  Military Council for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime
  President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup on 3 August 2005
  head of government: Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since
  8 August 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second consecutive term); note - passage of a
  constitutional reform referendum in July 2006 limits president to
  two five-year terms; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be
  held 11 March 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected
  for a third term with 60.8% of the vote

Mauritius
  chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7
  October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25
  February 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5
  July 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election
  last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister
  and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to
  the National Assembly
  election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN
  elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly -
  NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003

Mayotte
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17
  May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January
  2005)
  head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI
  (since 8 April 2004)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council
  elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term;
  next election to be held in 2010

Mexico
  chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa
  (since 1 December 2006); note - the president is both the chief of
  state and head of government
  head of government: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa
  (since 1 December 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of
  attorney general requires consent of the Senate
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year
  term; election last held 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012)
  election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote
  - Felipe CALDERON (PAN) 35.89%, Andres Manuel Lopez OBRADOR (PRD)
  35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO (PRI) 22.26%, other 6.54%

Micronesia, Federated States of
  chief of state: President Joseph J.
  URUSEMAL (since 11 May 2003); Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May
  2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May
  2003); Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the
  eight executive departments
  elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from
  among the four senators at large for a four-year term (eligible for
  a second term); election last held 11 May 2003 (next to be held May
  2007); note - a proposed constitutional amendment to establish
  popular elections for president and vice president failed
  election results: Joseph J. URUSEMAL elected president; percent of
  Congress vote - NA%; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent
  of Congress vote - NA%

Moldova
  chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April
  2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April
  2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida GRECIANII (since 10
  October 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of
  Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next
  to be held in 2009); note - prime minister designated by the
  president, upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from
  designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of
  confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and
  entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet
  received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001
  election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president;
  parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vasile
  TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence
  - 75 of 101

Monaco
  chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)
  head of government: Minister of State Jean-Paul PROUST (since 1 June
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state
  appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national
  candidates presented by the French Government

Mongolia
  chief of state: President Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (since 24 June
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Miegombyn ENKHBOLD (since 25
  January 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Mendsaikhan ENKHSAIKHAN (since
  28 January 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in consultation
  with the president and confirmed by the State Great Hural
  (parliament)
  elections: presidential candidates nominated by political parties
  represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a
  four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22
  May 2005 (next to be held in May 2009); following legislative
  elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually
  elected prime minister by State Great Hural
  election results: Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR elected president; percent of
  vote - Nambaryn ENKHBAYAR (MPRP) 53.44%, Mendsaikhanin ENKHSAIKHAN
  (DP) 20.05%, Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN (MRP) 13.92%, Badarchyn
  ERDENEBAT (M-MNSDP) 12.59%; Miegombyn ENKHBOLD elected prime
  minister by the State Great Hural 56 to 10

Montenegro
  chief of state: President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 11 May
  2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Zeljko STURANOVIC (since 10
  November 2006)
  cabinet: Ministries act as cabinet
  elections: president elected by direct vote for five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 May 2003 (next
  to be held in 2008); prime minister proposed by president, accepted
  by Assembly
  election results: Filip VUJANOVIC elected on the third round; Filip
  VUJANOVIC 63.3%, Miodrag ZIVKOVIC 30.8%

Montserrat
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May
  2004)
  head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief
  minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the
  finance secretary
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
  monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
  party usually becomes chief minister

Morocco
  chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
  head of government: Prime Minister Driss JETTOU (since 9 October
  2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
  by the monarch following legislative elections

Mozambique
  chief of state: President Armando GUEBUZA (since 2
  February 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Luisa DIOGO (since 17 February
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 1-2 December 2004
  (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: Armando GUEBUZA elected president; percent of vote
  - Armando GUEBUZA 63.7%, Afonso DHLAKAMA 31.7%

Namibia
  chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21
  March 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of
  vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Den ULENGA 7.3%, Katuutire KAURA
  5.1%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 4.2%, Justus GAROEB 3.8%, other 3.2%

Nauru
  chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
  election last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007)
  election results: Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary
  elections for president

Nepal
  chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (since 4 June
  2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30
  April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Khadga Prasad OLI (since 2 May
  2006) and Amik SHERCHAN since June 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch on the
  recommendation of the prime minister; note - the prime minister
  selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in consultation with the political
  parties
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - following
  legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
  a majority coalition historically has been appointed prime minister
  by the monarch

Netherlands
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980);
  Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the
  monarch
  head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
  July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May
  2003) and Laurens Jan BRINKHORST (since 31 March 2005); note - Prime
  Minister BALKENENDE tendered his resignation on 30 June 2006
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second
  Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
  monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch
  note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
  apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet
  on legislative and administrative policy

Netherlands Antilles
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the
  Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General
  Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26
  March 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
  the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections,
  the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister
  by the Staten; election last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held
  by 2007)
  note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire,
  WIPM Saba, DP Statia

New Caledonia
  chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC
  (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU
  (since 15 July 2005)
  head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle
  THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)
  cabinet: Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen
  from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
  advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
  government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress for a
  five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 29 June
  2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with
  8 votes for and 3 abstentions

New Zealand
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23
  August 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December
  1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002)
  cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general

Nicaragua
  chief of state: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10
  January 2002); Vice President Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo (since 10 October
  2005); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government; Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo was elected Vice President by the
  deputies of the National Assembly after Vice President Jose RIZO
  Castellon resigned on 27 September 2005
  head of government: President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (since 10
  January 2002); Vice President Alfredo GOMEZ Urcuyo (since 10 October
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November 2011)
  election results: Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) elected president -
  38.07%, Eduardo MONTEALEGRE (ALN) 29%, Jose RIZO (PLC) 26.21%,
  Edmundo JARQUIN (MRS) 6.44%; note - ORTEGA will take office 10
  January 2007

Niger
  chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December
  1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December
  1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
  government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was
  appointed by the president and shares some executive
  responsibilities with the president
  cabinet: 26-member Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); second round last held 4 December 2004
  (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: Mamadou TANDJA reelected president; percent of
  vote - Mamadou TANDJA 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%

Nigeria
  chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May
  1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Federal Executive Council
  elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 April 2003 (next
  to be held April 2007)
  election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of
  vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%,
  Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%

Niue
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND
  (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand are represented by
  New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)
  head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002)
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the
  Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 12
  May 2005 (next to be held May 2008)
  election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of
  Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN
  (independent) 15%

Norfolk Island
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant
  TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
  head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey
  Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001)
  cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of
  the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and
  acts as an advisor to the administrator
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the
  governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the
  Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years;
  election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)
  election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister;
  percent of Legislative Assembly vote - 17.2%

Northern Mariana Islands
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of
  the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY
  (since 20 January 2001)
  head of government: Governor Benigno R. FITIAL (since 9 January
  2006); Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. VILLAGOMEZ (since 9 January
  2006)
  cabinet: the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal
  departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the
  governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; other members
  include Special Assistants to the governor and office heads
  appointed by and reporting directly to the governor
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
  Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice
  president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same
  ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second
  term); election last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November
  2009)
  election results: Benigno R. FITIAL elected governor in a four-way
  race; percent of vote - Benigno R. FITIAL (Covenant Party) 28.07%,
  Heinz HOFSCHNEIDER (Independent) 27.34%, Juan BABAUTA (Republican)
  26.6%, Froilan TENORIO (Democrat) 17.99%

Norway
  chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir
  Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20
  July 1973)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17
  October 2005)
  cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of
  parliament
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following parliamentary
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
  monarch with the approval of the parliament

Oman
  chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said
  al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July
  1972); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said
  al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July
  1972); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Pakistan
  note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999,
  Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  Committee, General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's
  constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on
  12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the
  October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative
  authority for three years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001,
  MUSHARRAF named himself as president and was sworn in, replacing
  Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a referendum held on 30 April 2002,
  MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years; on 1 January
  2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote of confidence in the Senate, National
  Assembly, and four provincial assemblies
  chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June
  2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August
  2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: the president is elected by Parliament for a five-year
  term; note - in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's
  presidency was extended by five more years (next to be held in
  2007); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly (next
  to be held in 2007)
  election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August
  2004 with 191 of the votes

Palau
  chief of state: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since
  19 January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19
  January 2001) and Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. reelected president;
  percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. 64%, Polycarp BASILIUS
  33%; Elias Camsek CHIN elected vice president; percent of vote -
  Elias Camsek CHIN 70%, Sandra PIERANTOZZI 29%

Panama
  chief of state: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1
  September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1
  September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since
  1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  head of government: President Martin TORRIJOS Espino (since 1
  September 2004); First Vice President Samuel LEWIS Navarro (since 1
  September 2004); Second Vice President Ruben AROSEMENA Valdes (since
  1 September 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for two more terms);
  election last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009); note -
  beginning in 2009, Panama will have only one vice president.
  election results: Martin TORRIJOS Espino elected president; percent
  of vote - Martin TORRIJOS Espino 47.5%, Guillermo ENDARA Galimany
  30.6%, Jose Miguel ALEMAN 17%, Ricardo MARTINELLI 4.9%
  note: government coalition - PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party),
  PP (Popular Party)

Papua New Guinea
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by governor general Sir Paulius MATANE
  (since 29 June 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since 2
  August 2002); deputy prime minister Don Polye (since 5 July 2006)
  cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor
  general on the recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the National Executive Council; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the
  governor general

Paraguay
  chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15
  August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August
  2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August
  2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 27
  April 2003 (next to be held April 2008)
  election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent
  of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO
  Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo
  SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%

Peru
  chief of state: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July
  2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice
  President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July
  2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice
  President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)
  note: Prime Minister Jorge DEL CASTILLO Galvez (since 28 August
  2006) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands
  of the president
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); presidential and congressional
  elections held 9 April 2006, with runoff election held 4 June 2006;
  next to be held April 2011
  election results: Alan GARCIA elected president in runoff election;
  percent of vote - Alan GARCIA 52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%

Philippines
  chief of state: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since
  20 January 2001); note - president is both chief of state and head
  of government
  head of government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20
  January 2001); note - president is both chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of
  Commission of Appointments
  elections: president and vice president (Manuel "Noli" DE CASTRO)
  elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year
  term; election last held 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2010)
  election results: results of the election - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
  elected president; percent of vote - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 40%,
  Fernando POE 37%, three others 23%

Pitcairn Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand
  and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands George FERGUSSON
  (since April 2006); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since
  September 2003) serves as liaison between the governor and the
  Island Council
  head of government: Governor George FERGUSSON (since April 2006);
  Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since 15
  December 2004)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner
  appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a
  three-year term; election last held December 2004 (next to be held
  December 2007)
  election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the
  Island Council

Poland
  chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December
  2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI (since 10 July
  2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Ludwik DORN (since 23 November 2005),
  Roman GIERTYCH (since 5 May 2006), Zyta GILOWSKA (since 22 September
  2006), Andrzej LEPPER (since 16 October 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and
  the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and
  the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October
  2005 (next to be held October 2010); prime minister and deputy prime
  ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
  election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of
  popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%

Portugal
  chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO Silva (since 9
  March 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES (since 12 March
  2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative
  body to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006
  (next to be held January 2011); following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
  usually appointed prime minister by the president
  election results: Anibal CAVACO Silva elected president; percent of
  vote - Anibal CAVACO Silva 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario SOARES
  14.3%, Jeronimo de SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%

Puerto Rico
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
  (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20
  January 2001)
  head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January
  2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the
  legislature
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US
  president and vice president; governor elected by popular vote for a
  four-year term (no term limits); election last held 2 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor;
  percent of vote - 48.4%

Qatar
  chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June
  1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin
  Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince TAMIM bin Hamad
  bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir
  Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also
  holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-chief of
  the Armed Forces
  head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa al-Thani,
  brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime
  Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, brother of the monarch
  (since 20 January 1998); First Deputy Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim
  bin Jabir al-Thani (since 16 September 2003, also Foreign Minister
  since 1992); Second Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad
  al-ATIYAH (since 16 September 2003, also Electricity and Water
  Minister since 1999 and Energy and Industry Minister since 1992)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
  note: in April 2003, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member
  Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed
  at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election
  for the CMC was held in March 1999

Reunion
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17
  May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre-Henry MACCIONI (since 28
  August 2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Nassimah DINDAR
  (since NA March 2004) and President of the Regional Council Paul
  VERGES (since NA March 1993)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
  French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the General and
  Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils

Romania
  chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29
  December 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004,
  with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004
  (next to be held November-December 2009); prime minister appointed
  by the president with the consent of the Parliament
  election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian
  NASTASE 48.77%

Russia
  chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN
  (acting president 31 December 1999-6 May 2000, president since 7 May
  2000)
  head of government: Premier Mikhail Yefimovich FRADKOV (since 5
  March 2004); First Deputy Premier Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV
  (since 14 November 2005), Deputy Premiers Aleksandr Dmitriyevich
  ZHUKOV (since 9 March 2004) and Sergey Borisovich IVANOV (since 14
  November 2005)
  cabinet: Ministries of the Government or "Government" composed of
  the premier and his deputies, ministers, and selected other
  individuals; all are appointed by the president
  note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides
  staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential
  decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a
  Security Council also reports directly to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 March 2004 (next
  to be held March 2008); note - no vice president; if the president
  dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is
  impeached, or resigns, the premier serves as acting president until
  a new presidential election is held, which must be within three
  months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the
  Duma
  election results: Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN reelected president;
  percent of vote - Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN 71.2%, Nikolay
  KHARITONOV 13.7%, other (no candidate above 5%) 15.1%

Rwanda
  chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March
  2000)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); elections last held 25 August 2003
  (next to be held NA 2008)
  election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct
  popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%,
  Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%

Saint Helena
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952)
  head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY
  (since 15 October 2004)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, three
  ex-officio officers, and five elected members of the Legislative
  Council
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by
  the monarch

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville
  SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)
  head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July
  1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation
  with the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
  usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general

Saint Lucia
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since
  September 1997)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sir John COMPTON (since 15
  December 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition
  is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC
  of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Yves FAUQUEUR
  (since 28 August 2006)
  head of government: President of the General Council Marc
  PLANTAGENEST (since NA)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; election last held, 21 April 2002 (first round) and 5 May 2002
  (second round) (next to be held in 2007); prefect appointed by the
  French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
  president of the General Council is elected by the members of the
  council

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
  (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir
  Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29
  March 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
  appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
  leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by
  the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the
  governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Samoa
  chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state
  from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
  head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA
  (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from
  1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when
  former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
  TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after
  TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of
  state on the prime minister's advice
  elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new
  chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve
  a five-year term (no term limits); following legislative elections,
  the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister
  by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

San Marino
  chief of state: Cochiefs of State Captain Regent Antonio
  CARATTONI and Captain Regent Roberto GIORGETTI (for the period 1
  October 2006-31 March 2007)
  head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political
  Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 27 July 2006)
  cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council
  for a five-year term
  elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great
  and General Council for a six-month term; election last held in
  September 2006 (next to be held March 2007); secretary of state for
  foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General
  Council for a five-year term; election last held 13 December 2003
  (next to be held NA)
  election results: Antonio CARATTONI and Roberto GIORGETTI elected
  captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Fabio BERARDI
  elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs;
  percent of legislative vote - NA
  note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council)
  selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs
  of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the
  Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which
  has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council;
  assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the
  secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some of the
  prerogatives of a prime minister

Sao Tome and Principe
  chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES
  (since 3 September 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since
  21 April 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  proposal of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next
  to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National
  Assembly and approved by the president
  election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of
  vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5%

Saudi Arabia
  chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin
  Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown
  Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch,
  born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state
  and head of government
  head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz
  Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin
  Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January
  1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and
  includes many royal family members
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Senegal
  chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
  consultation with the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last
  held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19
  March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2007); prime minister
  appointed by the president
  election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote
  in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou
  DIOUF (PS) 41.51%

Serbia
  chief of state: President Boris TADIC (since 11 July 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Vojislav KOSTUNICA (since 3 March
  2004)
  cabinet: Federal Ministries act as cabinet
  elections: president elected by direct vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 27 June 2004 (next
  to be held June 2009); prime minister elected by the Assembly
  election results: Boris TADIC elected president in the second round
  of voting; Boris TADIC received 53% of the vote

Seychelles
  chief of state: President James MICHEL (since 14 April
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President James MICHEL (since 14 April 2004);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for two more terms); election last held 28-30 July 2006
  (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: President James MICHEL elected president; percent
  of vote - James MICHEL (SPPF) 53.73%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (SNP) 45.71%,
  Philippe BOULLE 0.56%; note - this was the first election in which
  President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as
  president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in
  April 2004

Sierra Leone
  chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29
  March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both
  the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March
  1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the
  chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the
  approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible
  to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next
  to be held 28 July 2007)
  election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of
  vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%

Singapore
  chief of state: President S. R. NATHAN (since 1 September
  1999)
  note: uses S. R. NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal
  communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN
  head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005);
  Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister
  Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004)
  cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament
  elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; last
  appointed 17 August 2005 - see note (next election to be held by
  August 2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority
  party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime
  minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
  election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN appointed president
  in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified
  three other would-be candidates; scheduled election not held

Slovakia
  chief of state: President Ivan GASPAROVIC (since 15 June
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 4 July 2006);
  Deputy Prime Ministers Dusan CAPLOVIC, Robert KALINAK, Stefan
  HARABIN, Jan MIKOLAJ (since 4 July 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
  the prime minister
  elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year
  term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 April and 17
  April 2004 (next to be held April 2009); following National Council
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a
  majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
  president
  election results: Ivan GASPAROVIC elected president in runoff;
  percent of vote - Ivan GASPAROVIC 59.9%, Vladimir MECIAR 40.1%

Slovenia
  chief of state: President Janez DRNOVSEK (since 22 December
  2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Janez JANSA (since 9 November
  2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
  elected by the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 November and 1
  December 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2007); following
  National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority party or the
  leader of a majority coalition is usually nominated to become prime
  minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly;
  election last held 9 November 2004 (next National Assembly elections
  to be held October 2008)
  election results: Janez DRNOVSEK elected president; percent of vote
  - Janez DRNOVSEK 56.5%, Barbara BREZIGAR 43.5%; Janez JANSA elected
  prime minister; National Assembly vote - 57 to 27

Solomon Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July
  2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 4 May
  2006); note - Prime Minister Snyder RINI, elected on 18 April 2006
  and sworn in on 20 April 2006, resigned on 26 April prior to no
  confidence vote in parliament; SOGAVARE elected on 4 May
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
  general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
  of Parliament
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
  appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five
  years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections,
  the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority
  coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy
  prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of
  the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

Somalia
  chief of state: Transitional Federal President Abdullahi
  YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a transitional governing
  entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional Federal
  Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the TFI
  relocated to Somalia in June 2004, but its members remain divided
  between Mogadishu and Jowhar inside Somalia, and the government
  continues to struggle to establish effective governance in the
  country
  head of government: Prime Minister Ali Mohamed GEDI (since 24
  December 2004)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the
  Transitional Federal Assembly
  election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the former leader of the
  semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by
  the Transitional Federal Assembly

South Africa
  chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June
  1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23
  June 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
  of government
  head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
  Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24
  April 2004 (next to be held April 2009)
  election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National
  Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)

Spain
  chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975);
  Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
  head of government: President of the Government and Prime Minister
  Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice
  President and Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of the Presidency)
  Maria Teresa FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004) and Second
  Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro SOLBES
  (since 18 April 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
  note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
  consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are
  non-binding
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and
  elected by the National Assembly; election last held 14 March 2004
  (next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed by the
  monarch on the proposal of the president
  election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE) elected
  president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52.29%

Sri Lanka
  chief of state: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19
  November 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November
  2005) holds the ceremonial title of prime minister
  head of government: President Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 19 November
  2005)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 17 November 2005
  (next to be held 2011)
  election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSE elected president; percent of
  vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSE 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other
  1.3%

Sudan
  chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since
  16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
  2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
  October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August
  2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the
  National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front
  or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
  elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held
  no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
  Agreement
  election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president;
  percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar
  Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined
  vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
  opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of
  guarantees for a free and fair election
  note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary
  Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served
  concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister,
  and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed
  president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for
  the first time in March 1996

Suriname
  chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since
  12 August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12
  August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note
  - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected by the National
  Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate
  receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National
  Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United
  People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and
  regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election
  last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN reelected president;
  percent of vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 62.9%, Rabin PARMESSAR
  35.4%, other 1.7%; note - after two votes in the parliament failed
  to secure a two-thirds majority for a candidate, the vote then went
  to a special session of the United People's Assembly on 3 August 2005

Svalbard
  chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January
  1991)
  head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001)
  and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA)
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
  governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
  Justice

Swaziland
  chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
  head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14
  November 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
  the monarch
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
  by the monarch

Sweden
  chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September
  1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree,
  daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
  head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5
  October 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
  elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election
  last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
  election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175
  out of 349 votes

Switzerland
  chief of state: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 8
  January 2006); Vice President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 8 January
  2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 8 January
  2006); Vice President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 8 January 2006)
  cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal
  (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal
  Assembly usually from among its own members for a four-year term
  elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
  Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for a
  one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last
  held 7 December 2005 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Moritz LUENBERGER elected president; percent of
  Federal Assembly vote - NA; Micheline CALMY-REY elected vice
  president; percent of legislative vote - NA

Syria
  chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000);
  Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10
  September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah al-DARDARI (since 14
  June 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president approved by popular referendum for a seven-year
  term (no term limits); referendum last held 10 July 2000 - after the
  death of President Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next
  to be held 2007); vice president appointed by the president; prime
  minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of
  vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%
  note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June, the Ba'th
  Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name
  to the People's Council on 25 June; he was approved by a popular
  referendum on 10 July

Taiwan
  chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000)
  and Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)
  head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) SU
  Tseng-chang (since 25 January 2006) and Vice Premier (Vice President
  of the Executive Yuan) TSAI Ing-wen (since 25 January 2006)
  cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 20 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008);
  premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the
  president on the recommendation of the premier
  election results: CHEN Shui-bian re-elected president; percent of
  vote - CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 50.1%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 49.9%

Tajikistan
  chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6
  November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19
  November 1992)
  head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January
  1999)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
  by the Supreme Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2006
  (next to be held November 2013); prime minister appointed by the
  president
  election results: Emomali RAHMONOV reelected president; percent of
  vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 76.4%, Olimzon BOBOYEV 7.2%, other 16.4%

Tanzania
  chief of state: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December
  2005); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);
  note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December
  2005); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);
  note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
  note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
  matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was reelected to
  that office on 30 October 2005
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of the National Assembly
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
  by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for a second term);
  election last held 14 December 2005(next to be held in December
  2010); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote
  - Jakaya KIKWETE 80.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 11.7%, Freeman MBOWE 5.9%

Thailand
  chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
  head of government: Interim Prime Minister SURAYUT Chulanon (since 1
  October 2006); Interim Deputy Prime Ministers KHOSIT Panpiamrat
  (since 9 October 2006); PRIDIYATHON Thewakun (since 9 October 2006)
  note: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat was overthrown on 19
  September 2006 in a coup led by General SONTHI Boonyaratglin
  cabinet: Council of Ministers
  note: there is also a Privy Council
  elections: none; monarch is hereditary; according to 1997
  constitution, prime minister was designated from among members of
  House of Representatives; following national elections for House of
  Representatives, leader of party that could organize a majority
  coalition usually was appointed prime minister by king

Togo
  chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February
  2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was
  succeeded by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April
  2005 validated the succession
  head of government: Prime Minister Yawovi AGBOYIBO (since 16
  September 2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the
  prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held
  NA); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected president; percent of
  vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas
  LAWSON 1%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5%

Tokelau
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND
  (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator
  David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
  head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates
  annually among the three Faipule (village leaders)
  cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau,
  consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku
  (village mayors), functions as a cabinet
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
  by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the
  head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves
  a one-year term

Tonga
  chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11
  February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16
  May 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet currently consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by
  the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of
  the Legislative Assembly, including 2 each from the nobles and
  peoples representatives serving three year terms
  note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch,
  the cabinet, and two governors
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
  deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch

Trinidad and Tobago
  chief of state: President George Maxwell
  RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003)
  head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
  December 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
  elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
  of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
  five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14
  February 2003 (next to be held in 2008); the president usually
  appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the
  House of Representatives
  election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent
  of electoral college vote - 43%

Tunisia
  chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7
  November 1987)
  head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17
  November 1999)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be
  held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
  fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%,
  Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Turkey
  chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May
  2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
  2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  nomination of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a single
  seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held May
  2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among members
  of parliament
  election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
  ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
  note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
  Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
  ballot

Turkmenistan
  chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet
  of Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the
  first direct presidential election occurred); note - the president
  is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of
  Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first
  direct presidential election occurred)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
  note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28
  December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (Halk
  Maslahaty); in November 2005, the People's Council voted down
  NIYAZOV's suggestion to hold presidential elections in 2009
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was
  unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council
  on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are
  appointed by the president
  election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
  opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%

Turks and Caicos Islands
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
  February 1952), represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11
  July 2005)
  head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August
  2003); note - the office of premier was created in the new
  constitution
  cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six
  ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the
  Legislative Council, and the attorney general
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
  the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party is appointed premier by the governor

Tuvalu
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
  represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
  recommendation of the prime minister
  elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
  the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime
  minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members
  of Parliament; election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be held
  following parliamentary elections in 2010)
  election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected Prime Minister in a
  Parliamentary election on 14 August 2006

Uganda
  chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI
  (since seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both
  chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
  seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI
  (since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of state
  and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in
  the supervision of the cabinet
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected
  legislators
  elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  election last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president;
  percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, Kizza
  BESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%

Ukraine
  chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23
  January 2005)
  head of government: Prime Minister Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 4 August
  2006); First Deputy Prime Minister - Mykola AZAROV (since 5 August
  2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the
  only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are
  chosen by the president
  note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC
  originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the
  NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on
  domestic and international matters and advising the president; a
  Presidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts and
  provides policy support to the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); note - a special repeat runoff
  presidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and Viktor
  YANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21
  November 2004 contest - won by Mr. YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated by
  the Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significant
  violations; under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1
  January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in naming
  the prime minister
  election results: Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent of
  vote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 51.99%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%

United Arab Emirates
  chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid
  al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)
  (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD
  bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
  head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin
  Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
  SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN bin
  Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the
  seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional
  authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions
  federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)
  and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
  elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for
  five-year terms (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2004
  upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President
  ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime minister
  and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by
  a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum
  unanimously reaffirmed vice president

United Kingdom
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
  1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14
  November 1948)
  head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May
  1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
  elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
  majority coalition is usually the prime minister

United States
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20
  January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
  2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January
  2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
  state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible
  for a second term); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be
  held 4 November 2008)
  election results: George W. BUSH reelected president; percent of
  popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 50.9%, John KERRY
  (Democratic Party) 48.1%, other 1.0%

Uruguay
  chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1
  March 2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March
  2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March
  2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005);
  note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
  parliamentary approval
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
  by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive
  terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October
  2009)
  election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote
  - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING
  10.3%; other 4.1%

Uzbekistan
  chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March
  1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
  head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYAYEV (since 11
  December 2003)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with
  approval of the Supreme Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
  (eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term,
  extended by constitutional amendment in 2002); election last held 9
  January 2000 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister, ministers,
  and deputy ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote
  - Islom KARIMOV 91.9%, Abdulkhafiz JALALOV 4.2%

Vanuatu
  chief of state: President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16
  August 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 11 December
  2004); Deputy Prime Minister Sato KILMAN (since 11 December 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
  responsible to Parliament
  elections: president elected for a five-year term by an electoral
  college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional
  councils; election for president last held 16 August 2004 (next to
  be held in 2009); following legislative elections, the leader of the
  majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime
  minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime
  minister last held 29 July 2004 (next to be held following general
  elections in 2008)
  election results: Kalkot Matas KELEKELE elected president, with 49
  votes out of 56, after several ballots on 16 August 2004

Venezuela
  chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3
  February 1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28
  April 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and
  head of government
  head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
  1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL Vale (since 28 April 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006
  (next to be held December 2012)
  note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new
  constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an
  election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of
  this new constitution
  election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of
  vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 63%, Manuel ROSALES 37%

Vietnam
  chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June
  2006); Vice President Truong My HOA (since 25 July 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June
  2006); Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006),
  Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and
  Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime
  minister and confirmed by National Assembly
  elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its
  members for five-year term; election last held 27 June 2006; prime
  minister appointed by the president from among the members of the
  National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime
  minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers
  confirmed by National Assembly
  election results: Nguyen Minh TRIET elected president; percent of
  National Assembly vote - 94%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime
  minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 92%

Virgin Islands
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
  (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20
  January 2001)
  head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
  January 1999)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
  territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections
  for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant
  governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year
  terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21
  November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
  election results: John DeJONGH elected governor and takes office in
  January 2007; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP
  42.7%

Wallis and Futuna
  chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France
  (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Administrator Richard
  DIDIER (since 19 July 2006)
  head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione
  KANIMOA (since January 2001)
  cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three
  members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the
  Territorial Assembly
  note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers
  elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
  term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the
  advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the
  Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by
  the members of the assembly

Yemen
  chief of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May
  1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the
  merger of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd
  al-Rab Mansur al-HADI (since 3 October 1994)
  head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Qadir BA JAMAL; Deputy
  Prime Ministers Rashid Muhammad al-ALIMI, Alawi Salah al-SALAMI,
  Ahmad Muhammad Abdallah al-SUFAN
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
  advice of the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
  election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held September
  2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and
  deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
  election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of
  vote - Ali Abdallah SALIH 77.2%, Faisal bin SHAMLAN 21.8%

Zambia
  chief of state: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January
  2002); Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006); note -
  the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
  Vice President Rupiah BANDA (since 9 October 2006); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
  of the National Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
  (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 September 2006
  (next to be held 2011); vice president appointed by the president
  election results: Levy MWANAWASA reelected president; percent of
  vote - Levy MWANAWASA 43.0%, Michael SATA 29.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA
  25.3%, Godfrey MIYANDA 1.6%, Winright NGONDO 0.8%

Zimbabwe
  chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE
  (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since
  December 1999) and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December
  2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
  government
  head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since
  31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999)
  and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004); note - the
  president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the
  House of Assembly
  elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper
  signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each
  province) and elected by popular vote for a six-year term (no term
  limits); election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next to be held March
  2008); co-vice presidents appointed by the president
  election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent
  of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 56.2%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 41.9%

Afghanistan
$471 million; note - not including illicit exports or
reexports (2005 est.)

Burma
  $3.111 billion f.o.b.
  note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the
  value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled
  to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2004)

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: $1.237 billion f.o.b.; north Cyprus: $69
million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

European Union
$1.318 trillion; note - external exports, excluding
intra-EU trade (2004)

Monaco
  $656.5 million $NA
  note: full customs integration with France, which collects and
  rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market
  system through customs union with France

Nepal
$822 million f.o.b.; note - does not include unrecorded border
trade with India (2005 est.)

Afghanistan
  $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia;
  Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development
  Banks (2004)

Antigua and Barbuda $427.3 million; note - data are for public external debt, not total external debt (2000)

Cuba
$12.56 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion
owed to Russia (2005 est.)

Syria
$8.566 billion; note - excludes military debt and debt to
Russia (2005 est.)

World
  $36.89 trillion
  note: this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt,
  both public and private (2004 est.)

Indonesia
calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March,
but starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year

Taiwan
1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December
2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Afghanistan
  three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and
  green, with a gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem
  features a temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left
  and right and by a bold Islamic inscription above

Algeria
  two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a
  red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the
  two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are
  traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

American Samoa
  blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is
  based on the outer side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and
  white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying
  two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club

Andorra
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and
  red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the
  coat of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of
  Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the
  center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem

Angola
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a
  centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half
  a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)

Anguilla
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half
  of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an
  interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy
  water below

Antigua and Barbuda
  red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based
  on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal
  bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising
  sun in the black band

Argentina
  three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white,
  and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun
  with a human face known as the Sun of May

Aruba
  blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the
  lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the
  upper hoist-side corner

Australia
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side
  quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing
  the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star
  depicts one point for each of the six original states and one
  representing all of Australia's internal and external territories;
  on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross
  constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four
  larger, seven-pointed stars

Azerbaijan
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and
  green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in
  red band

Bahamas, The
  three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold,
  and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist
  side

Bahrain
  red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states,
  with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side;
  the five points represent the five pillars of Islam

Bangladesh
  green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the
  hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the
  sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the
  lush vegetation of Bangladesh

Barbados
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and
  blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the
  trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the
  colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Belarus
  red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half
  the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side
  bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red

Belgium
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow,
and red; the design was based on the flag of France

Belize
  blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom
  edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the
  coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a
  mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in
  the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green
  garland

Benin
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom)
with a vertical green band on the hoist side

Bermuda
  red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with
  a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship
  Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the
  flag

Bhutan
  divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the
  upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered
  along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing
  away from the hoist side

Bolivia
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green
  with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the
  flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in
  the yellow band

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly
  side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top
  of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven
  full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom
  along the hypotenuse of the triangle

Brazil
  green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a
  blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each
  state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the
  night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with
  the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

British Indian Ocean Territory white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag

British Virgin Islands
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper
  hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in
  the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked
  on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll
  bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)

Brunei
  yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double
  width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national
  emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a
  swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned
  crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands

Bulgaria
  three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and
  red; note - the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the
  white stripe, has been removed

Burkina Faso
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with
  a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
  pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Burma
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
  bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel
  containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven
  administrative divisions and seven states

Burundi
  divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and
  bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk
  superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars
  outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above,
  two stars below)

Cambodia
  three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width),
  and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat
  outlined in black in the center of the red band; only national flag
  to incorporate an actual building in its design

Cameroon
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and
  yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band;
  uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Canada
  two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width),
  with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is
  centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red
  and white

Cape Verde
  three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width),
  white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light
  blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the
  hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower
  blue bands

Cayman Islands
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms centered on the outer half
  of the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above
  a shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a
  scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE
  SEAS

Central African Republic
  four equal horizontal bands of blue (top),
  white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there
  is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band

Chad
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and
  red; similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of
  Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms
  centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France

Chile
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a
  blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end
  of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the
  center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes
  the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the
  blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the
  US flag

China
  red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller
  yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the
  middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner

Christmas Island
  territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper
  hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image
  of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is
  blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia,
  superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the
  island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes

Colombia
  three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue,
  and red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears
  the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center

Comoros
  four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and
  blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered
  within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing
  the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a
  line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and
  the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago -
  Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of
  France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color
  green are traditional symbols of Islam

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  sky blue field divided diagonally
  from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe
  bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star
  appears in the upper hoist corner

Congo, Republic of the
  divided diagonally from the lower hoist side
  by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the
  lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of
  Ethiopia

Cook Islands
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for
  every island) centered in the outer half of the flag

Costa Rica
  five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double
  width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical
  disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a
  light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just
  below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the
  words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA

Cote d'Ivoire
  three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side),
  white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer
  and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange;
  also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side),
  white, and red; design was based on the flag of France

Croatia
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue
superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)

Cuba
  five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom)
  alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the
  hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center

Cyprus
  white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the
  name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two
  green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches
  symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek
  and Turkish communities
  note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag has a
  horizontal red stripe at the top and bottom between which is a red
  crescent and red star on a white field

Czech Republic
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red
  with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (identical to
  the flag of the former Czechoslovakia)

Denmark
  red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the
  flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side,
  and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was
  subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland,
  Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

Djibouti
  two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light
  green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
  bearing a red five-pointed star in the center

Dominica
  green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the
  vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the
  horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in
  the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot
  encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10
  stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)

Dominican Republic
  a centered white cross that extends to the edges
  divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist
  side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a
  small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by an olive branch
  (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross;
  above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA,
  LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA
  DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon

East Timor
  red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist
  side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that
  extends to the center of the flag; there is a white star in the
  center of the black triangle

Ecuador
  three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue,
  and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the
  flag; similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not
  bear a coat of arms

Egypt
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
  the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side
  with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the
  name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is
  based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria,
  which has two green stars, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus
  an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white
  band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band

El Salvador
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and
  blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the
  coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words
  REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag
  of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the
  white band - it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA
  DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar
  to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X
  pattern centered in the white band

Equatorial Guinea
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top),
  white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist
  side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
  arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and
  five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton
  tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ,
  JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)

Eritrea
  red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing
  the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the
  lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is
  centered on the hoist side of the red triangle

Estonia
pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three
equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

Ethiopia
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and
  red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from
  the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the
  three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa,
  and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other
  African countries upon independence that they became known as the
  pan-African colors

European Union
  on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged
  in a circle, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the
  number of stars is fixed

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

Faroe Islands
  white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to
  the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted
  toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Fiji
  light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the
  flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered
  by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm
  tree, bananas, and a white dove

Finland
  white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag;
  the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
  style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

France
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and
  red; known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the
  origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the
  design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags,
  including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire,
  Luxembourg, and Netherlands; the official flag for all French
  dependent areas

French Polynesia
  two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white
  band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave
  pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the
  upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave
  pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions

Gambia, The
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with
white edges, and green

Georgia
  white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross
  connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners
  is a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears
  to date back to the 14th century

Ghana
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green
  with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band;
  uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag
  of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band

Gibraltar
  two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red
  with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band;
  hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band

Greece
  nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white;
  there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a
  white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established
  religion of the country

Greenland
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a
  large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of
  the disk is red, the bottom half is white

Grenada
  a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top
  and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a
  red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed
  stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in
  the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the
  center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the
  hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer
  of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven
  administrative divisions

Guadeloupe
  unofficial, local flag based upon the arms of the city of
  Pointe-a-Pitre; the field is divided horizontally with a narrow,
  blue stripe along the top edge charged with three gold
  fleurs-de-lis; the wider, lower portion of the field is black and
  charged with green sugar cane leaves - representing one of
  Guadeloupe's main crops - surmounted by a gold radiant sun
  representing the tropical climate; the only official flag is the
  national flag of France

Guam
  territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all
  four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse
  containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree
  with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the
  national flag

Guatemala
  three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side),
  white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white
  band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the
  national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE
  SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain)
  all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed
  swords and framed by a wreath

Guernsey
  white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of
  England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed
  cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross

Guinea
three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and
green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Guinea-Bissau
  two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green
  with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black
  five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular
  pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Guyana
  green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist
  side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow,
  black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border
  between the yellow and the green

Haiti
  two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a
  centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a
  palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing
  the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side)
  and white with the arms of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed
  keys of Saint Peter surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara,
  centered in the white band

Honduras
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue
  with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered
  in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former
  Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador,
  Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El
  Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words
  REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white
  band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a
  triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
  AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Iceland
  blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the
  edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the
  hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

India
  three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange)
  (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel)
  centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has
  a small orange disk centered in the white band

Indonesia
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar
  to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of
  Poland, which is white (top) and red

Iran
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red;
  the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in
  the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in
  the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
  repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
  times along the top edge of the red band

Iraq
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black
  with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in
  the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green
  Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to
  the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
  Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two
  stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that
  of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white
  band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors

Ireland
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
  orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and
  has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green;
  also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors
  of green (hoist side), white, and red

Isle of Man
  red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in
  the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the
  knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of
  the flag, a two-sided emblem is used

Israel
  white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as
  the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal
  horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

Italy
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
  red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green
  (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the
  Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side),
  white, and green
  note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in
  1797

Jamaica
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles -
green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

Japan
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without
rays) in the center

Jersey
  white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of
  the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red
  shield with the three lions of England in yellow

Jordan
  three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the
  Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and
  green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle
  on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and
  bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
  verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
  points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national
  spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is
  based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

Kazakhstan
  sky blue background representing the endless sky and a
  gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the
  center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold

Kenya
  three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green;
  the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering
  crossed spears is superimposed at the center

Kiribati
  the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying
  over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three
  horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean

Korea, North
  three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple
  width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side
  of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star

Korea, South
  white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the
  center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching
  (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field

Kuwait
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red
  with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates
  to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I

Kyrgyzstan
  red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays
  representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
  counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the
  sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized
  representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

Laos
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and
red with a large white disk centered in the blue band

Lebanon
  three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white
  (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree
  centered in the white band

Lesotho
  three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in
  the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and
  prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black
  Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was
  unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Liberia
  11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom)
  alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue
  square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the
  US flag

Liechtenstein
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with
a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band

Luxembourg
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
  light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a
  darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France

Macau
  light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and
  water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one
  large in center of arc and four smaller

Macedonia
a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the
edges of the red field

Madagascar
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a
vertical white band of the same width on hoist side

Malawi
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green
with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band

Malaysia
  14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with
  white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
  corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the
  crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design
  was based on the flag of the US

Maldives
  red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a
  vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the
  hoist side of the flag

Mali
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and
red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Malta
  two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the
  upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross,
  edged in red

Marshall Islands
  blue with two stripes radiating from the lower
  hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star
  with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the
  two stripes

Martinique
  unofficial flag, derives from the civil ensign flown by
  French merchant ships and dates to 1766; a blue field quartered by a
  white cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white, coiled
  snake representing the venomous Fer-de-lance; the flag of France is
  used for official occasions

Mauritania
  green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow,
  horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the
  crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Mayotte
  unofficial, local flag with the coat of arms of Mayotte
  centered on a white field, above which the name of the island
  appears in red capital letters; the main elements of the coat of
  arms, flanked on either side by a seahorse, appear above a scroll
  with the motto RA HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag
  is the national flag of France

Mexico
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
  red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in
  its beak) is centered in the white band

Micronesia, Federated States of
  light blue with four white
  five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond
  pattern

Moldova
  same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of
  blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a
  Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons
  carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its
  right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast
  is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox
  head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow

Monaco
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to
  the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which
  is white (top) and red

Mongolia
  three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and
  red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national
  emblem ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric
  representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang
  symbol)

Montenegro
a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe
with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered

Montserrat
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer
  half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside
  a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross

Morocco
  red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known
  as Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and
  green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red
  is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian
  gulf; design dates to 1912

Mozambique
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and
  yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the
  black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow
  five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black
  superimposed on an open white book

Namibia
  a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper
  left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower
  right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is
  contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders

Nauru
  blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the
  center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the
  hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to
  the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12
  original tribes of Nauru

Nepal
  red with a blue border around the unique shape of two
  overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a
  white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white
  12-pointed sun

Netherlands
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
  blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue
  and is longer; one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating
  with WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th
  century

Netherlands Antilles
  white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the
  center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five
  white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the
  center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main
  islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten

New Zealand
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in
  the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross
  constellation

Nicaragua
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and
  blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the
  coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE
  NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to
  the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by
  the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in
  the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five
  blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

Niger
  three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green
  with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the
  white band; similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked
  wheel centered in the white band

Niue
  yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars -
  a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each
  arm of the bold red cross

Norfolk Island
  three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white,
  and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in
  the slightly wider white band

Northern Mariana Islands
  blue, with a white, five-pointed star
  superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional
  foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a
  wreath

Norway
  red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the
  edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the
  hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Oman
  three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width
  with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national
  emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed
  swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the
  vertical band

Pakistan
  green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of
  religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and
  star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color
  green are traditional symbols of Islam

Palau
light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon)
shifted slightly to the hoist side

Panama
  divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are
  white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and
  plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and
  white with a red five-pointed star in the center

Papua New Guinea
  divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner;
  the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise
  centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed
  stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered

Paraguay
  three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue
  with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the
  emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the
  left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star
  within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY,
  all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears
  the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty
  and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words
  REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)

Peru
  three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red
  with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms
  features a shield bearing a vicuna, cinchona tree (the source of
  quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all
  framed by a green wreath

Philippines
  two equal horizontal bands of blue (top; representing
  peace and justice) and red (representing courage); a white
  equilateral triangle based on the hoist side represents equality;
  the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary
  rays, each representing one of the first eight provinces that sought
  independence from Spain; each corner of the triangle contains a
  small, yellow, five-pointed star representing the three major
  geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao;
  the design of the flag dates to 1897; in wartime the flag is flown
  upside down with the red band at the top

Pitcairn Islands
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper
  hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered
  on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green,
  and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor

Poland
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to
the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

Portugal
  two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and
  red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the
  dividing line

Puerto Rico
  five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom)
  alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist
  side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design
  initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag,
  with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Qatar
maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on
the hoist side

Reunion
  unofficial, local flag designed to emphasize solidarity
  among the people of Reunion; the field is divided vertically with
  three narrow stripes of blue, white, and red along the hoist edge
  representing the French national flag; the remainder of the field is
  divided diagonally into four triangles colored (clockwise from the
  hoist side) blue, golden yellow, red, and green; in the center, the
  apexes of the triangles are surmounted by a white disk; the only
  official flag is the national flag of France

Romania
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and
  red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the
  yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also
  resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova

Rwanda
  three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width),
  yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end
  of the blue band

Saint Helena
  blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of
  the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted
  sailing ship

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  divided diagonally from the lower hoist side
  by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the
  black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the
  lower triangle is red

Saint Lucia
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black
arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist
  side rides on a dark blue background with yellow wavy lines under
  the ship; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three
  parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal
  cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing
  the rectangle into four sections; the middle part has a white
  background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red
  background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one
  above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by
  colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the
  flag of France is used for official occasions

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  three vertical bands of blue (hoist
  side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three
  green diamonds arranged in a V pattern

Samoa
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant
  bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern
  Cross constellation

San Marino
  two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue
  with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat
  of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked
  by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word
  LIBERTAS (Liberty)

Sao Tome and Principe
  three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow
  (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed
  side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles
  triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African
  colors of Ethiopia

Saudi Arabia
  green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the
  Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as
  "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a
  white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design
  dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with
  the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932

Senegal
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow,
  and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow
  band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Serbia
  three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white;
  charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the
  hoist side

Seychelles
five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red,
white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side

Sierra Leone
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top),
white, and light blue

Singapore
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near
  the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent
  (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five
  white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle

Slovakia
  three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
  superimposed with the coat of arms of Slovakia (consisting of a red
  shield bordered in white and bearing a white Cross of Lorraine
  surmounting three blue hills); the coat of arms is centered
  vertically and offset slightly to the hoist side

Slovenia
  three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red,
  with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav,
  Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the
  center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and
  rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an
  inverted triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the
  Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th
  and early 15th centuries); the seal is located in the upper hoist
  side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands

Solomon Islands
  divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the
  lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue
  with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the
  lower triangle is green

Somalia
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the
center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN

South Africa
  two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue
  separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y,
  the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y
  embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are
  separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are
  separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  blue, with the flag of
  the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and
  the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half
  of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion
  centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a
  penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below
  it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the
  Lion Protect its Own Land)

Spain
  three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width),
  and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the
  yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the
  Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and
  Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar

Sri Lanka
  yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has
  two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other
  panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a
  sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow
  field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between
  the two panels

Sudan
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black
with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Suriname
  five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white,
  red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a
  large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band

Swaziland
  three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width),
  and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band
  is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff
  decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally

Sweden
  blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the
  flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in
  the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Switzerland
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the
center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

Syria
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black,
  colors associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small green
  five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
  former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars
  represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to
  the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has
  three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line
  centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold
  Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design
  dates to 1980

Taiwan
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Tajikistan
  three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of
  white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold,
  five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe

Tanzania
  divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the
  lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green
  and the lower triangle is blue

Thailand
five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double
width), white, and red

Togo
  five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom)
  alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red
  square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African
  colors of Ethiopia

Tonga
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner

Trinidad and Tobago
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from
the upper hoist side to the lower fly side

Tunisia
  red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent
  nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are
  traditional symbols of Islam

Turkey
  red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is
  toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just
  outside the crescent opening

Turkmenistan
  green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist
  side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing
  carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the
  olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon representing
  Islam with five white stars representing the regions or velayats of
  Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly
  side of the red stripe

Turks and Caicos Islands
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper
  hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer
  half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell,
  lobster, and cactus

Tuvalu
  light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
  quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country
  with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Uganda
  six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red,
  black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center
  and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the
  hoist side

Ukraine
two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow
represent grain fields under a blue sky

United Arab Emirates
three equal horizontal bands of green (top),
white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side

United Kingdom
  blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron
  saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red
  cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is
  superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron
  saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly
  called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue
  Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including
  other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or
  provinces, and British overseas territories

United States
  13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom)
  alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper
  hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars
  arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and
  bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent
  the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies;
  known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a
  number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and
  Puerto Rico

Uruguay
  nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom)
  alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper
  hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as
  the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and
  wavy

Uzbekistan
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and
  green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and
  12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Vanuatu
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a
  black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by
  a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
  points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
  centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
  namele leaves, all in yellow

Venezuela
  three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and
  red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and
  an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

Virgin Islands
  white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center
  between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a
  yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows
  in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white
  stripes below a blue panel

Wallis and Futuna
  unofficial, local flag has a red field with four
  white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three
  native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes
  of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each
  other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the
  upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag

Yemen
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
  similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and of
  Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription), in a
  horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag
  of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band

Zambia
  green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist
  side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer
  edge of the flag

Zimbabwe
  seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black,
  red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in
  black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird
  representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a
  red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which
  symbolizes peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral
  wealth, red - blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands
  for the native people

Argentina
  total: 229,144 km
  paved: 68,809 km (including 734 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 160,335 km (2004)

Armenia
total: 7,633 km
paved: 7,633 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2003)

Austria
total: 133,718 km
paved: 133,718 km (including 1,677 km of expressways) (2003)

Azerbaijan
  total: 27,016 km
  paved: 12,698 km (including 128 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 14,318 km (2003)

Belgium
  total: 149,757 km
  paved: 117,110 km (including 1,747 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 32,647 km (2003)

Bermuda
  total: 447 km
  paved: 447 km
  note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002)

Bolivia
  total: 60,762 km
  paved: 4,314 km (including 11 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 56,448 km (2003)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total: 21,846 km
  paved: 11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads)
  unpaved: 10,421 km (2005)

British Indian Ocean Territory
  total: NA
  paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on
  Diego Garcia

Bulgaria
  total: 102,016 km
  paved: 93,855 km (including 328 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 8,161 km (2003)

Canada
  total: 1,042,300 km
  paved: 415,600 km (including 17,000 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 626,700 km (2005)

Chile
  total: 79,605 km
  paved: 16,080 km (including 407 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 63,525 km (2001)

China
  total: 1,809,829 km
  paved: 1,447,682 km (with at least 29,745 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 362,147 km (2003)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the total: 157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways) (1999)

Congo, Republic of the
  total: 12,800 km
  paved: 1,242 km
  unpaved: 11,558 km (1999)

Cote d'Ivoire
  total: 80,000 km
  paved: 6,500 km
  unpaved: 73,500 km
  note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt
  roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are
  impassable (2006)

Croatia
  total: 28,344 km
  paved: 24,186 km (including 742 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 4,158 km (2004)

Cuba
  total: 60,858 km
  paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)
  unpaved: 31,038 km (1999)

Cyprus
  total: 14,496 km (Republic of Cyprus: 12,146 km; north
  Cyprus: 2,350 km)
  paved: Republic of Cyprus: 7,845 km (including 276 km of
  expressways); north Cyprus: 1,370 km
  unpaved: Republic of Cyprus: 4,301 km; north Cyprus: 980 km
  (2005/1996 est.)

Czech Republic
total: 127,747 km
paved: 127,747 km (including 518 km of expressways) (2003)

Denmark
total: 72,257 km
paved: 72,257 km (including 1,032 km of expressways) (2005)

Dominican Republic
  total: 12,600 km
  paved: 6,224 km
  unpaved: 6,376 km (1999)

Estonia
  total: 56,849 km
  paved: 13,303 km (including 99 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 45,546 km (2003)

European Union total: 4,634,810 km (including 56,704 km of expressways) paved: 4,161,318 km unpaved: 473,492 km (1999-2000)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2003)

Finland
  total: 78,189 km
  paved: 50,633 km (including 653 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 27,556 km (2006)

France
total: 891,290 km
paved: 891,290 km (including 10,390 km of expressways) (2003)

Germany total: 231,581 km paved: 231,581 km (including 12,200 km of expressways) (2005)

Greece
  total: 116,470 km
  paved: 106,920 km (including 880 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,550 km (1999)

Greenland
  total: NA
  note: while there are short roads in towns, there are no roads
  between towns; inter-town transport takes place either by sea or air
  (2005)

Guatemala
  total: 14,095 km
  paved: 4,863 km (including 75 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,232 km (1999)

Hungary
  total: 159,568 km
  paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of
  expressways)
  unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)

Iceland
  total: 13,028 km
  paved/oiled gravel: 4,241 km (does not include urban roads)
  unpaved: 8,787 km (2005)

India
  total: 3,851,440 km
  paved: 2,411,001 km
  unpaved: 1,440,439 km (2002)

Iran
  total: 178,152 km
  paved: 118,115 km (including 751 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 60,037 km (2002)

Ireland
total: 95,736 km
paved: 95,736 km (including 125 km of expressways) (2002)

Israel
total: 17,364 km
paved: 17,364 km (including 126 km of expressways) (2004)

Italy
total: 479,688 km
paved: 479,688 km (including 6,478 km of expressways) (2004)

Japan
  total: 1.183 million km
  paved: 925,000 km (including 6,946 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 258,000 km (2003)

Kenya
  total: 63,000 km (interurban roads)
  paved: 7,623 km
  unpaved: 55,377 km
  note: there also are 100,000 km of rural roads and 14,500 km of
  urban roads for a national total of 177,500 km (2004)

Korea, North
  total: 31,200 km
  paved: 1,997 km
  unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)

Korea, South
  total: 97,252 km
  paved: 74,641 km (including 3,060 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 22,611 km (2004)

Lithuania
  total: 79,497 km
  paved: 70,549 km (including 417 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 8,948 km (2005)

Luxembourg
total: 5,210 km
paved: 5,210 km (including 147 km of expressways) (2002)

Maldives
  total: 88 km
  paved roads: 88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on
  Laamu
  note: village roads are mainly compacted coral (2006)

Marshall Islands total: 64.5 km paved: 64.5 km note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks (2002)

Mauritius total: 2,020 km paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005)

Mexico
  total: 349,038 km
  paved: 116,928 km (including 6,979 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 232,110 km (2003)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  total: 240 km
  paved: 42 km
  unpaved: 198 km (1999)

Montserrat
  total: 227 km
  note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the
  road system (2003)

Morocco
  total: 57,694 km
  paved: 32,551 km (including 417 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 25,143 km (2002)

New Zealand
  total: 92,662 km
  paved: 59,109 km (including 169 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 33,553 km (2003)

Norway
  total: 92,513 km
  paved: 71,832 km (including 664 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 20,681 km (2005)

Oman
  total: 34,965 km
  paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)

Pakistan
  total: 255,856 km
  paved: 157,975 km (including 367 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 97,881 km (2004)

Peru
  total: 78,672 km
  paved: 10,314 km (including 276 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 68,358 km (2003)

Poland
  total: 423,997 km
  paved: 295,356 km (including 405 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 128,641 km (2004)

Portugal
  total: 72,600 km
  paved: 62,436 km (including 1,700 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 10,164 km (2002)

Puerto Rico
  total: 25,645 km
  paved: 24,363 km (including 426 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 1,282 km (2004)

Romania
  total: 198,817 km
  paved: 60,043 km (including 228 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 138,774 km (2003)

Russia
  total: 871,000 km
  paved: 738,000 km (including 29,000 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 133,000 km
  note: includes public and departmental roads (2004)

Saint Helena
  total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km,
  Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
  paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha
  10 km)
  unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha
  10 km) (2002)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 320 km
  paved: 138 km
  unpaved: 182 km (1999 est)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  total: 829 km
  paved: 580 km
  unpaved: 249 km (2003)

Saudi Arabia
  total: 152,044 km
  paved: 45,461 km
  unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)

Senegal
  total: 13,576 km
  paved: 3,972 km (including 7 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,604 km (2003)

Singapore
total: 3,234 km
paved: 3,234 km (including 150 km of expressways) (2005)

Slovakia
  total: 42,993 km
  paved: 37,533 km (including 316 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 5,460 km (2003)

Slovenia total: 38,400 km paved: 38,400 km (including 477 km of expressways) (2003)

South Africa
  total: 362,099 km
  paved: 73,506 km
  unpaved: 288,593 km (2002)

Spain
  total: 666,292 km
  paved: 659,629 km (including 12,009 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 6,663 km (2003)

Sweden
  total: 424,981 km
  paved: 132,339 km (including 1,544 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 292,642 km (2003)

Switzerland
total: 71,297 km
paved: 71,297 km (including 1,726 of expressways) (2004)

Taiwan
  total: 37,299 km
  paved: 35,621 km (including 1,789 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 1,678 km (2002)

Trinidad and Tobago
  total: 8,320 km
  paved: 4,252 km
  unpaved: 4,068 km (1999)

Tunisia
  total: 18,997 km
  paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)

Turkey
  total: 347,553 km
  paved: 154,807 km (including 1,886 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 192,747 km (2004)

Ukraine
  total: 169,447 km
  paved: 164,772 km (including 15 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 4,675 km (2004)

United Arab Emirates
total: 1,088 km
paved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways) (1999)

United Kingdom
total: 387,674 km
paved: 387,674 km (including 3,523 km of expressways) (2004)

United States
  total: 6,407,637 km
  paved: 4,164,964 km (including 74,950 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 2,242,673 km (2004)

West Bank
  total: 4,158 km
  paved: 4,158 km
  note: includes Gaza Strip (2003)

World
  total: 32,345,165 km
  paved: 19,403,061 km
  unpaved: 12,942,104 km (2002)

Afghanistan
  world's largest producer of opium; cultivation dropped
  48% to 107,400 hectares in 2005; better weather and lack of
  widespread disease returned opium yields to normal levels, meaning
  potential opium production declined by only 10% to 4,475 metric
  tons; if the entire poppy crop were processed, it is estimated that
  526 metric tons of heroin could be processed; source of hashish;
  many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade
  source of instability and some antigovernment groups profit from the
  trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan
  opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through informal
  financial networks

Albania
  increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian
  opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to
  a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for
  Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production;
  ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding
  in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional
  trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens

Angola
used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for
Western Europe and other African states

Anguilla
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined
for the US and Europe

Antigua and Barbuda
  considered a minor transshipment point for
  narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an
  offshore financial center

Argentina
  used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for
  Europe; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border
  Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing

Armenia
  illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic
  consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium
  and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser
  extent the rest of Europe

Aruba
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some
accompanying money-laundering activity

Australia
  Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit
  opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of
  opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

Austria
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South
American cocaine destined for Western Europe

Azerbaijan
  limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy,
  mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program;
  transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a
  lesser extent the rest of Europe

Bahamas, The
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for
US and Europe; offshore financial center

Barbados
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics
bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center

Belarus
  limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for
  the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and
  via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and
  lightly regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering
  legislation does not meet international standards; few
  investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities

Belgium
  growing producer of synthetic drugs; transit point for
  US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American
  cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin,
  hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a
  strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to
  money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and
  tobacco

Belize
  transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer
  of cannabis for the international drug trade; money-laundering
  activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector

Benin
  transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian
  trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western
  Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly
  regulated financial infrastructure

Bolivia
  world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and
  Peru) with an estimated 26,500 hectares under cultivation in August
  2005, an 8% increase from 2004; intermediate coca products and
  cocaine exported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile
  to European drug markets; cultivation steadily increasing despite
  eradication and alternative crop programs; money-laundering activity
  related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil
  and Paraguay

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  minor transit point for marijuana and opiate
  trafficking routes to Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to
  money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and
  unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of
  corruption

Brazil
  illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca
  cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption;
  government has a large-scale eradication program to control
  cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian,
  and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as
  a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and
  Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling;
  important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine;
  illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered
  through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity
  in the Tri-Border Area

British Virgin Islands
  transshipment point for South American
  narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial
  center makes it vulnerable to money laundering

Brunei
  drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled
  substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory
  death penalty

Bulgaria
  major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian
  heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the
  European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money
  laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions

Burma
  remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium
  (estimated production in 2004 - 292 metric tons, down 40% from 2003
  due to eradication efforts and drought; cultivation in 2004 - 30,900
  hectares, a 34% decline from 2003); lack of government will to take
  on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment
  against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug
  effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional
  consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force
  countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate
  money-laundering controls (2005)

Cambodia
  narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in
  the government, military, and police; possible small-scale heroin
  and methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due
  to its cash-based economy and porous borders

Canada
  illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and
  export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant
  large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point
  for ecstasy entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money
  laundering because of its mature financial services sector

Cape Verde
  used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving
  from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of
  a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
  money-laundering center

Cayman Islands
offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug
transshipment to the US and Europe

Chile
  important transshipment country for cocaine destined for
  Europe; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile
  more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits,
  especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new
  anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors
  passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising

China
  major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden
  Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for
  chemical precursors and methamphetamine

Colombia
  illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis;
  world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2004 was
  114,100 hectares, virtually unchanged from 2003, but down one-third
  from its peak of 169,800 ha); producing a potential of 430 mt of
  pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives;
  supplying most of the US market and the great majority of cocaine to
  other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to
  the US market; opium poppy cultivation fell 50% between 2003 and
  2004 to 2,100 hectares yielding a potential 3.8 metric tons of pure
  heroin, mostly for the US market; in 2004, aerial eradication
  treated over 130,000 hectares of coca but aggressive replanting on
  the part of growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a
  significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either
  laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso
  exchange

Congo, Democratic Republic of the illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center

Costa Rica
  transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South
  America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots;
  domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising

Cote d'Ivoire
  illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local
  consumption; transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian
  heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American
  cocaine destined for Europe and South Africa; while rampant
  corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system
  vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial
  system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering
  center

Croatia
  transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian
  heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for
  maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe

Cuba
  territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone
  for US and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for
  certain drug-related crimes in 1999

Cyprus
  minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and
  container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey;
  some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of
  anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money
  laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector
  remains weak

Czech Republic
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and
  minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe;
  producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets;
  susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking,
  organized crime

Dominica
  transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and
  Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement
  is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money
  laundering

Dominican Republic
  transshipment point for South American drugs
  destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for
  ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada;
  substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
  traffickers favor the Dominican Republic for illicit financial
  transactions

Ecuador
  significant transit country for cocaine originating in
  Colombia and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in
  production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for
  cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of
  dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased
  activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and
  Colombian insurgents

Egypt
  transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin
  and opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for
  Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax
  enforcement of financial regulations

El Salvador
  transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of
  marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on
  the rise

Estonia
  transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest
  Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to
  Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western
  Europe to Scandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem;
  possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking; potential money
  laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a
  concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds

Ethiopia
  transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and
  Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America, as well as
  cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat
  (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti
  and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a
  well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
  money-laundering center

France
transshipment point for and consumer of South American
cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

French Guiana
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption;
minor transshipment point to Europe

Georgia
  limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
  domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via
  Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia

Germany
  source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine
  processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian
  heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic
  drugs; major financial center

Ghana
  illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
  major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a
  lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the
  US; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but the lack of a
  well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility
  as a money-laundering center

Greece
  a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and
  heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and
  precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine
  transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug
  trafficking and organized crime

Grenada
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point
for marijuana and cocaine to US

Guatemala
  major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2004,
  reemerged as a potential source of opium, growing 330 hectares of
  opium poppy, with potential pure heroin production of 1.4 metric
  tons; 76% of opium poppy cultivation in western highlands along
  Mexican border; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic
  consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging
  area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a
  serious problem; corruption is a major problem

Guyana
  transshipment point for narcotics from South America -
  primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis;
  rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human
  smuggling

Haiti
  Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US
  and Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian
  narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial
  transactions; pervasive corruption

Honduras
  transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit
  producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally
  for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some
  money-laundering activity

Hong Kong
  makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces
  difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and
  methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system
  provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of
  synthetic drugs, especially among young people

Hungary
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis
  and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited
  producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and
  methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money
  laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking

India
  world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical
  trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit
  international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics
  produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;
  vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system

Indonesia
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use;
producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy

Iran
  despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic
  narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and according to
  official Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug users
  in the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws

Ireland
  transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North
  Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic
  drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
  Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money
  laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies
  involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern

Israel
  increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs
  arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan;
  money-laundering center

Italy
  important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine
  and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money
  laundering by organized crime and from smuggling

Jamaica
  transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North
  America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has
  an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major
  concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
  traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions

Kazakhstan
  significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS
  markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra
  (for the drug ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit
  crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia
  and the rest of Europe

Kenya
  widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit
  country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North
  America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa;
  significant potential for money-laundering activity given the
  country's status as a regional financial center; massive corruption,
  and relatively high levels of narcotics-associated activities

Korea, North
  for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of
  the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of
  them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad
  while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December
  2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have
  linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and
  methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant
  ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003

Kyrgyzstan
  limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy
  for CIS markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops;
  transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the
  rest of Europe

Laos
  estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease
  from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons,
  a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)

Latvia
  transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and
  Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American
  cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; despite
  improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent
  enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of
  offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime
  (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and
  prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds

Lebanon
  cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares
  in 2002; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin
  American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way
  to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption

Liberia
  transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin
  and South American cocaine for the European and US markets;
  corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade
  provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of
  well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
  major money-laundering center

Liechtenstein
  has strengthened money-laundering controls, but money
  laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated
  offshore financial services sector

Lithuania
  transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs
  from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western
  Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and
  ecstasy; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking
  legislation

Macedonia
  major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and
  hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for
  Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity
  is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a
  mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement (no arrests or
  prosecutions for money laundering to date)

Madagascar
  illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild
  varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point
  for heroin

Malaysia
regional transit point for some illicit drugs; drug
trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties

Martinique
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for
the US and Europe

Mauritius
  minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from
  South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally;
  significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money
  laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the
  government appears generally to be committed to regulating its
  banking industry

Mexico
  major drug-producing nation; cultivation of opium poppy in
  2004 amounted to 3,500 hectares, but opium cultivation stayed within
  the range - between 3,500 and 5,500 hectares - observed in nine of
  the last 12 years; potential production of 9 metric tons of pure
  heroin, or 23 metric tons of "black tar" heroin, the dominant form
  of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana
  cultivation decreased 23% to 5,800 hectares in 2004 after
  decade-high cultivation peak in 2003; potential production of 10,400
  metric tons of marijuana in 2004; government conducts the largest
  independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; major
  supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and
  methamphetamine to the US market; continues as the primary
  transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America,
  accounting for about 90% of estimated annual cocaine movement to the
  US; major drug syndicates control majority of drug trafficking
  throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy;
  significant money-laundering center

Moldova
  limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for
  CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from
  Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and
  possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity

Montserrat
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined
for the US and Europe

Morocco
  illicit producer of hashish; shipments of hashish mostly
  directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South
  America destined for Western Europe

Mozambique
  Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish
  and heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the
  European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local
  consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa);
  corruption and poor regulatory capability makes the banking system
  vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed
  financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a
  money-laundering center

Nepal
  illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and
  international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast
  Asia to the West

Netherlands
  major European producer of ecstasy, illicit
  amphetamines, and other synthetic drugs; important gateway for
  cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of
  US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money
  laundering

Netherlands Antilles
transshipment point for South American drugs
bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center

Nicaragua
transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and
transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

Nigeria
  a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for
  European, East Asian, and North American markets; safehaven for
  Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major
  money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity;
  Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting
  in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's)
  Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006;
  Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by
  FATF

Pakistan
  opium poppy cultivation declined 58% to 3,147 hectares in
  2005; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct
  anti-poppy campaigns that force eradication - fines and arrests will
  take place if the ban on poppy cultivation is not observed; key
  transit point for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine,
  and hashish, bound for Western markets, the Gulf States, and Africa;
  financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption,
  and smuggling remain problems

Panama
  major cocaine transshipment point and primary
  money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering
  activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore
  financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring
  of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains
  a major problem

Paraguay
  major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is
  consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for
  Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and
  Europe; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in
  the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement

Peru
  until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer; cultivation
  of coca in Peru fell 15% to 31,150 hectares between 2002 and the end
  of 2003; much of the cocaine base is shipped to neighboring Colombia
  for processing into cocaine, while finished cocaine is shipped out
  from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing
  amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to
  Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipped to
  Europe and Africa

Philippines
domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing
problem in recent years; longstanding marijuana producer

Poland
  major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the
  international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin
  American illicit drugs to Western Europe

Portugal
  gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest
  Asian heroin entering the European market (especially from Brazil);
  transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe;
  consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

Romania
  major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin
  transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American
  cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant
  financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable
  to laundering which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange
  houses, and casinos

Russia
  limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and
  producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption;
  government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as
  transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American
  cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent
  Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source
  of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are
  key concerns; heroin increasingly popular in domestic market

Saint Kitts and Nevis
transshipment point for South American drugs
destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity

Saint Lucia
transit point for South American drugs destined for the
US and Europe

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  transshipment point for South
  American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis
  cultivation

Saudi Arabia
  death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption
  of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; improving anti-money-laundering
  legislation and enforcement

Senegal
  transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin
  and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America;
  illicit cultivator of cannabis

Serbia
  transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to
  Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money
  laundering

Singapore
  as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore
  is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for
  money laundering

Slovakia
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for
Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market

Slovenia
minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin
bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals

South Africa
  transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana,
  and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market
  for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India
  through various east African countries; illicit cultivation of
  marijuana; attractive venue for money launderers given the
  increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the
  region

Spain
  key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American
  cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market;
  destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian
  heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking
  organizations and organized crime

Suriname
  growing transshipment point for South American drugs
  destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment
  point for arms-for-drugs dealing

Switzerland
  a major international financial center vulnerable to the
  layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite
  significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules
  persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through
  offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for
  and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin

Syria
  a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and
  Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank
  privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering

Taiwan
  regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major
  problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin;
  renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem

Tajikistan
  major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for
  Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited
  illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption;
  Tajikistan seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia
  and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw
  opium)

Tanzania
  growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast
  Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for South African,
  European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for
  southern Africa; money laundering remains a problem

Thailand
  a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; illicit
  transit point for heroin en route to the international drug market
  from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of
  cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring
  countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication
  efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in
  methamphetamine production for regional consumption; major consumer
  of methamphetamine since the 1990s

Togo
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money
laundering not a significant problem

Trinidad and Tobago
transshipment point for South American drugs
destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

Turkey
  key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western
  Europe and - to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea
  routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
  organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
  imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey
  and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas
  of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw
  concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls

Turkmenistan
  transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian
  and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor
  chemicals bound for Afghanistan

Turks and Caicos Islands
transshipment point for South American
narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Ukraine
  limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
  CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the
  West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment
  point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin
  America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved
  anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the
  Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and
  Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering
  regime continues to be monitored by FATF

United Arab Emirates
  the UAE is a drug transshipment point for
  traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug producing
  countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it
  vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls
  improving, but informal banking remains unregulated

United Kingdom
  producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and
  synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian
  heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs;
  money-laundering center

United States
  world's largest consumer of cocaine, shipped from
  Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin,
  marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of
  high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis,
  marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and
  methamphetamine; money-laundering center

Uzbekistan
  transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian
  and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit
  cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for
  domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by
  government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin
  precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan

Venezuela
  small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the
  processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large
  quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country
  from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related
  money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia
  and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily
  targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by
  Colombian insurgents on border

Vietnam
  minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point
  for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic
  opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding
  crackdowns

World
  cocaine: worldwide coca cultivation in 2004 amounted to
  166,200 hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of
  the worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure
  cocaine production of 645 metric tons in 2004 marked the lowest
  level of Andean cocaine production in the past 10 years; Colombia
  conducts aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and
  Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing
  areas; 376 metric tons of export-quality cocaine are documented to
  have been seized in 2003, and 26 metric tons disrupted (jettisoned
  or destroyed); consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to
  have been 800 metric tons
  opiates: worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation reached 258,630
  hectares in 2004; potential opium production of 5,444 metric tons
  was highest total recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s;
  Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 91% of
  the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 7% of global
  opium - continued to diminish in importance in the world opium
  market; Latin America produced 2% of global opium, but most refined
  into heroin destined for United States; if all opium processed into
  pure heroin, the potential global production would be 632 metric
  tons of heroin in 2004

Zambia
  transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone,
  small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and
  possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled
  with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it
  an unattractive venue for money launderers

Zimbabwe
  transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin,
  mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African and
  European markets

Burma
  $3.454 billion f.o.b.
  note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of
  consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from
  Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2004)

Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: $5.552 billion f.o.b.;; north Cyprus:
$415.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

European Union
$1.402 trillion; note - external imports, excluding
intra-EU trade (2004)

Monaco
  $636.6 million $NA
  note: full customs integration with France, which collects and
  rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market
  system through customs union with France

Andorra
1278 (formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count
of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel)

Austria
17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804
(Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)

Bangladesh
  16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March
  1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December
  1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation
  of the state of Bangladesh

Belgium
  4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares
  independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I
  ascends to the throne)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for
  independence was completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3
  March 1992)

Bulgaria
  3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the
  Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the
  Ottoman Empire)

Canada
1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11
December 1931 (independence recognized)

China
  221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January
  1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949
  (People's Republic established)

Cook Islands
  none (became self-governing in free association with
  New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move
  to full independence by unilateral action)

Cuba
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the
US from 1898 to 1902)

Cyprus
  16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed
  self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these
  proclamations are only recognized by Turkey

Czech Republic
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech
Republic and Slovakia)

Denmark
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849
became a constitutional monarchy

East Timor
  28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence
  from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of
  international recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia

Ethiopia
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest
in the world - at least 2,000 years

European Union
  7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed
  establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered
  into force)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
none (overseas territory of the
UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Faroe Islands
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing
overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Germany
  18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into
  four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945
  following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West
  Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and
  French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
  proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
  unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
  1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991

Greenland
  none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is
  the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates
  in international agreements relating to Greenland)

Guinea-Bissau
24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by
Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the
  three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged,
  among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and
  established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal
  States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may
  be traced back to the 8th century

Iceland
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish
Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

Indonesia
17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949
(Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)

Iraq
  3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
  administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional
  Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

Israel
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

Italy
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not
finally unified until 1870)

Jordan
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

Lebanon
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)

Liechtenstein
23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein
established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire)

Lithuania
11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6
September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

Macedonia
8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters
endorsing independence from Yugoslavia)

Micronesia, Federated States of
3 November 1986 (from the
US-administered UN Trusteeship)

Montenegro
3 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro); note - a
referendum on independence was held 21 May 2006

Nauru
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered
UN trusteeship)

Netherlands
  23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low
  Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26
  July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of
  Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace
  of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

New Caledonia
  none (overseas territory of France); note - a
  referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new
  referendum is scheduled for 2014

Niue
on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary
government in free association with New Zealand

Norway
  7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden
  dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the
  union)

Panama
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain
28 November 1821)

Papua New Guinea
16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered
UN trusteeship)

Portugal
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910
(independent republic proclaimed)

Romania
  9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire;
  independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin;
  kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic
  proclaimed)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)

Senegal
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence was
achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

Slovakia
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech
Republic and Slovakia)

Somalia
  1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which
  became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian
  Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered
  UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

South Africa
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a
republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum

Spain
  the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of
  independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in
  the early 8th century AD and lasted nearly seven centuries; the
  small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost
  immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this
  event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is
  traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

Syria
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

Tanzania
  26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December
  1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became
  independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with
  Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and
  Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964

United Kingdom
  England has existed as a unified entity since the
  10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284
  with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an
  Act of Union; in another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland
  agreed to permanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union
  of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the
  adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
  Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of
  Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United
  Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the
  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in
  1927

Yemen
  22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen established with the merger of
  the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the
  Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen
  (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen had become
  independent in November of 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South
  Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

Afghanistan
  small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture,
  shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal,
  copper

Albania
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement,
chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Algeria
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining,
electrical, petrochemical, food processing

American Samoa
tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing
vessels), handicrafts

Angola
  petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite,
  uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing;
  food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship
  repair

Antigua and Barbuda
tourism, construction, light manufacturing
(clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

Argentina
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables,
textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel

Armenia
  diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools,
  forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear,
  hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments,
  microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food
  processing, brandy

Australia
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food
processing, chemicals, steel

Austria
  construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals,
  chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard,
  communications equipment, tourism

Azerbaijan
  petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield
  equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals;
  textiles

Bahamas, The
tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum,
aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe

Bahrain
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron
pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing, tourism

Bangladesh
cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper
newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar

Belarus
  metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers,
  motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles,
  radios, refrigerators

Belgium
  engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly,
  transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and
  beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

Bhutan
cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages,
calcium carbide

Bolivia
mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese,
  bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden
  furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil
  refining

Botswana
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock
processing; textiles

Brazil
  textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin,
  steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and
  equipment

British Virgin Islands
tourism, light industry, construction, rum,
concrete block, offshore financial center

Bulgaria
  electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco;
  machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke,
  refined petroleum, nuclear fuel

Burkina Faso
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap,
cigarettes, textiles, gold

Burma
  agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood
  products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials;
  pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement; natural gas

Burundi
light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly
of imported components; public works construction; food processing

Cambodia
tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood
products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Cameroon
petroleum production and refining, aluminum production,
food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Canada
  transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and
  unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish
  products, petroleum and natural gas

Cape Verde
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments,
salt mining, ship repair

Cayman Islands
tourism, banking, insurance and finance,
construction, construction materials, furniture

Central African Republic
gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing,
textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Chad
oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium
carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Chile
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and
steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

China
  mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other
  metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel;
  petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products,
  including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing;
  transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and
  locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment,
  commercial space launch vehicles, satellites

Colombia
textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear,
beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

Congo, Democratic Republic of the mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair

Congo, Republic of the
petroleum extraction, cement, lumber,
brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes

Costa Rica
microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing,
construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

Cote d'Ivoire
  foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining,
  truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials,
  electricity, ship construction and repair

Croatia
  chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal,
  electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper,
  wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding,
  petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism

Cuba
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement,
agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals

Cyprus
  tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum
  production, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light
  chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone, and clay products

Czech Republic
metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
glass, armaments

Denmark
  iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing,
  machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing,
  electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products,
  shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical
  equipment

Dominican Republic
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold
mining, textiles, cement, tobacco

Egypt
  textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals,
  pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light
  manufactures

El Salvador
food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals,
fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Eritrea
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt,
cement, commercial ship repair

Estonia
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile;
information technology, telecommunications

Ethiopia
food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals,
metals processing, cement

European Union
  among the world's largest and most technologically
  advanced, the European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and
  non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products,
  petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail
  transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles,
  construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding,
  electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated
  manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment,
  fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles,
  tourism

Faroe Islands
fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and
refurbishment, handicrafts

Fiji
tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small
cottage industries

Finland
  metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and
  scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs,
  chemicals, textiles, clothing

France
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft,
electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

French Guiana
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products,
rum, gold mining

French Polynesia
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing,
handicrafts, phosphates

Gabon
  petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals,
  ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood,
  cement

Gambia, The
processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism, beverages,
agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing

Gaza Strip
  generally small family businesses that produce textiles,
  soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the
  Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an
  industrial center, but operations ceased prior to Israel's
  evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements

Georgia
steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances,
mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine

Germany
  among the world's largest and most technologically advanced
  producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,
  vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages,
  shipbuilding, textiles

Ghana
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting,
food processing, cement, small commercial ship building

Greece
tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals,
metal products; mining, petroleum

Greenland
  fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut);
  gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining;
  handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards

Grenada
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations,
tourism, construction

Guam
US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services,
concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

Guatemala
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals,
petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Guinea
bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light
manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Haiti
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light
assembly industries based on imported parts

Holy See (Vatican City) printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Hong Kong
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping,
electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks

Hungary
mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods,
textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles

Iceland
fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production;
geothermal power, tourism

India
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation
equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Indonesia
petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear,
mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism

Iran
  petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other
  construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining
  and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments

Iraq
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction
materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing

Ireland
  steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum
  mining processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing;
  chemicals, pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation
  equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and
  refurbishment; glass and crystal; software, tourism

Israel
  high-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
  computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber
  optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food,
  beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals
  products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles,
  footwear

Italy
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food
processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

Jamaica
  tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light
  manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products,
  telecommunications

Japan
  among world's largest and technologically advanced producers
  of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
  nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Jordan
  textiles, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals,
  petroleum refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light
  manufacturing, tourism

Kazakhstan
  oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc,
  copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron
  and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric
  motors, construction materials

Kenya
  small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries,
  textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, oil
  refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair,
  tourism

Korea, North
  military products; machine building, electric power,
  chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper,
  zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food
  processing; tourism

Korea, South
electronics, telecommunications, automobile production,
chemicals, shipbuilding, steel

Kuwait
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair,
desalination, food processing, construction materials

Kyrgyzstan
  small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement,
  shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold,
  rare earth metals

Laos
copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power,
agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement

Latvia
  buses, vans, street and railroad cars; synthetic fibers,
  agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
  electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note -
  dependent on imports for energy and raw materials

Lebanon
  banking, tourism, food processing, jewelry, cement,
  textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture
  products, oil refining, metal fabricating

Lesotho
food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts,
construction, tourism

Liechtenstein
  electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products,
  ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments,
  tourism, optical instruments

Lithuania
  metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television
  sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding
  (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing,
  fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic
  components, computers, amber jewelry

Luxembourg
  banking and financial services, iron and steel,
  information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation,
  food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires,
  glass, aluminum, tourism

Macedonia
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel,
cement, energy, pharmaceuticals

Madagascar
  meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar,
  textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper,
  petroleum, tourism

Malaysia
  Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and
  manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining
  and smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum
  production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production
  and refining, logging

Maldives
  fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut
  processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand
  mining

Malta
tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction,
food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco

Marshall Islands
copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from
seashells, wood, and pearls

Mauritius
  food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles,
  clothing, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment,
  nonelectrical machinery, tourism

Mexico
  food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel,
  petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer
  durables, tourism

Micronesia, Federated States of
  tourism, construction; fish
  processing, specialized aquaculture; craft items from shell, wood,
  and pearls

Moldova
  sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural
  machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing
  machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles

Mongolia
  construction and construction materials; mining (coal,
  copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, and gold); oil; food
  and beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural
  fiber manufacturing

Morocco
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing,
leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Mozambique
  food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints),
  aluminum, petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos,
  tobacco

Namibia
meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining
(diamonds, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)

Nepal
tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed
mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production

Netherlands
  agroindustries, metal and engineering products,
  electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum,
  construction, microelectronics, fishing

Netherlands Antilles
  tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire),
  petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities
  (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

New Zealand
  food processing, wood and paper products, textiles,
  machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism,
  mining

Nicaragua
  food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products,
  textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages,
  footwear, wood

Niger
uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food
processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

Nigeria
  crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton,
  rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other
  construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals,
  fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship
  construction and repair

Norway
petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and
paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing

Oman
  crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied
  natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel,
  chemicals, optic fiber

Pakistan
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals,
construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp

Palau
tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction,
garment making

Panama
construction, brewing, cement and other construction
materials, sugar milling

Papua New Guinea
  copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood
  production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and
  copper; crude oil production, petroleum refining; construction,
  tourism

Paraguay
sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel,
metallurgic, electric power

Peru
  mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication;
  petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish
  processing, textiles, clothing, food processing

Philippines
  electronics assembly, garments, footwear,
  pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing,
  petroleum refining, fishing

Poland
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals,
shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Portugal
  textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metals
  and metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; rubber and
  plastic products; ceramics; electronics and communications
  equipment; rail transportation equipment; aerospace equipment; ship
  construction and refurbishment; wine; tourism

Qatar
  crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers,
  petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship
  repair

Romania
  textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly,
  mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food
  processing, petroleum refining

Russia
  complete range of mining and extractive industries producing
  coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building
  from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles;
  defense industries including radar, missile production, and advanced
  electronic components, shipbuilding; road and rail transportation
  equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery,
  tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and
  transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer
  durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts

Rwanda
cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap,
furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Saint Helena
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy
woodwork), fishing, philatelic sales

Saint Kitts and Nevis
sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt,
copra, clothing, footwear, beverages

Saint Lucia
  clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages,
  corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut
  processing

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
fish processing and supply base for
fishing fleets; tourism

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
food processing, cement, furniture,
clothing, starch

Sao Tome and Principe
light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish
processing, timber

Saudi Arabia
  crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic
  petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic
  soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair,
  commercial aircraft repair, construction

Senegal
  agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining,
  fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials,
  ship construction and repair

Serbia
sugar, agricultural machinery, electrical and communication
equipment, paper and pulp, lead, transportation equipment

Seychelles
  fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla,
  coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture;
  beverages

Sierra Leone
  diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages,
  textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small
  commercial ship repair

Singapore
  electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling
  equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber
  products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore
  platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade

Slovakia
  metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity,
  gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers;
  machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport
  vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products

Slovenia
  ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc
  smelting; electronics (including military electronics), trucks,
  electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals,
  machine tools

Somalia
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles,
wireless communication

South Africa
  mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold,
  chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles,
  iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship
  repair

Spain
  textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages,
  metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles,
  machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear,
  pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Sri Lanka
  processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other
  agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking;
  clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining

Sudan
  oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar,
  soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals,
  armaments, automobile/light truck assembly

Suriname
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil,
lumbering, food processing, fishing

Swaziland
mining (coal, raw asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink
concentrates, textile and apparel

Sweden
  iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and
  telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed
  foods, motor vehicles

Syria
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco,
phosphate rock mining

Taiwan
  electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals,
  textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing,
  vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals

Tajikistan
  aluminum, zinc, lead; chemicals and fertilizers, cement,
  vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and
  freezers

Tanzania
  agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal
  twine); diamond, gold, and iron mining, salt, soda ash; cement, oil
  refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer

Thailand
  tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing,
  beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and
  electric appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits,
  furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts; world's
  second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer

Togo
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts,
textiles, beverages

Tokelau
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking,
plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Trinidad and Tobago
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing,
cement, beverage, cotton textiles

Tunisia
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore),
tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Turkey
  textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal,
  chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber,
  paper

Ukraine
  coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals,
  machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing
  (especially sugar)

United Arab Emirates
  petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing,
  aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction
  materials, some boat building, handicrafts, textiles

United Kingdom
  machine tools, electric power equipment, automation
  equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor
  vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment,
  metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food
  processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods

United States
  leading industrial power in the world, highly
  diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor
  vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics,
  food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Uruguay
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation
equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Uzbekistan
textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy,
gold petroleum, natural gas, chemicals

Venezuela
petroleum, construction materials, food processing,
textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly

Vietnam
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining,
coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper

Virgin Islands
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum
distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

West Bank
  generally small family businesses that produce cement,
  textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs;
  the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in
  the settlements and industrial centers

World
  dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in
  computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical
  equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a
  small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly
  adjusting to these technological forces; the accelerated development
  of new industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating
  already grim environmental problems

Yemen
  crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale
  production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing;
  handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial
  ship repair

Zambia
copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs,
beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture

Zimbabwe
  mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay,
  numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products,
  cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs,
  beverages

Afghanistan
  total: 160.23 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 164.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 155.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Albania
  total: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 20.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Algeria
  total: 29.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

American Samoa
  total: 9.07 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Andorra
  total: 4.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Angola
  total: 185.36 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 197.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 172.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Anguilla
  total: 20.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 22.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Argentina
  total: 14.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Armenia
  total: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Aruba
  total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Australia
  total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Austria
  total: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan
  total: 79 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 81.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 76.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The
  total: 24.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 30.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bahrain
  total: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bangladesh
  total: 60.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Barbados
  total: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Belarus
  total: 13 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Belgium
  total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Belize
  total: 24.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Benin
  total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bermuda
  total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bhutan
  total: 98.41 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 96.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 100.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bolivia
  total: 51.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 55.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 48.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Botswana
  total: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Brazil
  total: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Brunei
  total: 12.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.46 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Bulgaria
  total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 23.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 15.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso
  total: 91.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 99.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 83.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Burma
  total: 61.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 72.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 50.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Burundi
  total: 63.13 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 70.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 55.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cambodia
  total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 77.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cameroon
  total: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 67.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 59.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Canada
  total: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cape Verde
  total: 46.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 51.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 41.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
  total: 8 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Central African Republic
  total: 85.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 78.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Chad
  total: 91.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 100.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 82.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Chile
  total: 8.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

China
  total: 23.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Colombia
  total: 20.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 24.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Comoros
  total: 72.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 81.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 64.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total: 88.62 deaths/1,000 live
  births
  male: 96.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 80.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  total: 85.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 91 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 79.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Costa Rica
  total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  total: 89.11 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 105.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 71.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Croatia
  total: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cuba
  total: 6.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Cyprus
  total: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Czech Republic
  total: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Denmark
  total: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Djibouti
  total: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Dominica
  total: 13.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic
  total: 28.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

East Timor
  total: 45.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.03 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 39.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Ecuador
  total: 22.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.42 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Egypt
  total: 31.33 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

El Salvador
  total: 24.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Eritrea
  total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Estonia
  total: 7.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  total: 93.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 103.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 83.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

European Union
  total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Faroe Islands
  total: 6.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Fiji
  total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Finland
  total: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

France
  total: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

French Guiana
  total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

French Polynesia
  total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Gabon
  total: 54.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 63.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Gambia, The
  total: 71.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 78.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip
  total: 22.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 23.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Georgia
  total: 17.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 15.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Germany
  total: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Ghana
  total: 55.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 59.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Gibraltar
  total: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Greece
  total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Greenland
  total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Grenada
  total: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guadeloupe
  total: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guam
  total: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guatemala
  total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guernsey
  total: 4.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guinea
  total: 90 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 95.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 84.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
  total: 105.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 115.53 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Guyana
  total: 32.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 35.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Haiti
  total: 71.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Honduras
  total: 25.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Hong Kong
  total: 2.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.13 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Hungary
  total: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Iceland
  total: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

India
  total: 54.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 55.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 54.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Indonesia
  total: 34.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 39.36 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 29.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Iran
  total: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 40.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Iraq
  total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Ireland
  total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Isle of Man
  total: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Israel
  total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Italy
  total: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Jamaica
  total: 15.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 15.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Japan
  total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Jersey
  total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Jordan
  total: 16.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan
  total: 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.88 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 23.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Kenya
  total: 59.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 56.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Kiribati
  total: 47.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 41.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Korea, North
  total: 23.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Korea, South
  total: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Kuwait
  total: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  total: 34.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 39.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Laos
  total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Latvia
  total: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 11.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Lebanon
  total: 23.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Lesotho
  total: 87.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 82.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Liberia
  total: 155.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 171.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 139.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Libya
  total: 23.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein
  total: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Lithuania
  total: 6.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Luxembourg
  total: 4.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Macau
  total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Macedonia
  total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Madagascar
  total: 75.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 83.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 66.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Malawi
  total: 94.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 98.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 89.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Malaysia
  total: 17.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Maldives
  total: 54.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.01 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 55.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mali
  total: 107.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 117.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 97.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Malta
  total: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands
  total: 28.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.93 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Martinique
  total: 6.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mauritania
  total: 69.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 72.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 66.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mauritius
  total: 14.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mayotte
  total: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 66.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 54.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mexico
  total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  total: 29.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 32.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 26.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Moldova
  total: 38.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 41.44 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 35.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Monaco
  total: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mongolia
  total: 52.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 48.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Montserrat
  total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Morocco
  total: 40.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 36.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Mozambique
  total: 129.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 134.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 124.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Namibia
  total: 48.1 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 51.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 44.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Nauru
  total: 9.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Nepal
  total: 65.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 63.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 67.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Netherlands
  total: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  total: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

New Caledonia
  total: 7.57 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

New Zealand
  total: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Nicaragua
  total: 28.11 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Niger
  total: 118.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 122.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 114.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Nigeria
  total: 97.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 104.05 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 90.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
  total: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Norway
  total: 3.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Oman
  total: 18.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Pakistan
  total: 70.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 70.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 70.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Palau
  total: 14.46 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Panama
  total: 16.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.75 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  total: 49.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 45.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Paraguay
  total: 24.78 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 29.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 19.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Peru
  total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Philippines
  total: 22.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 19.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Poland
  total: 7.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Portugal
  total: 4.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico
  total: 9.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Qatar
  total: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Reunion
  total: 7.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Romania
  total: 25.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 22.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Russia
  total: 15.13 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Rwanda
  total: 89.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 94.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 84.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Saint Helena
  total: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia
  total: 13.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 14.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  total: 7.38 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.46 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  total: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 13.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Samoa
  total: 26.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

San Marino
  total: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.06 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  total: 41.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 39.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Senegal
  total: 52.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 56.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 49.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Seychelles
  total: 15.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 19.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone
  total: 160.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 142.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Singapore
  total: 2.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Slovakia
  total: 7.26 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Slovenia
  total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands
  total: 20.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Somalia
  total: 114.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 124.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 105.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

South Africa
  total: 60.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 64.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 56.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Spain
  total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka
  total: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Sudan
  total: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 61.88 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 60.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Suriname
  total: 23.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Swaziland
  total: 71.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 75.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 68.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Sweden
  total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Switzerland
  total: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 3.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Syria
  total: 28.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Taiwan
  total: 6.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.97 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Tajikistan
  total: 106.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 117.83 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 94.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Tanzania
  total: 96.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 105.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 87.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Thailand
  total: 19.49 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Togo
  total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Tonga
  total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  total: 25.05 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 23.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Tunisia
  total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Turkey
  total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan
  total: 72.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  total: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 17.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Tuvalu
  total: 19.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 22.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 16.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Uganda
  total: 66.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 69.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 62.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Ukraine
  total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates
  total: 14.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 16.57 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

United Kingdom
  total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

United States
  total: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Uruguay
  total: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 12.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 10.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan
  total: 69.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 74.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 65.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Vanuatu
  total: 53.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 56.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 51.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Venezuela
  total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 24.58 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Vietnam
  total: 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 25.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 24.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands
  total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

West Bank
  total: 19.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 17.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

World
  total: 48.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 50.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 46.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Yemen
  total: 59.88 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 64.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 54.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Zambia
  total: 86.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 94.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 79.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe
  total: 51.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 54.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 48.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Somalia
NA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflation
rates cannot be easily determined

World
  developed countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries
  5% to 20% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in
  individual cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflation
  in one Third World countries (Zimbabwe); inflation rates have
  declined for most countries for the last several years, held in
  check by increasing international competition from several low wage
  countries (2005 est.)

Zimbabwe
266.8% official data; private sector estimates are much
higher (2005 est.)

Afghanistan
1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to
500 DWT) (2005)

Australia
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and
Murray-Darling river systems) (2002)

Bangladesh
  8,372 km
  note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200
  km in dry season (2005)

Belarus
2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country
and by shallowness) (2003)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sava River (northern border) open to shipping
but use limited (2006)

Canada
  631 km
  note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
  Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003)

Central African Republic
2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and
Sangha rivers) (2005)

Cote d'Ivoire
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal
lagoons) (2005)

Czech Republic
664 km (principally on Elbe as well as Vltava and
Oder rivers) (2005)

Egypt
  3,500 km
  note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,
  and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including
  approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m
  (2005)

Fiji
  203 km
  note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
  (2004)

Finland
  7,842 km
  note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased
  from Russia (2005)

French Guiana
  3,760 km
  note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and
  river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003)

Gambia, The
390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can
reach 190 km) (2004)

Germany
  7,467 km
  note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North
  Sea and Black Sea (2005)

Ghana
  1,293 km
  note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano
  rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta
  (2005)

Greece
  6 km
  note: Corinth Canal (6 km) crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; shortens
  sea voyage by 325 km (2006)

Guatemala
  990 km
  note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable
  during high-water season (2004)

Guinea-Bissau
  four largest rivers are navigable for some distance;
  many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior
  (2006)

Guyana
Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by
oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2005)

India
  14,500 km
  note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for
  mechanized vessels (2005)

Iraq
  5,279 km
  note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third
  River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)

Italy
  2,400 km
  note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared
  to road and rail (2004)

Kazakhstan
4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) (80%) and Syr Darya
(Syrdariya) rivers) (2005)

Laos
  4,600 km
  note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are
  intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)

Malaysia
  7,200 km
  note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km, Sabah 1,500 km, Sarawak 2,500 km
  (2005)

Mongolia
  580 km
  note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge
  River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry
  little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May
  to September (2004)

Mozambique
460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora
Bassa Lake) (2002)

Niger
300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya
between September and March) (2005)

Peru
  8,808 km
  note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km
  of Lago Titicaca (2005)

Romania
  1,731 km
  note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary
  branches, and 132 km on canals (2005)

Russia
  102,000 km (including 33,000 km with guaranteed depth)
  note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White
  Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2005)

Switzerland
65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)

Tanzania
  Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal
  avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable
  (2005)

Thailand 4,000 km note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2005)

Turkmenistan
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland
waterways) (2006)

Uganda
on Lake Victoria, 200 km on Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, and
parts of Albert Nile (2005)

United States
  41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
  note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
  Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)

Venezuela
  7,100 km
  note: Orinoco River and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing
  vessels, Orinoco for 400 km (2005)

Zambia
2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and
Luapula rivers) (2005)

Afghanistan
  the constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama
  or Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms
  by the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate
  High Courts and Appeals Courts (note - nine supreme court justices
  were appointed in the interim in January 2005 pending National
  Assembly selection of the constitutionally mandated justices); there
  is also a minister of justice; a separate Afghan Independent Human
  Rights Commission established by the Bonn Agreement is charged with
  investigating human rights abuses and war crimes

Albania
  Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by
  the People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals
  and district courts

American Samoa
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are
appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)

Andorra
  Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the
  Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or
  Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice
  or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri
  Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional

Angola
Supreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges are
appointed by the president)

Antigua and Barbuda
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint
  Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands
  and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); member
  Caribbean Court of Justice

Argentina
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court
judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)

Australia
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are
appointed by the governor general)

Austria
  Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
  Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court
  or Verfassungsgerichtshof

Bahamas, The
Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme
(lower) Court; magistrates courts

Bangladesh
Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are
appointed by the president)

Barbados
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the
Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)

Belarus
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
  Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president
  and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

Belgium
  Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or
  Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the
  government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice
  Council)

Belize
Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister)

Benin
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court
or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice

Bhutan
Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges
appointed by the monarch)

Bolivia
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year
  terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each
  department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine
  members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's
  House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's
  National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of
  the European Court of Human Rights); BH State Court (consists of
  nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and
  Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law
  and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities);
  note - a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005
  note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a
  number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the
  Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska
  has five municipal courts

Botswana
High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in
each district)

Brazil
  Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life
  by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of
  Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life);
  note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal
  employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70

British Virgin Islands
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting
  of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of
  the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
  High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary
  Jurisdiction

Brunei
  Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by
  monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in
  London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Shariah courts deal
  with Islamic laws (2006)

Bulgaria
  Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation;
  Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year
  terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the
  two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members;
  responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and
  investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the
  Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by
  the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)

Burma
  remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but
  there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
  independent of the executive

Burundi
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts
  of Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals of
  First Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small local
  tribunals)

Cambodia
  Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the
  constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower
  courts) exercises judicial authority

Cameroon
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High
  Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges,
  elected by the National Assembly)

Canada
  Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime
  minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada;
  Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named
  variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court,
  Supreme Court, and Court of Justice)

Central African Republic
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme;
  Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the
  president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court
  of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts

Chile
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the
  president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates
  provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is
  elected every three years by the 20-member court); Constitutional
  Tribunal

China
  Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National
  People's Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher,
  intermediate, and local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily
  military, maritime, and railway transport courts)

Colombia
  four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme
  Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of
  criminal law; judges are selected by their peers from the nominees
  of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of
  State (highest court of administrative law; judges are selected from
  the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms);
  Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of the
  constitution; rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the
  constitution, and international treaties); Superior Judicial Council
  (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves
  jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are
  elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms)

Comoros
  Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the
  president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected
  by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of
  the republic)

Costa Rica
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected
for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)

Cote d'Ivoire
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consists of four
  chambers: Judicial Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for
  financial cases, Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases,
  and Administrative Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit
  to the number of members

Croatia
  Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts
  appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the
  Republic, which is elected by the Assembly

Cuba
  People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president,
  vice president, and other judges are elected by the National
  Assembly)

Cyprus
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president
  and vice president)
  note: there is also a Supreme Court in north Cyprus

Czech Republic
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; chairman and
deputy chairmen are appointed by the president for a 10-year term

Dominica
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of
  Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six
  judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary
  Jurisdiction)

Dominican Republic
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are
  appointed by the National Judicial Council comprised of the
  president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president
  of the Supreme Court, and an additional non-governing party
  congressional representative)

East Timor
  Supreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for one
  judge to be appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed by
  Superior Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court is
  established, Court of Appeals is highest court

Ecuador
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (according to the
  Constitution, new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in
  December 2004, however, Congress successfully replaced the entire
  court via a simple-majority resolution)

El Salvador
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by
the Legislative Assembly)

Eritrea
High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also
have military and special courts

Ethiopia
  Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of
  the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and
  appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other
  federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
  Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal
  Judicial Administrative Council)

European Union
  Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures
  that the treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25
  justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term;
  note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11
  justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25
  justices appointed for a six-year term

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Fiji
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of
Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

France
  Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are
  appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of
  the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel
  (three members appointed by the president, three appointed by the
  president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the
  president of the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

French Guiana
  Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court
  based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe,
  and French Guiana)

French Polynesia
  Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First
  Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative
  Law or Tribunal Administratif

Gabon
  Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers -
  Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts
  of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts

Georgia
  Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the
  president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation);
  Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts

Germany
  Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht
  (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the
  Bundesrat)

Greece
  Supreme Judicial Court; Special Supreme Tribunal; all judges
  appointed for life by the president after consultation with a
  judicial council

Greenland
  High Court or Landsret (appeals can be made to the Ostre
  Landsret or Eastern Division of the High Court or Supreme Court in
  Copenhagen)

Grenada
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of
  Appeal and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned
  to and resides in Grenada)

Guadeloupe
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over
Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Guam
  Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president);
  Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by
  the governor)

Guatemala
  Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is
  Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent
  five-year terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of
  the Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by
  the Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the president, one
  elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala,
  and one by Colegio de Abogados); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte
  Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and
  elect a president of the Court each year from among their number;
  the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial
  judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)

Guinea-Bissau
  Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists
  of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his
  pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases);
  Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals
  for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases
  valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not
  necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and
  misdemeanor criminal cases)

Guyana
  Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and
  the Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the
  Caribbean Court of Justice

Holy See (Vatican City)
  there are three tribunals responsible for
  civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other
  tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See
  note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope
  PIUS XII on 1 May 1946

Honduras
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia
(judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)

Hungary
Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National
Assembly for nine-year terms)

Iceland
  Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for
  life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices
  are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

India
  Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are
  appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the
  age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")

Indonesia
  Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
  president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a
  separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested by
  the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court
  assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
  court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor
  Court under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in
  January 2006

Iran
Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary
court, and a special administrative court

Iraq
Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the
Presidency Council

Ireland
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the
advice of the prime minister and cabinet)

Isle of Man
  High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the
  Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant
  governor)

Israel
  Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection
  Committee - made up of all three branches of the government;
  mandatory retirement age is 70)

Italy
  Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15
  judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by
  parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative
  Supreme Courts)

Jamaica
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Japan
  Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after
  designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the
  cabinet)

Kiribati
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges
at all levels are appointed by the president

Korea, North
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme
People's Assembly)

Korea, South
  Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with
  consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices
  appointed by president based partly on nominations by National
  Assembly and Chief Justice of the court)

Kyrgyzstan
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed for 10-year terms by
  the Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president);
  Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration

Laos
  People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme
  Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of
  the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the
  People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National
  Assembly Standing Committee)

Lebanon
  four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and
  commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional
  Council (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of
  laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and
  prime minister as needed)

Lesotho
  High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on
  the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's
  Court; customary or traditional court

Liechtenstein
Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal
or Obergericht

Lithuania
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
judges for all courts appointed by the President

Luxembourg
  judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2
  district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative
  courts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative
  courts and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all
  courts are appointed for life by the monarch

Macedonia
  Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges;
  Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican
  Judicial Council - the Assembly appoints the judges

Madagascar
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court
or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle

Malawi
  Supreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed
  by the president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the
  Judicial Service Commission); magistrate's courts

Malaysia
Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on
the advice of the prime minister)

Malta
Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts
are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Mexico
  Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia
  Nacional (justices or ministros are appointed by the president with
  consent of the Senate)

Moldova
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for
constitutional judicature)

Monaco
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the
monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council)

Mongolia
  Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and
  provincial courts but rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts;
  judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts and approved
  by the president)

Montenegro
Constitutional Court (five judges with nine-year terms);
Supreme Court (judges have life tenure)

Montserrat
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia,
  one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and
  presides over the High Court)

Morocco
Supreme Court (judges are appointed on the recommendation of
the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the monarch)

Mozambique
  Supreme Court (the court of final appeal; some of its
  professional judges are appointed by the president and some are
  elected by the Assembly); other courts include an Administrative
  Court, customs courts, maritime courts, courts marshal, labor courts
  note: although the constitution provides for a separate
  Constitutional Court, one has never been established; in its absence
  the Supreme Court reviews constitutional cases

Namibia
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)

Nepal
  Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed
  by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the
  other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of
  the Judicial Council)

Netherlands
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for
life by the monarch)

Netherlands Antilles
Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed
by the monarch)

New Caledonia
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint
Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court

New Zealand
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note -
Judges appointed by the Governor-General

Nicaragua
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (16 judges elected for
five-year terms by the National Assembly)

Nigeria
  Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal
  Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on
  the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)

Northern Mariana Islands
Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court;
Federal District Court

Oman
  Supreme Court
  note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has
  judges who practice secular and Shari'a law

Pakistan
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president);
Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court

Panama
  Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine
  judges appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three
  courts of appeal

Papua New Guinea
  Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by
  the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive
  Council after consultation with the minister responsible for
  justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal
  Services Commission)

Paraguay
  Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia
  (judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or
  Consejo de la Magistratura)

Peru
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges
are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)

Philippines
  Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the
  president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and
  serve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan
  (special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)

Pitcairn Islands
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor

Poland
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the
  recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an
  indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by
  the Sejm for nine-year terms)

Portugal
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges
appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)

Puerto Rico
  Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance
  composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court
  (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the
  consent of the Senate)

Qatar
  Court of Appeal
  note: under a judiciary law issued in 2003, the former two court
  systems, civil and Islamic law, were merged under a higher court,
  the Court of Cassation, established for appeals

Romania
  Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed
  for three-year terms by the president in consultation with the
  Superior Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister
  of justice, the prosecutor general, two civil society
  representatives appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges and
  prosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body, the
  Constitutional Court, validates elections and makes decisions
  regarding the constitutionality of laws, treaties, ordinances, and
  internal rules of the Parliament; it is comprised of nine members
  serving nine-year terms, with three members each appointed by the
  president, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies

Russia
  Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Supreme Arbitration
  Court; judges for all courts are appointed for life by the
  Federation Council on the recommendation of the president

Rwanda
Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial
Courts; District Courts; mediation committees

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on
  Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts
  and Nevis)

Saint Lucia
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to
  Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica,
  Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal
Superieur d'Appel

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
  (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Sao Tome and Principe
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the
National Assembly)

Senegal
Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final
Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals

Seychelles
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts
are appointed by the president

Singapore
  Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president
  with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by
  the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals

Slovakia
  Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council);
  Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of
  nominees approved by the National Council); Special Court (judges
  elected by a council of judges and appointed by president)

Slovenia
  Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly
  on the recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court
  (judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and
  nominated by the president)

Somalia
  following the breakdown of the central government, most
  regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either
  secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Shari'a (Islamic) law
  with a provision for appeal of all sentences

South Africa
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High
Courts; Magistrate Courts

Sri Lanka
Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts
are appointed by the president

Sudan
  Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court;
  National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial
  Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National
  Judiciary

Suriname
Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate
court (justices are nominated for life)

Swaziland
High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are
appointed by the monarch

Sweden
Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by
the prime minister and the cabinet)

Switzerland
Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms
by the Federal Assembly)

Syria
  Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes
  and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices
  appointed for four-year terms by the President); High Judicial
  Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the President);
  Court of Cassation (national level); State Security Courts (hear
  cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts
  (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce); Courts of
  First Instance (local level; include magistrate, summary, and peace
  courts)

Taiwan
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with
consent of the Legislative Yuan)

Tanzania
  Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court
  of Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court
  (consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the
  president; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;
  Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the
  higher courts)

Tokelau
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal
jurisdiction in Tokelau

Tonga
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of
  Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen
  and approved by Privy Council)

Trinidad and Tobago
  Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the
  High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is
  appointed by the president after consultation with the prime
  minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are
  appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal
  Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Caribbean Court of
  Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the
  Privy Council in London

Turkey
  Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay);
  Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military
  High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Tuvalu
  High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside
  over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of
  Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

Uganda
  Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and
  approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by
  the president)

United Arab Emirates
Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by
the president)

United Kingdom
  House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several
  Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life);
  Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising
  the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown
  Courts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary

United States
  Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the
  president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate;
  appointed to serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United
  States District Courts; State and County Courts

Uruguay
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and
elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Uzbekistan
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and
confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)

Vanuatu
  Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president
  after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the
  opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on
  the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)

Venezuela
  Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia
  (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single
  12-year term)

Vietnam
  Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a
  five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the
  president)

Virgin Islands
  US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third
  Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges
  appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)

Wallis and Futuna
  none; justice generally administered under French
  law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings
  administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Zambia
  Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are
  appointed by the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction
  to hear civil and criminal cases)

Bahrain
  380,000
  note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
  (2005 est.)

Bangladesh
  66.6 million
  note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman,
  Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion
  in 1998-99 (2005 est.)

Belize
  90,000
  note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel
  (2001 est.)

Brunei
  146,300
  note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary
  residents make up about 40% of labor force (2003 est.)

Burkina Faso
  5 million
  note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to
  neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)

Haiti
3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)

Kiribati
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence
farmers (2001 est.)

Kuwait 1.67 million note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2005 est.)

Lebanon
  2.6 million
  note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers
  (2001 est.)

Liechtenstein
29,500 of whom 13,900 commute from Austria,
Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (31 December 2001)

Luxembourg
316,500 of whom 121,600 are foreign cross-border workers
commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2005 est.)

Montserrat 4,521 note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)

Niger
70,000 salaried workers, 60% of whom are employed in the
public sector (2002 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands 44,470 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers (2000)

Pakistan
  46.84 million
  note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use
  of child labor (2005 est.)

Panama
  1.39 million
  note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled
  labor (2005 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  6.76 million
  note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is
  non-national (2005 est.)

Afghanistan
  total: 5,529 km
  border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
  Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

Albania
  total: 720 km
  border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172
  km, Serbia 115 km

Algeria
  total: 6,343 km
  border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km,
  Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km

Angola
  total: 5,198 km
  border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of
  which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province),
  Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km

Argentina
  total: 9,665 km
  border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
  Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km

Armenia
  total: 1,254 km
  border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
  exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

Austria
  total: 2,562 km
  border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366
  km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330
  km, Switzerland 164 km

Azerbaijan
  total: 2,013 km
  border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia
  (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran
  (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
  exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km

Belarus
  total: 2,900 km
  border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km,
  Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Belgium
  total: 1,385 km
  border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
  Netherlands 450 km

Benin
  total: 1,989 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km,
  Togo 644 km

Bolivia
  total: 6,743 km
  border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km,
  Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Bosnia and Herzegovina
total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km

Botswana
  total: 4,013 km
  border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe
  813 km

Brazil
  total: 16,884.4 km
  border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia
  1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365
  km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela
  2,199 km

Bulgaria
  total: 1,808 km
  border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km,
  Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km

Burkina Faso
  total: 3,193 km
  border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km,
  Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Burma
  total: 5,876 km
  border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km,
  Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

Burundi
  total: 974 km
  border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda
  290 km, Tanzania 451 km

Cambodia
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

Cameroon
  total: 4,591 km
  border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km,
  Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298
  km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Canada total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

Central African Republic
  total: 5,203 km
  border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic
  Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan
  1,165 km

Chad
  total: 5,968 km
  border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197
  km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km

Chile
total: 6,339 km
border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km

China
  total: 22,117 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km,
  India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km,
  Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km,
  Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40
  km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
  regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

Colombia
  total: 6,004 km
  border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km,
  Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total: 10,730 km
  border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary
  of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central
  African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda
  217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km

Congo, Republic of the
  total: 5,504 km
  border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African
  Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon
  1,903 km

Cote d'Ivoire
  total: 3,110 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km,
  Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km

Croatia
  total: 2,197 km
  border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km,
  Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 670 km

Cuba
  total: 29 km
  border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km
  note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of
  Cuba

Cyprus
total: NA; note - boundary with Dhekelia is being resurveyed
border countries: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia NA

Czech Republic
  total: 2,290.2 km
  border countries: Austria 466.3 km, Germany 810.3 km, Poland 761.8
  km, Slovakia 251.8 km

Djibouti total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km

Egypt
  total: 2,665 km
  border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km,
  Sudan 1,273 km

Eritrea
total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Ethiopia
  total: 5,328 km
  border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km,
  Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km

European Union
  total: 11,214.8 km
  border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050
  km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein
  34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania
  443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 151 km,
  Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km
  note: data for European Continent only

Finland
total: 2,681 km
border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

France
  total: 2,889 km
  border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km,
  Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km,
  Switzerland 573 km

French Guiana total: 1,240.4 km border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km

Gabon
  total: 2,551 km
  border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km,
  Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Georgia
  total: 1,461 km
  border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
  Turkey 252 km

Germany
  total: 3,621 km
  border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646
  km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577
  km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km

Ghana
  total: 2,094 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo
  877 km

Greece
  total: 1,228 km
  border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km,
  Macedonia 246 km

Guadeloupe total: 15 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km

Guatemala
  total: 1,687 km
  border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256
  km, Mexico 962 km

Guinea
  total: 3,399 km
  border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km,
  Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Guyana
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Honduras
  total: 1,520 km
  border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua
  922 km

Hungary
  total: 2,171 km
  border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km,
  Serbia 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

India
  total: 14,103 km
  border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463
  km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Indonesia
  total: 2,830 km
  border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New
  Guinea 820 km

Iran
  total: 5,440 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
  Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq
  1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

Iraq
  total: 3,650 km
  border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi
  Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km

Israel
  total: 1,017 km
  border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
  Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

Italy
  total: 1,932.2 km
  border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican
  City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km

Jordan
  total: 1,635 km
  border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
  Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Kazakhstan
  total: 12,012 km
  border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
  km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Kenya
  total: 3,477 km
  border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
  Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Korea, North
total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

Kyrgyzstan
  total: 3,878 km
  border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
  km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Laos
  total: 5,083 km
  border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km,
  Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Latvia
  total: 1,368 km
  border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km,
  Russia 282 km

Liberia
  total: 1,585 km
  border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone
  306 km

Libya
  total: 4,348 km
  border countries: Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,115 km,
  Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km

Liechtenstein
total: 76 km
border countries: Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 km

Lithuania
  total: 1,613 km
  border countries: Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 103.7 km,
  Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 km

Luxembourg
total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Macedonia
  total: 766 km
  border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km,
  Serbia 221 km

Malawi
total: 2,881 km
border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km

Malaysia
total: 2,669 km
border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Mali
  total: 7,243 km
  border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea
  858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km,
  Senegal 419 km

Mauritania
  total: 5,074 km
  border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km,
  Western Sahara 1,561 km

Mexico total: 4,353 km border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km

Montenegro
  total: 625 km
  border countries: Albania 172 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km,
  Croatia 25 km, Serbia 203 km

Morocco
  total: 2,017.9 km
  border countries: Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain
  (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6 km

Mozambique
  total: 4,571 km
  border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland
  105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km

Namibia
  total: 3,936 km
  border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa
  967 km, Zambia 233 km

Netherlands Antilles
total: 15 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 15 km

Niger
  total: 5,697 km
  border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km,
  Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km

Nigeria
  total: 4,047 km
  border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger
  1,497 km

Norway
total: 2,542 km
border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km

Oman
total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Pakistan
  total: 6,774 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912
  km, Iran 909 km

Paraguay
total: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km

Peru
  total: 5,536 km
  border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km,
  Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km

Poland
  total: 3,056 km
  border countries: Belarus 416 km, Czech Republic 790 km, Germany 467
  km, Lithuania 103 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia
  541 km, Ukraine 529 km

Romania
  total: 2,508 km
  border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km,
  Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km

Russia
  total: 20,096.5 km
  border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China
  (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland
  1,340 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km,
  Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 280.5 km, Mongolia
  3,485 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 232 km, Ukraine
  1,576 km

Rwanda
  total: 893 km
  border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

Saudi Arabia
  total: 4,431 km
  border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman
  676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Senegal
  total: 2,640 km
  border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau
  338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km

Serbia
  total: 2,027 km
  border countries: Albania 115 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 302 km,
  Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia 241 km, Hungary 151 km, Macedonia 221 km,
  Montenegro 203 km, Romania 476 km

Slovakia
  total: 1,524 km
  border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677
  km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km

Slovenia
  total: 1,382 km
  border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 670 km, Hungary 102 km,
  Italy 280 km

Somalia
total: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

South Africa
  total: 4,862 km
  border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491
  km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Spain
  total: 1,917.8 km
  border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
  Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Sudan
  total: 7,687 km
  border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km,
  Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605
  km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km

Suriname total: 1,707 km border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Swaziland
total: 535 km
border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Switzerland
  total: 1,852 km
  border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
  Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Syria
  total: 2,253 km
  border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
  375 km, Turkey 822 km

Tajikistan
  total: 3,651 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870
  km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

Tanzania
  total: 3,861 km
  border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217
  km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km

Thailand
  total: 4,863 km
  border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km,
  Malaysia 506 km

Togo
total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Turkey
  total: 2,648 km
  border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km,
  Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Turkmenistan
  total: 3,736 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379
  km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Uganda
  total: 2,698 km
  border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933
  km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km

Ukraine
  total: 4,663 km
  border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km,
  Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia
  1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km

United Arab Emirates
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

United States
  total: 12,034 km
  border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska),
  Mexico 3,141 km
  note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and
  is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28 km

Uzbekistan
  total: 6,221 km
  border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km,
  Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Venezuela
total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Vietnam
total: 4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Western Sahara
total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

World
  the land boundaries in the world total 250,708 km (not
  counting shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia,
  each border 14 other countries
  note: 44 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include:
  Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan,
  Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic,
  Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary,
  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
  Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay,
  Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland,
  Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia,
  Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly
  landlocked

Zambia
  total: 5,664 km
  border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania
  338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Zimbabwe
  total: 3,066 km
  border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa
  225 km, Zambia 797 km

Afghanistan
  arable land: 12.13%
  permanent crops: 0.21%
  other: 87.66% (2005)

Anguilla
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
  commercial salt ponds) (2005)

Antarctica
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005)

Antigua and Barbuda
  arable land: 18.18%
  permanent crops: 4.55%
  other: 77.27% (2005)

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)

Australia
  arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of
  cultivated grassland)
  permanent crops: 0.04%
  other: 93.81% (2005)

Azerbaijan
  arable land: 20.62%
  permanent crops: 2.61%
  other: 76.77% (2005)

Bahamas, The
  arable land: 0.58%
  permanent crops: 0.29%
  other: 99.13% (2005)

Bangladesh
  arable land: 55.39%
  permanent crops: 3.08%
  other: 41.53% (2005)

Bassas da India
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (all rock) (2005)

Belgium
  arable land: 27.42%
  permanent crops: 0.69%
  other: 71.89%
  note: includes Luxembourg (2005)

Bermuda
  arable land: 20%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  arable land: 19.61%
  permanent crops: 1.89%
  other: 78.5% (2005)

Bouvet Island
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (93% ice) (2005)

British Indian Ocean Territory
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

British Virgin Islands
  arable land: 20%
  permanent crops: 6.67%
  other: 73.33% (2005)

Burkina Faso
  arable land: 17.66%
  permanent crops: 0.22%
  other: 82.12% (2005)

Cape Verde
  arable land: 11.41%
  permanent crops: 0.74%
  other: 87.85% (2005)

Cayman Islands
  arable land: 3.85%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 96.15% (2005)

Central African Republic
  arable land: 3.1%
  permanent crops: 0.15%
  other: 96.75% (2005)

Christmas Island arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)

Clipperton Island
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (all coral) (2005)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  arable land: 2.86%
  permanent crops: 0.47%
  other: 96.67% (2005)

Congo, Republic of the
  arable land: 1.45%
  permanent crops: 0.15%
  other: 98.4% (2005)

Coral Sea Islands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2005)

Cote d'Ivoire
  arable land: 10.23%
  permanent crops: 11.16%
  other: 78.61% (2005)

Czech Republic
  arable land: 38.82%
  permanent crops: 3%
  other: 58.18% (2005)

Dominican Republic
  arable land: 22.49%
  permanent crops: 10.26%
  other: 67.25% (2005)

El Salvador
  arable land: 31.37%
  permanent crops: 11.88%
  other: 56.75% (2005)

Equatorial Guinea
  arable land: 4.63%
  permanent crops: 3.57%
  other: 91.8% (2005)

Europa Island
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (mangrove forests and woodlands) (2005)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)

French Guiana
  arable land: 0.13%
  permanent crops: 0.04%
  other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005)

French Polynesia
  arable land: 0.75%
  permanent crops: 5.5%
  other: 93.75% (2005)

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Gambia, The
  arable land: 27.88%
  permanent crops: 0.44%
  other: 71.68% (2005)

Glorioso Islands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (all lush vegetation and coconut palms) (2005)

Guinea-Bissau
  arable land: 8.31%
  permanent crops: 6.92%
  other: 84.77% (2005)

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (urban area) (2005)

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand;
  Europa Island - 100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso
  Islands - 100% lush vegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova
  Island - 90% forest, 10% other; Tromelin Island - 100% grasses and
  scattered brush

Isle of Man
  arable land: 9%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)
  (2002)

Juan de Nova Island
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (90% forest) (2005)

Korea, North
  arable land: 22.4%
  permanent crops: 1.66%
  other: 75.94% (2005)

Korea, South
  arable land: 16.58%
  permanent crops: 2.01%
  other: 81.41% (2005)

Kyrgyzstan
  arable land: 6.55%
  permanent crops: 0.28%
  other: 93.17%
  note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut
  forest (2005)

Luxembourg
  arable land: 23.94%
  permanent crops: 0.39%
  other: 75.67% (includes Belgium) (2005)

Marshall Islands
  arable land: 11.11%
  permanent crops: 44.44%
  other: 44.45% (2005)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  arable land: 5.71%
  permanent crops: 45.71%
  other: 48.58% (2005)

Monaco
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (urban area) (2005)

Netherlands
  arable land: 21.96%
  permanent crops: 0.77%
  other: 77.27% (2005)

Netherlands Antilles
  arable land: 10%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 90% (2005)

New Caledonia
  arable land: 0.32%
  permanent crops: 0.22%
  other: 99.46% (2005)

New Zealand
  arable land: 5.54%
  permanent crops: 6.92%
  other: 87.54% (2005)

Northern Mariana Islands
  arable land: 13.04%
  permanent crops: 4.35%
  other: 82.61% (2005)

Palmyra Atoll
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (forests and woodlands) (2005)

Papua New Guinea
  arable land: 0.49%
  permanent crops: 1.4%
  other: 98.11% (2005)

Puerto Rico
  arable land: 3.69%
  permanent crops: 5.59%
  other: 90.72% (2005)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  arable land: 19.44%
  permanent crops: 2.78%
  other: 77.78% (2005)

Saint Lucia
  arable land: 6.45%
  permanent crops: 22.58%
  other: 70.97% (2005)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  arable land: 12.5%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 87.5% (2005)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  arable land: 17.95%
  permanent crops: 17.95%
  other: 64.1% (2005)

Sao Tome and Principe
  arable land: 8.33%
  permanent crops: 48.96%
  other: 42.71% (2005)

Saudi Arabia
  arable land: 1.67%
  permanent crops: 0.09%
  other: 98.24% (2005)

Seychelles
  arable land: 2.17%
  permanent crops: 13.04%
  other: 84.79% (2005)

Solomon Islands
  arable land: 0.62%
  permanent crops: 2.04%
  other: 97.34% (2005)

South Africa
  arable land: 12.1%
  permanent crops: 0.79%
  other: 87.11% (2005)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some
  sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)

Svalbard
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and
  cloudberry) (2005)

Switzerland
  arable land: 9.91%
  permanent crops: 0.58%
  other: 89.51% (2005)

Tokelau
  arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Trinidad and Tobago
  arable land: 14.62%
  permanent crops: 9.16%
  other: 76.22% (2005)

Tromelin Island
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (2005)

Turkmenistan
  arable land: 4.51%
  permanent crops: 0.14%
  other: 95.35% (2005)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  arable land: 2.33%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 97.67% (2005)

United Arab Emirates
  arable land: 0.77%
  permanent crops: 2.27%
  other: 96.96% (2005)

United Kingdom
  arable land: 23.23%
  permanent crops: 0.2%
  other: 76.57% (2005)

United States
  arable land: 18.01%
  permanent crops: 0.21%
  other: 81.78% (2005)

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Uzbekistan
  arable land: 10.51%
  permanent crops: 0.76%
  other: 88.73% (2005)

Virgin Islands
  arable land: 5.71%
  permanent crops: 2.86%
  other: 91.43% (2005)

Wallis and Futuna
  arable land: 7.14%
  permanent crops: 35.71%
  other: 57.15% (2005)

Western Sahara
  arable land: 0.02%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 99.98% (2005)

Afghanistan
  Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official)
  35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor
  languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Albania
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek,
Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects

American Samoa
  Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other
  Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific
  islander 2.1%, other 2%
  note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)

Aruba
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,
English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

Australia
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%,
unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)

Austria
  German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in
  Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official
  in Burgenland)

Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other
6% (1995 est.)

Belgium
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German
(official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Benin
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in
south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Bhutan
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects,
Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects

Botswana
Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English
2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census)

Bulgaria
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and
unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Burkina Faso
French (official), native African languages belonging
to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

Burundi
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake
Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Cameroon
24 major African language groups, English (official),
French (official)

Central African Republic
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca
and national language), tribal languages

Chad
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more
than 120 different languages and dialects

China
  Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing
  dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
  (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
  (see Ethnic groups entry)

Comoros
Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of
Swahili and Arabic)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  French (official), Lingala (a
  lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or
  Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba

Congo, Republic of the
  French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba
  (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects
  (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

Cote d'Ivoire
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the
most widely spoken

Croatia
  Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9%
  (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001
  census)

Denmark
  Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German
  (small minority)
  note: English is the predominant second language

East Timor
  Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian,
  English
  note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole,
  Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people

Egypt
Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by
educated classes

Equatorial Guinea
Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin
English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Estonia
Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%,
unknown 0.7% (2000 census)

Ethiopia
  Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic,
  other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in
  schools)

European Union
  Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish,
  French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian,
  Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note
  - only official languages are listed; Irish (Gaelic) will become the
  21st language on 1 January 2007

Finland
Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4%
(small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

France
  French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and
  languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque,
  Flemish)

French Polynesia
  French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4%
  (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002
  census)

Gambia, The
English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other
indigenous vernaculars

Gaza Strip
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English
(widely understood)

Georgia
  Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%,
  other 7%
  note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Ghana
English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

Gibraltar
English (used in schools and for official purposes),
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese

Guam
  English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%,
  other Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages 7%, other
  languages 3.5% (2000 census)

Guatemala
  Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially
  recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel,
  Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

India
  English enjoys associate status but is the most important
  language for national, political, and commercial communication;
  Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the
  people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu,
  Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi,
  Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular
  variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is
  not an official language

Indonesia
  Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay),
  English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is
  Javanese

Iran
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects
26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Ireland
  English (official) is the language generally used, Irish
  (official) (Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along
  the western seaboard

Israel
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,
English most commonly used foreign language

Italy
  Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige
  region are predominantly German speaking), French (small
  French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene
  (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)

Jordan
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and
middle classes

Kazakhstan
  Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official,
  used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic
  communication") 95% (2001 est.)

Latvia
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other
4.3% (2000 census)

Liberia
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of
which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Lithuania
Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other
and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Luxembourg
Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative
language), French (administrative language)

Macau
Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese
dialects 3.1%, other 3% (2001 census)

Macedonia
Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%,
Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)

Malawi
  Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%,
  Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other
  3.6% (1998 census)

Malaysia
  Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese,
  Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu,
  Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
  note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most
  widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Maldives
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from
Arabic), English spoken by most government officials

Marshall Islands
  Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999
  census)
  note: English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese
  and English are official languages

Mauritius
  Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English
  (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%,
  unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)

Mayotte
Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language)
spoken by 35% of the population

Micronesia, Federated States of
  English (official and common
  language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian,
  Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Moldova
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian
language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Morocco
Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the
language of business, government, and diplomacy

Mozambique
  Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8%
  (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe
  7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%,
  other foreign languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)

Namibia
  English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of
  the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
  indigenous languages (Oshivambo, Herero, Nama)

Nauru
  Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language),
  English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and
  commercial purposes

Nepal
  Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu
  (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi
  2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census)
  note: many in government and business also speak English

Netherlands Antilles
  Papiamento 65.4% (a
  Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely
  spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other
  1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Nicaragua
  Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995
  census)
  note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Niue
Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and
Samoan; English

Norfolk Island
English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century
English and ancient Tahitian

Northern Mariana Islands
  Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%,
  Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%,
  other 9.6% (2000 census)

Norway
  Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official),
  small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official
  in six municipalities

Pakistan
  Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%,
  Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%,
  English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most
  government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%

Palau
  Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral
  (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are
  official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official),
  Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%,
  Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)

Papua New Guinea
  Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca,
  English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region
  note: 820 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the world's
  total)

Peru
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large
number of minor Amazonian languages

Philippines
  two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and
  English; eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano,
  Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Pitcairn Islands
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th
century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Rwanda
  Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French
  (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in
  commercial centers

Serbia
  Serbian (official nationwide); Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak,
  Ukrainian, and Croatian (all official in Vojvodina); Albanian
  (official in Kosovo)

Seychelles
Creole 91.8%, English 4.9% (official), other 3.1%,
unspecified 0.2% (2002 census)

Sierra Leone
  English (official, regular use limited to literate
  minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne
  (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole,
  spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled
  in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10%
  of the population but understood by 95%)

Singapore
  Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%,
  Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects
  1.8%, other 0.9% (2000 census)

Slovakia
Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Roma 1.8%,
Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6% (2001 census)

Slovenia
Slovenian 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified
4.4% (2002 census)

Solomon Islands
  Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua
  franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the
  population
  note: 120 indigenous languages

South Africa
  IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi
  9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%,
  other 7.2% (2001 census)

Spain
  Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%;
  note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other
  languages are official regionally

Sri Lanka
  Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil
  (national language) 18%, other 8%
  note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken
  competently by about 10% of the population

Sudan
  Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of
  Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
  note: program of "Arabization" in process

Suriname
  Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo
  (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of
  Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca
  among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Swaziland
English (official, government business conducted in
English), siSwati (official)

Switzerland
  German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%,
  Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%,
  Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch 0.5%, other 2.8%
  (2000 census)
  note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national
  languages, but only the first three are official languages

Syria
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian
widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Tanzania
  Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili
  in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,
  administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in
  Zanzibar), many local languages
  note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people
  living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili
  is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety
  of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the
  lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of
  most people is one of the local languages

Thailand
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and
regional dialects

Togo
  French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina
  (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes
  spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the
  north)

Tunisia
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce),
French (commerce)

Turkey
  Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian
  note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the Europe
  part of Turkey

Uganda
  English (official national language, taught in grade schools,
  used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio
  broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo
  languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital
  and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages,
  Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic

Ukraine
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, small Romanian-,
Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities

United Kingdom
English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of
Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

United States
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European
3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)

Uruguay
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on
the Brazilian frontier)

Vanuatu
  local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as
  Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%,
  unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)

Vietnam
  Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a
  second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area
  languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Virgin Islands
English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%,
French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)

Wallis and Futuna
Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language),
Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)

West Bank
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many
Palestinians), English (widely understood)

World
  Mandarin Chinese 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi
  2.82%, Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese
  1.99%, Standard German 1.49%, Wu Chinese 1.21% (2004 est.)
  note: percents are for "first language" speakers only

Zambia
English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi,
Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

Zimbabwe
  English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the
  Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal
  dialects

Afghanistan
  according to the new constitution, no law should be
  "contrary to Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and
  progressive society based on social justice, protection of human
  dignity, protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and
  to ensure national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and
  tribes; the state shall abide by the UN charter, international
  treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the
  Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Albania
  has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International
  Criminal Court for its citizens

Algeria
  socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review
  of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of
  various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Andorra
based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review
of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Angola
  based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law;
  recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased
  use of free markets

Antarctica
  Antarctica is administered through meetings of the
  consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are
  carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own
  nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national
  laws; US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US
  nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US
  laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic
  Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and
  criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized
  by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the
  introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into
  specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants;
  and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica;
  violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up
  to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science
  Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement
  responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation
  Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to
  Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805,
  Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans
  to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more
  information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs,
  National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone:
  (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov; more
  generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas
  between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of
  relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by
  the states party to the Antarctic Treaty

Argentina
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  the laws of the Commonwealth of
  Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where
  applicable, apply

Australia
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Austria
  civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
  legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate
  administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Barbados
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Belgium
  civil law system influenced by English constitutional
  theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Benin
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bhutan
based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Bolivia
based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Botswana
  based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial
  review limited to matters of interpretation; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Brunei
based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law
supersedes civil law in a number of areas

Bulgaria
civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Burundi
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cambodia
  primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes
  from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC)
  period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences
  of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing
  influence of common law in recent years; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Cameroon
based on French civil law system, with common law
influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Canada
  based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil
  law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Chad
based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Chile
  based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent
  codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction; note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of
  its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system

China
  based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental
  civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret
  statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Christmas Island
under the authority of the governor general of
Australia and Australian law

Colombia
  based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US
  procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and is gradually being
  implemented; judicial review of executive and legislative acts

Congo, Democratic Republic of the a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Costa Rica
  based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction

Cote d'Ivoire
  based on French civil law system and customary law;
  judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Cuba
based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of
Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Cyprus
based on common law, with civil law modifications; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Czech Republic
  civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to
  bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in
  Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal
  theory

Denmark
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Djibouti
based on French civil law system, traditional practices,
and Islamic law

Dominican Republic
  based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures
  Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory
  system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

East Timor
  UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains
  in place but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on
  Portuguese law; these have passed and are expected to be promulgated
  in early 2006

Egypt
  based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic
  codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State
  (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

El Salvador
based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law;
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Eritrea
  primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with
  revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been
  promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted
  laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law

Estonia
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Finland
  civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may
  request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

France
civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of
administrative but not legislative acts

Gabon
  based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial
  review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme
  Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Gambia, The
  based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law,
  and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Germany
  civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review
  of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Ghana
based on English common law and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Greece
  based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil,
  criminal, and administrative courts; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Guatemala
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Guernsey
English law and local statutes; justice is administered by
the Royal Court

Guinea
  based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree;
  legal codes currently being revised; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Guyana
based on English common law with certain admixtures of
Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
the laws of Australia, where
applicable, apply

Honduras
  rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing
  influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include
  abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial
  system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Hungary
rule of law based on Western model; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Iceland
civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

India
  based on English common law; limited judicial review of
  legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims,
  Christians, and Hindus

Indonesia
  based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by
  indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election
  codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Iraq
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution

Ireland
  based on English common law, substantially modified by
  indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme
  Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Israel
  mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations,
  and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal
  systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that
  it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Italy
  based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials;
  judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Jamaica
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Japan
  modeled after European civil law system with English-American
  influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Jersey
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the
Royal Court

Jordan
  based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
  legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Kenya
  based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law,
  tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional
  amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in
  1991

Korea, North
  based on German civil law system with Japanese
  influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of
  legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Korea, South
combines elements of continental European civil law
systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Kuwait
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal
matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Laos
based on traditional customs, French legal norms and
procedures, and socialist practice

Lebanon
  mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and
  civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Lesotho
  based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial
  review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Liberia
  dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common
  law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten
  tribal practices for indigenous sector; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Libya
  based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate
  religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of
  legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Liechtenstein
local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Lithuania
based on civil law system; legislative acts can be
appealed to the constitutional court

Madagascar
based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy
law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Malawi
  based on English common law and customary law; judicial
  review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Malaysia
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative
  acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the
  federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; Islamic
  law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law

Maldives
  based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law
  primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction

Mali
  based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial
  review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was
  formally established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Malta
based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Marshall Islands
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the
legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Mauritius
  based on French civil law system with elements of English
  common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
  with reservations

Mexico
  mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system;
  judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Micronesia, Federated States of based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws

Moldova
  based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews
  legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of
  resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and
  Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents

Mongolia
  blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine
  "continental" or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution
  ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Morocco
  based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law
  system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional
  Chamber of Supreme Court

Nauru
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Nepal
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Netherlands
  civil law system incorporating French penal theory;
  constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States
  General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Netherlands Antilles
based on Dutch civil law system with some
English common law influence

New Caledonia
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy
to the islands; formerly under French law

New Zealand
  based on English law, with special land legislation and
  land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Nicaragua
civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Niger
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Nigeria
  based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12
  northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Niue
English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the
power to make its own laws

Norfolk Island
  based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and
  acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either
  Australian or Norfolk Island law

Northern Mariana Islands
based on US system, except for customs,
wages, immigration laws, and taxation

Norway
  mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law
  traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature
  when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Oman
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to
the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Pakistan
  based on English common law with provisions to accommodate
  Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Palau
based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature,
municipal, common, and customary laws

Panama
  based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative
  acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Paraguay
  based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes;
  judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Peru
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Philippines
based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Poland
  mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover
  Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part
  of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of
  legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are
  final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of
  Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Portugal
  civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the
  constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Puerto Rico
based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal
system of justice

Qatar
  discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although
  civil codes are being implemented; Shari'a law dominates family and
  personal matters

Romania
former mixture of civil law system and communist legal
theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Rwanda
  based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary
  law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
French law with special adaptations for
local conditions, such as housing and taxation

Samoa
  based on English common law and local customs; judicial review
  of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the
  citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

San Marino
based on civil law system with Italian law influences;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sao Tome and Principe
based on Portuguese legal system and customary
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Saudi Arabia
  based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been
  introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Senegal
  based on French civil law system; judicial review of
  legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State
  audits the government's accounting office; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Sierra Leone
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to
local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Singapore
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Slovakia
  civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; legal code modified
  to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and
  Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal
  theory

Somalia
  no national system; Shari'a (Islamic) and secular courts
  based on Somali customary law (xeer) are present in some localities;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  the laws of the UK,
  where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland
  Islands presides over the Magistrates Court

Spain
civil law system, with regional applications; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Sri Lanka
  a highly complex mixture of English common law,
  Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Sudan
  based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January
  1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a
  law in the northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of
  the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate
  religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under
  the CPA following the civil war; Shari'a law will not apply to the
  southern states

Suriname
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal
theory; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Swaziland
  based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts
  and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Sweden
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Switzerland
  civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial
  review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees
  of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Syria
  based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law;
  religious law is used in the family court system; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Tanzania
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative
  acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Thailand
based on civil law system, with influences of common law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Togo
French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Trinidad and Tobago
  based on English common law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction

Tunisia
  based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some
  judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint
  session

Turkey
  civil law system derived from various European continental
  legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights
  (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified
  European Convention on Human Rights

Turks and Caicos Islands
based on laws of England and Wales, with a
few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Uganda
  in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one
  based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

United Arab Emirates
  federal court system introduced in 1971;
  applies to all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah,
  which are not fully integrated into the federal judicial system; all
  emirates have secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and
  commercial matters and Islamic courts to review family and religious
  disputes

United Kingdom
  common law tradition with early Roman and modern
  continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of
  Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

United States
  federal court system based on English common law; each
  state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one
  (Louisiana's) is based on English common law; judicial review of
  legislative acts

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
the laws of the US,
where applicable, apply

Uzbekistan
evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent
judicial system

Vanuatu
unified system being created from former dual French and
British systems

World
all members of the UN are parties to the statute that
established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court

Yemen
  based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and
  local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction

Zambia
  based on English common law and customary law; judicial
  review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Afghanistan
  the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi
  Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected
  for five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102
  seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year
  terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year
  terms - provincial councils elected temporary members to fill these
  seats until district councils are formed, and one-third presidential
  appointees for five-year terms; the presidential appointees will
  include 2 representatives of Kuchis and 2 representatives of the
  disabled; half of the presidential appointees will be women)
  note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga
  (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and
  territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the
  constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members
  of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and
  district councils
  elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the
  Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial
  councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008)
  election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system
  used in the election did not make use of political party slates;
  most candidates ran as independents

Albania
  unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 are elected
  by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD
  56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19

Algeria
  bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's
  Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and
  the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members
  appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote;
  members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the
  council to be renewed every three years)
  elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next
  to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30
  December 2003 (next to be held in 2006)
  election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT
  21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of
  Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA

American Samoa
  bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of
  the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by
  popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains
  Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats;
  members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
  (next to be held November 2008); Senate - last held 2 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - independents 18
  note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
  House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next
  to be held November 2008); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
  (Democrat) reelected as delegate

Andorra
  unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General
  de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote,
  14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of
  the seven parishes; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held March-April 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%,
  CDA-S21 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA-S21 2

Angola
  unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220
  seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held September
  2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%,
  other 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD
  3, other 7

Anguilla
  unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by
  direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%,
  AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA
  2, AUM 1

Antigua and Barbuda
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
  (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of
  Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional
  representation to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next
  to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  ALP 4, UPP 13

Argentina
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists
  of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote;
  presently one-third of the members elected every two years to a
  six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are
  elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two
  years to a four-year term)
  elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in
  2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005
  (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV
  45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV
  14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
  bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ
  3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ
  9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34

Armenia
  unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov
  (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year
  terms; 90 members elected by party list, 41 by direct vote)
  elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%,
  Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National
  Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by faction -
  Republican Party 39, Rule of Law 20, Justice Bloc 14, ARF (Dashnak)
  11, National Unity 7, United Labor 6, People's Deputy Group 16,
  independent (not in faction or group) 18; note - as of 10 March
  2006; voting blocs in the legislature are more properly termed
  factions and can be composed of members of several parties; seats by
  faction change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce
  themselves independent

Aruba
  unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by
  direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA
  7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8,
  MPA 1, RED 1

Australia
  bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76
  seats - 12 from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two
  mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every
  three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all
  territory members are elected every three years) and the House of
  Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential
  voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer
  than 5 representatives)
  elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no
  later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9
  October 2004 (next to be called no later than November 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor
  Party 28, Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1;
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor
  Party 60, independents 3

Austria
  bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of
  Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of
  the states on the basis of population, but with each state having at
  least 3 representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term) and
  the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by
  direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: National Council - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
  held in the fall of 2010)
  election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
  35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens 11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%; seats by
  party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66, Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7

Azerbaijan
  unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November
  2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, YES 2, Motherland 2, other
  parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4

Bahamas, The
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member
  body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime
  minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the
  House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote
  to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the
  Parliament and call elections at any time
  elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%,
  independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4

Bahrain
  bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members
  appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly
  elected to serve four-year terms)
  elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next
  election to be held in September 2006)
  election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - Sunni Islamists 12, Shia grouping 7, other
  groupings and independents 21
  note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National
  Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created
  bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14
  February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25
  December 2002

Bangladesh
  unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300
  seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies
  (the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and
  above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members
  serve five-year terms
  elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than
  January 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance
  partners 41%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP
  (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the
  election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned
  with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur)

Barbados
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body
  appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30
  seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be
  held by May 2008)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7

Belarus
  bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie
  consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64
  seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members
  appointed by the president, all for four-year terms) and the Chamber
  of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members
  elected by universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004; international observers
  widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on
  massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won
  every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for
  technical reasons
  election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - NA

Belgium
  bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in
  Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by
  popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year
  terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van
  Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in
  French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on
  the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003
  (next to be held no later than May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit
  15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH
  5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5,
  VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected
  senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD
  15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR
  11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit
  23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2
  note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
  devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
  government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
  complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
  governments each with its own legislative assembly

Belize
  bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12
  members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the
  prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and
  1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and
  Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce
  and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National
  Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee;
  members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next
  to be held March 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  PUP 21, UDP 8

Benin
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats;
  members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD,
  AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small
  parties) 31

Bermuda
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member
  body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and
  the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote
  to serve up to five-year terms)
  elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held
  not later than July 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%;
  seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Bhutan
  unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105
  elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies,
  and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and
  other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
  elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in
  2008)
  election results: NA

Bolivia
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
  Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
  elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
  five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
  seats; 69 are directly elected from their districts and 61 are
  elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
  18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of
  Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73,
  PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina
  consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki
  Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats
  allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats
  from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms); and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats -
  5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat
  Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's
  National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's
  election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order
  administrative division entity legislatures
  elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1
  October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last
  constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)
  election results: national House of Representatives - percent of
  vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9,
  SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, other 7; House of Peoples -
  percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition -
  NA
  note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that
  consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1
  October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17,
  HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30
  Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika
  Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006
  (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4,
  SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional
  reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples
  (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly
  including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four
  members of the smaller communities

Botswana
  bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a
  largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting
  of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members
  serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3
  members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly
  (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are
  appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and
  Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004
  (next to be held October 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%,
  BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1

Brazil
  bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of
  the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each
  state and federal district elected according to the principle of
  majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a
  four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year
  period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513
  seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third
  of the Senate (next to be held October 2010 for two-thirds of the
  Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be
  held October 2010)
  election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PFL 1, PDT 1,
  PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following
  election - PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 11, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL
  3, PCdoB 2, PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies -
  percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL
  65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13,
  PV 13, PSC 9, other 17

British Virgin Islands
  unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats;
  members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of
  nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  NDP 8, VIP 5

Brunei
  Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time
  in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed
  constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15
  elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and
  appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005
  elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)

Bulgaria
  unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held June 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%,
  MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%; seats by party
  - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13,
  independents 4

Burkina Faso
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
  (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to
  be held May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, other 17

Burma
  unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by
  junta to convene
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government),
  other 60

Burundi
  bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National
  Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats - 60% Hutu and
  40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed
  by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic
  representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 by indirect vote to
  serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic
  groups and former chiefs of state)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be
  held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in
  2010)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%,
  MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59,
  FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate -
  percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30,
  FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1

Cambodia
  bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the
  Senate (61 seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by
  the National Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and
  commune councils; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be
  held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be
  held in January 2011)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP
  47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73,
  FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%,
  FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2
  (January 2006)

Cameroon
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180
  seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
  terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term
  of the legislature
  elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21
  note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the
  legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Canada
  bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or
  Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of
  the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its
  normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre
  des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve for up to five-year terms)
  elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January 2006 (next to be
  held in 2011)
  election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -
  Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party
  17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens 4.5%, other 1%; seats by party -
  Conservative Party 124, Liberal Party 103, New Democratic Party 29,
  Bloc Quebecois 51, other 1

Cape Verde
  unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January
  2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%,
  UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV 41, MPD 29, ADM 2

Cayman Islands
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, 3
  appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by
  popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1

Central African Republic
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
  Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held
  NA 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD
  9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%,
  independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD
  6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7

Chad
  bicameral according to constitution, consists of a National
  Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms) and a Senate (not yet created and size unspecified,
  members to serve six-year terms, one-third of membership renewable
  every two years)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be
  held by April 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, other 11

Chile
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
  the Senate or Senado (38 seats elected by popular vote; members
  serve eight-year terms - one-half elected every four years) and the
  Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held
  December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005
  (next to be held December 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD 3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8),
  independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 54 (UDI
  34, RN 20), independent 1

China
  unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin
  Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional,
  and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held
  late 2007-February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Christmas Island
  unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
  election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire
  Council (7 seats)
  elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
  election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)

Colombia
  bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or
  Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de
  Representantes (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in
  March 2010); House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2006
  (next to be held in March 2010)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PSUN 20, PC 18, PL 17, CR 15, PDI 11, other parties 21;
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PL 36, PSUN 30, PC 29, CR 20, PDA 42, other parties 42

Comoros
  unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are
  selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by
  universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years);
  elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies
  from local island assemblies

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  bicameral legislature consists of
  a National Assembly (500 seats; 60 elected by majority vote and 440
  by open list proportional representation; members serve 5-year
  terms) and a Senate (120 seats; members elected by indirect vote to
  serve 5-year terms)
  elections: NA; members of the National Assembly were appointed by
  leaders in the factions integrated into the new government;
  elections scheduled for 30 July 2006 will establish a new
  legislature under the February 2006 constitution

Congo, Republic of the
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
  (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held July
  2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next
  to be held by May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45

Cook Islands
  bicameral Parliament consisting of a lower house or
  Legislative Assembly with 25 seats (24 seats representing districts
  of the Cook Islands and one seat representing Cook Islanders living
  overseas; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  and an upper house or House of Ariki made up of traditional leaders
  elections: last held 26 September 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Demo 51.9%, CIP 45.5%,
  independent 2.7%; seats by party - Demo 15, CIP 8, independent 1
  note: the House of Ariki advises on traditional matters and
  maintains considerable influence, but has no legislative powers

Costa Rica
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa
  (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PLN 25, PAC 18, PML 6, PUSC 4, other 4

Cote d'Ivoire
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
  (225 seats; members are elected in single- and multi-district
  elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on
  14 January 2001 (next to be held by 31 October 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2
  note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election
  in 2006

Croatia
  unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was
  added in the November 2003 parliamentary elections; members elected
  from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by
  party - HDZ 66, SDP 34, HSS 10, HNS 10, HSP 8, IDS 4, Libra 3, HSU
  3, SDSS 3, other 11
  note: minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS

Cuba
  unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea
  Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates
  approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609

Cyprus
  unicameral - Republic of Cyprus: House of Representatives or
  Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24
  to Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots
  are filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms); north Cyprus: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi
  (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: Republic of Cyprus: last held 27 May 2001 (next to be
  held 21 May 2006); north Cyprus: last held 14 December 2003 (next to
  be held in 2008)
  election results: Republic of Cyprus: House of Representatives -
  percent of vote by party - AKEL 34.71%, DISY 34%, DIKO 14.84%, KISOS
  6.51%, others 9.94%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 20, DISY 19,
  DIKO 9, KISOS 4, other 4; north Cyprus: Assembly of the Republic -
  percent of vote by party - CTP 35.8%, UBP 32.3%, Peace and
  Democratic Movement 13.4%, DP 12.3%; seats by party - CTP 19, UBP
  18, Peace and Democratic Movement 6, DP 7

Czech Republic
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the
  Senate or Senat (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the
  Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held in two rounds 20-21 and 27-28 October
  2006 (next to be held October 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held
  2-3 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2010)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - ODS 41, CSSD 12, KDU-CSL 10, others 15, independents 2;
  Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - ODS 35.4%, CSSD
  32.3%, KSCM 12.8%, KDU-CSL 7.2%, Greens 6.3%, other 6%; seats by
  party - ODS 81, CSSD 74, KSCM 26, KDU-CSL 13, Greens 6

Denmark
  unicameral People's Assembly or Folketinget (179 seats,
  including 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands; members are
  elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
  to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Liberal Party 29%,
  Social Democrats 25.9%, Danish People's Party 13.2%, Conservative
  Party 10.3%, Social Liberal Party 9.2%, Socialist People's Party 6%,
  Unity List 3.4%; seats by party - Liberal Party 52, Social Democrats
  47, Danish People's Party 24, Conservative Party 18, Social Liberal
  Party 17, Socialist People's Party 11, Unity List 6; note - does not
  include the 2 seats from Greenland and the 2 seats from the Faroe
  Islands

Djibouti
  unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65
  seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
  elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held January 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats -
  RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

Dominica
  unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed
  senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010);
  note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five
  years of the last election, but technically it is five years from
  the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace
  period
  election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.07%, UWP 43.6%,
  DFP 3.15%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1

Dominican Republic
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
  consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives or Camara de Diputados (150 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in May
  2006); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be
  held in May 2006)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PRD 29, PLD 2, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of
  vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 73, PLD 41, PRSC 36

East Timor
  unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary,
  minimum requirement of 52 and a maximum of 65 seats; members elected
  by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - for its first term
  of office, the National Parliament is comprised of 88 members on an
  exceptional basis
  elections: (next to be held in May 2007); direct elections for
  national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the
  national convention adopted a constitution and named themselves
  legislators instead of having elections; hence the exceptional
  numbers for this term of the national parliament
  election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD
  8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT
  2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by
  party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT
  2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1

Ecuador
  unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100
  seats; members are popularly elected by province to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 20 October 2002 (next to be held October 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PSC 25, ID 16, PRE 15, PRIAN 10, PSP 9, Pachakutik Movement 6, MPD
  5, DP 4, PS-FA 3, independents 7; note - defections by members of
  National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in
  the numbers of seats held by the various parties

Egypt
  bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis
  al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by
  the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory
  Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative
  role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the
  president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half
  of the elected members)
  elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7 and
  20 November, 1 December 2005;(next to be held November-December
  2010); Advisory Council - last held May-June 2004 (next to be held
  May-June 2007)
  election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - NDP 311, NWP 6, Tagammu 2, Tomorrow Party 1,
  independents 112 (12 seats to be determined by rerun elections, 10
  seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by
  party - NA; seats by party - NA

El Salvador
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa
  (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  three-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2

Equatorial Guinea
  unicameral House of People's Representatives or
  Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PDGE 98, CPDS 2
  note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all
  executive authority in the president

Eritrea
  unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not
  established)
  elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new
  constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old
  Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member
  Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss
  and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans
  living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to
  serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections
  to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of
  the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution
  stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the
  National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible
  voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were
  postponed indefinitely

Estonia
  unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party of Estonia
  25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Estonian Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian
  People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3%
  People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Res Publica 26, Center
  Party 20, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria
  Union 7, Social Democrats (formerly People's Party Moodukad) 6,
  non-affiliated (Social Liberals and independents) 10

Ethiopia
  bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or
  upper chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to
  serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or
  lower chamber (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular
  vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPRDF 327,
  CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1,
  others 6, undeclared 2
  note: irregularities at some polling stations necessitated the
  rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies

European Union
  Council of the European Union (25 member-state
  ministers having 321 votes; the number of votes is roughly
  proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is
  the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (732
  seats; seats allocated among member states by proportion to
  population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a
  five-year term
  elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED
  268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN
  27, independents 28

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - two ex officio, eight elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8

Faroe Islands
  unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the
  seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than
  January 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%,
  Social Democratic Party 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's
  Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by
  party - Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 7, Republican Party
  8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1
  note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held
  on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1,
  People's Party 1

Fiji
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14
  appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of
  Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the Prime
  Minister, 8 on the advice of the Opposition Leader, and 1 appointed
  on the advice of the council of Rotuma) and the House of
  Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19
  reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1
  reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the
  whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1
  September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held 6-13 May 2006)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - SDL 27.5%, FLP 26.5%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, NFP 1.2%,
  independents 1.4%, UGP .3%; seats by party - SDL 32, FLP 27, MV 6,
  NLUP 2, NFP 1, independents 2, UGP 1

Finland
  unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%,
  Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party -
  Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, other 4

France
  bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or
  Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas
  departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad;
  members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve
  nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years); note -
  between 2004 and 2010, 25 new seats will be added to the Senate for
  a total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas
  departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre
  and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French
  nationals abroad; starting in 2008, members will be indirectly
  elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms, with
  one-half the seats being renewed every three years; and the National
  Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote under a single-member majority system to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held
  September 2008); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next
  to be held not later than June 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National
  Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 355,
  PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Left Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22

French Guiana
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be
  held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004
  (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7,
  other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of
  vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by
  party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7
  note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
  (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
  - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French
  National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR
  1, Walwari Committee 1

French Polynesia
  unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee
  Territoriale (57 seats - changed from 49 seats for May 2004
  election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy
  27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13
  February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the
  Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New
  Democracy 3
  note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
  (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
  - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French
  National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1,
  UMP 1

Gabon
  bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats;
  members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental
  assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120
  seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next
  to be held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 9 and 23
  December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents
  9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
  - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1,
  independents 13, others 3

Gambia, The
  unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by
  popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; members serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held 25 January
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,

Georgia
  unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as
  Parliament) or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party
  lists); members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - National
  Movement-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other
  parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National
  Movement-Democratic Front 135, Rightist Opposition 15

Germany
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal
  Assembly or Bundestag (613 seats; elected by popular vote under a
  system combining direct and proportional representation; a party
  must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain
  representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal
  Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly
  represented by votes; each has three to six votes depending on
  population and are required to vote as a block)
  elections: Federal Assembly - last held 18 September 2005 (next to
  be held September 2009); note - there are no elections for the
  Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the
  state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the
  potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election
  election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  CDU/CSU 35.2%, SPD 34.3%, FDP 9.8%, Left 8.7%, Greens 8.1%; seats by
  party - CDU/CSU 225, SPD 222, FDP 61, Left 54, Greens 51

Ghana
  unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200
  seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote
  to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10

Gibraltar
  unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by
  popular vote, 1 appointed for the Speaker, and 2 ex officio members;
  members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later
  than February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%;
  seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7

Greece
  unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats;
  members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: elections last held 7 March 2004 (next to be held by
  March 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - ND 45.4%, PASOK 40.6%,
  KKE 5.9%, Synaspismos 3.3%; seats by party - ND 165, PASOK 117, KKE
  12, Synaspismos 6

Greenland
  unicameral Parliament or Landstinget (31 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional
  representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held on 15 November 2005 (next to be held by
  December 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 30.7%,
  Demokratiit 22.8%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.6%, Atassut Party 19.1%;
  Katusseqatigiit 4.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - Siumut 10,
  Demokratiit 7, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Atassut 6, Katusseqatigiit 1
  note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or
  Folketing on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009);
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit
  Ataqatigiit 1

Grenada
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member
  body, 10 appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the
  opposition) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by
  November 2008)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - NNP 46.65%, NDC 44.12%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7

Guadeloupe
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the
  unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held March 2004 (next to be held
  by in 2010); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be
  held in March 2008 to elect half of the body)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6,
  right-wing candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council (second
  round) - percent of vote by party - PS 58.4%, UMP 41.6%; seats by
  party - PS 29, UMP 12
  note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate;
  elections last held September 2004 (next to be held September 2013);
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA, Guadeloupe
  elects four representatives to the French National Assembly;
  elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007);
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1,
  different right parties 1

Guam
  unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7
  note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of
  Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
  November 2008); results - Madeleine BORDALLO (Democratic Party) was
  reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
  - Democratic Party 1

Guatemala
  unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la
  Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
  note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional
  seats increased from 113 to 158

Guernsey
  unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark
  have their own parliaments
  elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Guinea
  unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
  Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%,
  other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9

Guinea-Bissau
  unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia
  Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve a maximum of four years)
  elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%,
  PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by
  party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1

Guyana
  unicameral National Assembly (65 members elected by popular
  vote, also not more than four non-elected non-voting ministers and
  two non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by
  the president; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%,
  AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5,
  other 2

Haiti
  bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of
  the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber
  of Deputies (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate, the candidate
  in each department receiving the most votes in the last election
  serves six years, the candidate with the second most votes serves
  four years, and the candidate with the third most votes serves two
  years
  elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be
  determined (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be
  held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006,
  run-off elections to be determined (next regular election to be held
  in 2010)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS
  1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to run-off election; Chamber of Deputies
  - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION
  15, ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 3,KONBA 3,
  FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1, Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1,
  PLH 1, 13 seats subject to run-off election

Honduras
  unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128
  seats; members are elected proportionally to the number of votes
  their party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL
  62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2

Hong Kong
  unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004
  30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected
  by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September
  2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group
  62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,
  independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11,
  Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1;
  non-voting LEGCO president 1

Hungary
  unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional
  and direct representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held April 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote
  required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP
  43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by
  party - MSzP 190, Fidesz 141, KDNP 23, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent
  1

Iceland
  unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party
  33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31%, Progressive Party 17.7%,
  Left-Green Movement 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -
  Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive
  Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4

India
  bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of
  States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250
  members, up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the
  remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and
  territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the
  People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular
  vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May
  2004 (next must be held before May 2009)
  election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24, BSP 19,
  DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5,
  TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30

Indonesia
  House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR)
  (550 seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of
  Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD),
  constitutionally mandated role includes providing legislative input
  to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly
  (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and
  impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of
  popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate
  national policy
  elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P
  18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others
  19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN
  53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
  note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not
  always follow the percentage of votes received by parties

Iran
  unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
  Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004
  (by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to
  be held in February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party -
  conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43,
  religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for

Iraq
  unicameral Council of Representatives or Mejlis Watani
  (consisting of 275 members elected by a closed-list,
  proportional-representation system)
  elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
  Representatives that will finalize a permanent constitution
  election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - NA; number of seats by party - NA

Ireland
  bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or
  Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from
  candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated
  by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House
  of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected
  by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held
  by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002
  (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive
  Democrats 4, independents and other 6; House of Representatives -
  percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor
  Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party
  3.8%, other 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,
  Labor Party 21, Sinn Fein 5, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6,
  other 14

Isle of Man
  bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council
  (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord
  Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight
  others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be
  held November 2006)
  election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man
  Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats
  by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,
  independents 19

Israel
  unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 29 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in
  2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP
  9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab
  List 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3

Italy
  bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or
  Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; elected by proportional vote
  with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats
  from that region; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of
  Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; elected by popular vote
  with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats;
  members serve five-year terms); note - electoral vote reform passed
  in December 2005
  elections: Senate - last held 10 April 2006 (next to be held in
  2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 April 2006 (next to be
  held May 2011)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - The Union 158 (DS 62, DL 39, RC 27, Together with the Union
  11, other 19), House of Freedoms 154 (FI 79, AN 41, UDC 21, LEGA
  13), other 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - The Union 348 (DS 220, RC 41, Rose in the Fist 18,
  Italy of Values 17, PdCI 16, Greens Federation 15, UDEUR 10, other
  11), House of Freedoms 276 (FI 140, AN 71, Union of Christian and
  Center Democrats 39, LEGA 26), other 6

Jamaica
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member
  body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the
  prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is
  allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and
  the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held no later than
  October 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%;
  seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26

Japan
  bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors
  or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half
  reelected every three years; 146 members in multi-seat
  constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) and the House
  of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for
  four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by
  proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)
  elections: House of Councillors - last held 11 July 2004 (next to be
  held in July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 11
  September 2005 (next election by September 2009)
  election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5,
  others 7; distribution of seats as of January 2006 - LDP 112, DPJ
  83, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 8
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 47.8%, DPJ
  36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31,
  JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24; distribution of seats as of January 2006 -
  LDP 294, DPJ 112, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 27 (2006)

Jersey
  unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12
  senators (elected for six-year terms), 12 constables or heads of
  parishes (elected for three-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for
  three-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and three
  non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and
  the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch)
  elections: last held NA (next to be held NA); note - on 23 November
  2005, 29 deputies, independents, were elected
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Jordan
  bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of
  the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55
  seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories
  of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
  al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
  of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six
  seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special
  electoral panel if no women are elected
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next
  to be held in 2007)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - independents and other 89.6%, IAF 10.4%; seats by party -
  independents and other 92, IAF 18; note - one of the six quota seats
  was given to a female IAF candidate
  note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
  by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first
  parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties
  were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001
  elections until 2003

Kazakhstan
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats; 7
  senators are appointed by the president; other members are elected
  by local government bodies, 2 from each of the 14 oblasts, the
  capital of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms;
  note - formerly composed of 47 seats) and the Mazhilis (77 seats; 10
  out of the 77 Mazhilis members are elected from the winning party's
  lists; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - (indirect) last held December 2005; next to be
  held in 2011; Mazhilis - last held 19 September and 3 October 2004
  (next to be held in September 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - NA; candidates nominated by local councils; Mazhilis -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11,
  ASAR (All Together) 4, Aq Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party 1
  (party refused to take the seat due to criticism of the election and
  seat remained unoccupied), independent 18; note - most independent
  candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises and other
  pro-government institutions

Kenya
  unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (224 seats; 210 members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called
  "nominated" members who are appointed by the president but selected
  by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2
  ex-officio members)
  elections: last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held by early 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NARC 125, KANU 64, FORD-P 14, other 7; ex-officio 2; seats appointed
  by the president - NARC 7, KANU 4, FORD-P 1

Kiribati
  unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42
  seats; 39 elected by popular vote, 1 ex officio member - the
  attorney general, 1 appointed to represent Banaba, and 1 other;
  members serve four-year terms)
  elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first
  round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003 (next to be
  held by November 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  BTK 17, MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)

Korea, North
  unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin
  Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected
  without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties

Korea, South
  unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats -
  members elected for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat
  constituencies, 56 by proportional representation)
  elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008;
  byelections held on 30 April 2005 and on 26 October 2005)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP
  3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP
  9, ULD 3, independents 5
  note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party
  reflect results of April and October 2005 byelections involving six
  and four seats respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; United
  Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006. (2006)

Kuwait
  unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA; note - all
  cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National
  Assembly

Kyrgyzstan
  unicameral Supreme Council or Jorgorku Kenesh (75 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five year terms)
  elections: elections for the new unicameral body or Jorgorku Kenesh
  were held 27 February 2005, but the vast majority of positions
  remained undecided and were contested in a runoff election on 13
  March 2005; election irregularities caused widespread protests that
  resulted in the president being forced to flee the country
  election results: Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - NA

Laos
  unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  LPRP 113, independents 2

Latvia
  unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are
  elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - TP 19.5%, ZZS 16.7%, JL
  16.4%, SC 14.4%; LPP/LC 8.6%; TB/LNNK 7%; PCTVL 6%; seats by party -
  TP 23, ZZS 18, JL 18, SC 17, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 8, PCTVL 6

Lebanon
  unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or
  Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular
  vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005
  (next to be held 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group -
  Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering 15; Development and
  Resistance Bloc 15; Loyalty to the Resistance 14; Free Patriotic
  Movement 14; Lebanese Forces 6; Qornet Shewan 5; Popular Bloc 4;
  Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Syrian National Socialist Party 2;
  Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Tachnaq Party 2; Democratic Renewal
  Movement 1; Democratic Left 1; Nasserite Popular Movement 1; Ba'th
  Party 1; Kataeb Party 1; independent 5

Lesotho
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22
  principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party)
  and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by direct popular vote and 40 by
  proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year
  terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 80 to 120
  in the May 2002 election
  elections: last held 25 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - LCD 54%, BNP 21%, LPC
  7%, other 18%; seats by party - LCD 76, BNP 21, LPC 5, other 18

Liberia
  bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats
  - number of seats changed in 11 October 2005 elections; members
  elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  six-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 11 October 2005 (next to be held in
  2014); House of Representatives - last held 11 October 2005 (next to
  be held NA 2011)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - COTOL 7, NPP 4, CDC 3, LP 3, UP 3, APD 3, other 7; House of
  Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  CDC 15, LP 9, UP 8, COTOL 8, APD 5, NPP 4, other 15
  note: the current six-year term for junior senators - those who
  received the second most votes in the election - is mandated by the
  Liberian constitution to stagger Senate elections and ensure
  continuity of government

Libya
unicameral General People's Congress (NA seats; members
elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees)

Liechtenstein
  unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members
  are elected by direct, popular vote under proportional
  representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by NA
  2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 48.7%, VU 38.2%, FL
  13%; seats by party - FBP 12, VU 10, FL 3

Lithuania
  unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are
  directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional
  representation; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October
  2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working
  for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS
  14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian
  People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and
  New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29,
  Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from
  Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11,
  National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union)
  11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center
  Political Group 8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)

Luxembourg
  unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60
  seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by June 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%,
  DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP
  14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5
  note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory
  body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members
  appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister

Macau
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by
  popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief
  executive; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - Development Union 12.8%, Macau
  Development Alliance 9%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16%, New
  Democratic Macau Association 18.2%, others NA; seats by political
  group - Development Union 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, Macau
  United Citizens' Association 2, New Democratic Macau Association 2,
  New Hope 1, United Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by
  professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief
  executive

Macedonia
  unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members
  elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of
  the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral
  districts; all serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 July 2006 (next to be held by July 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 32.5%, SDSM
  23.3%, DUI 12.2%, PDSH/DPA 7.5%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 44,
  SDSM 32, DUI 28, PDSH/DPA 11, other 5

Madagascar
  bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly or
  Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate or Senat (100
  seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies whose
  members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of
  the seats appointed by the president; all members will serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to
  be held December 2006)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD
  5, others 3, independents 22

Malawi
  unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  UDF 74, MCP 60, Independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1

Malaysia
  bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or
  Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26
  appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of
  Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next
  must be held by 2009)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199,
  DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1

Maldives
  unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected
  by popular vote, 8 appointed by the president; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 22 January 2005 (next to be held NA 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50

Mali
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 and 28 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30

Malta
  unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65 seats; note -
  additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular
  vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are elected by
  popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held by August 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.7%, MLP 47.6%, AD
  0.7%; seats by party - PN 34, MLP 31

Marshall Islands
  unicameral legislature or Nitijela (33 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held by November
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
  note: the Council of Chiefs or Ironij is a 12-member body comprised
  of tribal chiefs that advises on matters affecting customary law and
  practice

Martinique
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (45 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
  unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members
  are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held March 2000 (next to be held
  in 2006); Regional Council - last held on 28 March 2004 (next to be
  held by March 2010)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing
  candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM
  won a plurality; Regional Council (second round) - percent of vote
  by party - MIM 53.8%, PPM 30.6%; seats by party - MIM 28, PPM 9,
  other 4
  note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last
  held September 2004 (next to be held September 2008); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPM 1, left-wing
  candidate 1; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National
  Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second
  round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held not later than June 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1,
  PMS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1 (candidacy of the left-wing
  candidate was found invalid by the Constitutional Council; new
  elections will be called)

Mauritania
  bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis
  al-Shuyukh (56 seats; a portion of seats up for election every two
  years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms)
  and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held
  21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3
  December 2006
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
  by party - NA

Mauritius
  unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by
  popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give
  representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AS
  38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats - AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2

Mayotte
  unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%,
  PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP
  9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1
  note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last
  held 24 September 2001 (next to be held September 2007); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also
  elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last
  held 16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of
  vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR
  1

Mexico
  bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists
  of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 are elected by
  popular vote to serve six-year terms, and 32 are allocated on the
  basis of each party's popular vote) and the Federal Chamber of
  Deputies or Camara Federal de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members are
  directly elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms;
  remaining 200 members are allocated on the basis of each party's
  popular vote, also for three-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 2 July 2006 for all of the seats (next
  to be held 1 July 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 2 July 2006
  (next to be held 5 July 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - PAN 52, PRI 33, PRD 29, PVEM 6, CD 5, PT 2, PNA 1; Chamber
  of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAN
  206, PRD 127, PRI 103, PVEM 18, CD 17, PT 16, other 13; note -
  election results pending certification

Micronesia, Federated States of unicameral Congress (14 seats; 4 - one elected from each state to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population to serve two-year terms; members elected by popular vote) elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 4 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007); elections for two-year term seats last held 8 March 2005 (next to be held March 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 14

Moldova
  unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and
  electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic
  Moldova Bloc 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party -
  PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc 34, PPCD 11

Monaco
  unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16
  members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional
  representation; to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  UNAM 21, UND 3

Mongolia
  unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms
  elections: last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MPRP 48.78%, MDC 44.8%,
  independents 3.5%, Republican Party 1.5%, others 1.42%; seats by
  party - MPRP 36, MDC 34, others 4; note - following June 2004
  election MDC collapsed; as of 1 December 2005 composition of
  legislature was MPRP 38, DP 25, M-MNSDP 6, CWRP 2, MRP 1, PP 1,
  independents 3

Montenegro
  unicameral Assembly (81 seats, elected by direct vote for
  four-year terms; changed from 74 seats at the time of the elections)
  elections: last held 10 September 2006 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  Coalition for a European Montenegro 41, SNS 12, Coalition SPP/NS/DSS
  11, PZP 11, Liberals and Bosniaks 3, Democratic League-Democratic
  Prosperity 1, Democratic Union of Albanians 1, Albanian Alternative 1

Montserrat
  unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly
  elected; members serve five-year terms)
  note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney
  general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members
  elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%,
  MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP
  1, independents 1
  note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single
  constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast
  ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council

Morocco
  bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Chamber
  of Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local
  councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for
  nine-year terms; one-third of the members are renewed every three
  years) and a lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 seats;
  295 by multi-seat constituencies and 30 from national lists of
  women; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 6 October 2003 (next to
  be held in 2006); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27
  September 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - RNI 42, MDS 33, UC 28, MP 27, PND 21, PI 21,
  USFP 16, MNP 15, PA 13, FFD 12, other 42; Chamber of Representatives
  - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - USFP 50, PI 48,
  PJD 42, RNI 41, MP 27, MNP 18, UC 16, PND 12, PPS 11, UD 10, other 50

Mozambique
  unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da
  Republica (250 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote
  on a secret ballot to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 1-2 December 2004 (next to be held December
  2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 62%, RENAMO
  29.7%; seats by party - FRELIMO 160, RENAMO 90

Namibia
  bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26
  seats; 2 members are chosen from each regional council to serve
  six-year terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to
  determine members of the National Council, held 29-30 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2010); National Assembly - last held 15-16
  November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
  election results: National Council - percent of vote by party -
  SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%; seats by party - SWAPO
  24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  SWAPO 75.1%, COD 7.2%, DTA 5%, NUDO 4.1%, UDF 3.5%, RP 1.9%, MAG
  0.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, NUDO 3, UDF 3, RP 1,
  MAG 1
  note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body

Nauru
  unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held not later than
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Nauru First Party 3,
  independents 15
  note: the president dissolved parliament on 30 September 2004 and
  set new elections for 23 October 2004

Nepal
  bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60
  seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king,
  and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members
  elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held in May 1999; note -
  Parliament was dissolved in May 2002 but was finally reconvened in
  April 2006 with most of the members that were elected in 1999
  election results: House of Representatives (for 1999 parliament) -
  percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP (RPP) 10.4%,
  NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%,
  NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP
  11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP
  1; note - NC, NSP, and NDP have since each split into two parties

Netherlands
  bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of
  the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly
  elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms)
  and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held
  May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be
  held November 2010)
  election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist
  Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party -
  CDA 26.5, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for
  Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%; seats by party
  - CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9,
  Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7

Netherlands Antilles
  unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao
  14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB
  2, DP St. E 1, DP St. M 1, BDP 1, WIPM 1
  note: the government of Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE is a
  coalition of several parties

New Caledonia
  unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial
  (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or
  Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3
  note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; by
  2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate;
  elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later
  than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
  by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French
  National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to
  be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - UMP 2

New Zealand
  unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called
  Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in
  single-member constituencies including seven Maori constituencies,
  and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve
  three-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later
  than 15 November 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%,
  NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand
  1.51%, Progressive 1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7,
  Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1
  note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats
  increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat
  than its entitlement under the party vote

Nicaragua
  unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92
  seats; members are elected by proportional representation and party
  lists to serve five-year terms; 1 seat for the previous president, 1
  seat for the runner-up in previous presidential election)
  elections: last held 5 November 2006 (next to be held by November
  2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  FSLN 38, PLC 25, ALN 23 (22 plus one for presidential candidate
  Eduardo MONTEALEGRE, runner-up in the 2006 presidential election),
  MRS 5, APRE 1 (outgoing President Enrique BOLANOS)

Niger
  unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from
  83 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
  elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 25, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1

Nigeria
  bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats -
  3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members elected by popular vote
  to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats,
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held in
  2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to
  be held in 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%,
  ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House
  of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP
  27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD
  34, other 6; note - one seat is vacant

Niue
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve three-year terms; 6 elected from a common roll
  and 14 are village representatives)
  elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held April 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Norfolk Island
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members
  elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four
  votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year
  terms)
  elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
  (note - no political parties)

Northern Mariana Islands
  bicameral Legislature consists of the
  Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held
  November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 2005
  (next to be held November 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 2,
  independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 7, Republican Party 7,
  Democratic Party 2, independent 2
  note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting
  delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or
  "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party
  - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO)

Norway
  modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation
  to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held September
  2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%,
  Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party
  8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal
  Party 5.9%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; seats by party
  - Labor Party 61, Progress Party 38, Conservative Party 23,
  Socialist Left Party 15, Christian People's Party 11, Center Party
  11, Liberal Party 10
  note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two
  chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house
  or Lagting

Oman
  bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis
  al-Dawla (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory
  powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats;
  members elected by popular vote for four-year terms; body has some
  limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only
  advisory powers)
  elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
  election results: NA

Pakistan
  bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the
  Senate (100 seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by
  provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms and the National
  Assembly (342 seats - formerly 217; 60 seats represent women; 10
  seats represent minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in
  March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to
  be held in 2007)
  election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - PML 47, PPPP 9, MMA 20, MQM/A 6, PML/N 4, PML/F 1,
  PkMAP 3, ANP 2, PPP 3, JWP 1, BNP-Awami 1, BNP-Mengal 1, BNP/H 1,
  independents 1; National Assembly results - percent of votes by
  party - NA; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63, PML/N 19,
  MQM/A 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1, PAT 1,
  PML/Z 1, PTI 1, MQM/H 1, PkMAP 1, independents 3

Palau
  bicameral Parliament or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of
  the Senate (9 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population
  basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
  November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next
  to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA%; seats -
  independents 9 (four new members elected); House of Delegates -
  percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 16 (one new member
  elected)

Panama
  unicameral National Assembly (formerly called Legislative
  Assembly) or Asamblea Nacional (78 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in 2009, the number
  of seats will change to 71
  elections: last held 2 May 2004 (next to be held 3 May 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  PRD 40, PA 17, PS 8, MOLIRENA 3, CD 2, PP 2, PLN 1, other 5
  note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a
  plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and
  cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based
  formula

Papua New Guinea
  unicameral National Parliament - sometimes referred
  to as the House of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open
  electorates and 20 from provincial electorates; members elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 15-29 June 2002 and April and May 2003;
  completed in May 2003 (voting in the Southern Highlands was not
  completed during the June 2002 election period); next to be held not
  later than June 2007
  election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance 18%,
  URP 13%, PDM 12%, PPP 8%, Pangu 6%, PAP 5%, PLP 4%, others 34%;
  seats by party - National Alliance 19, URP 14, PDM 13, PPP 8, PANGU
  6, PAP 5, PLP 4, others 40; as of January 2006 - National Alliance
  25, URP 10, PNGP 9, PPP 9, PANGU 6, PAP 12, PLP 4, others 34
  note: association with political parties is fluid (2005)

Paraguay
  bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of
  Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies
  or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be
  held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003
  (next to be held April 2008)
  election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;
  Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
  - ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2
  note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation has led to
  the composition of the legislature as follows: Chamber of Senators -
  seats by party - ANR 18, PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1;
  Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8, PQ
  10, PPS 2

Peru
  unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la
  Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote
  to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 April 2006 (next to be held April 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%, PAP 20.6%,
  UN 15.3%, AF 13.1%, FC 7.1%, PP 4.1%, RN 4.0%; seats by party - UPP
  45, PAP 36, UN 17, AF 13, FC 5, PP 2, RN 2

Philippines
  bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or
  Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years; members
  elected at large by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the
  House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (212 members
  representing districts plus 24 sectoral party-list members; members
  elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - the
  Constitution prohibits the House of Representatives from having more
  than 250 members)
  elections: Senate - last held 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May
  2007); House of Representatives - elections last held 10 May 2004
  (next to be held in May 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - Lakas 30%, LP
  13%, KNP 13%, independents 17%, others 27%; seats by party - Lakas
  7, LP 3, KNP (coalition) 3, independents 4, others 6; note - there
  are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators because one senator was
  elected vice president; House of Representatives - percent of vote
  by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas 93, NPC 53, LP 34, LDP 11,
  others 20; party-listers 24 (2004)

Pitcairn Islands
  unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 5 elected by
  popular vote, 1 nominated by the 5 elected members, 2 appointed by
  the governor including 1 seat for the Island Secretary, the Island
  Mayor, and a commissioner liaising between the governor and council;
  elected members serve one-year terms)
  elections: last held in 24 December 2005 (next to be held December
  2006)
  election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Poland
  bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the
  Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote
  on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house,
  the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of
  proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the
  designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only
  used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly
  elections: Senate - last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by
  September 2009); Sejm elections last held 25 September 2005 (next to
  be held by September 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - PiS 49, PO 34, LPR 7, SO 3, PSL 2, independents 5; Sejm -
  percent of vote by party - PiS 27%, PO 24.1%, SO 11.4%, SLD 11.3%,
  LPR 8%, PSL 7%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PiS 155, PO 133, SO
  56, SLD 55, LPR 34, PSL 25, German minorities 2
  note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm
  only

Portugal
  unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da
  Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%,
  CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14,
  PP 12, BE 8

Puerto Rico
  bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate
  (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
  November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004
  (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD
  40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of
  Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%,
  PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1
  note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner
  to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US
  House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor,
  he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last
  held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); Luis FORTUNO
  elected resident commissioner; results - percent of vote by party -
  PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1

Qatar
  unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats;
  members appointed)
  note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there
  were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their
  terms extended every four years since; the new constitution, which
  came into force on 9 June 2005, provides for a 45-member
  Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect
  two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the
  remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to
  the Majlis al-Shura in early 2007

Reunion
  unicameral General Council (49 seats; members are elected by
  direct, popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral
  Regional Council (45 seats; members are elected by direct, popular
  vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: General Council - last held 15 and 22 March 1998 (next to
  be held NA); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be
  held in 2010)
  election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - various right-wing candidates 13, PCR 10, PS 10,
  UDF 8, RPR 6, other left-wing candidates 2; Regional Council (second
  round) - percent of vote by party - PCR 44.9%, UMP 32.8%, PS-Greens
  22.3%; seats by party - PCR 27, UMP 11, PS-Greens 7
  note: Reunion elects three representatives to the French Senate;
  elections last held in 2001 (next to be held in 2006); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRC 1, UDF 1, UMP 1;
  Reunion also elects five deputies to the French National Assembly;
  elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
  results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3, PS
  1, independent 1

Romania
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or
  Senat (137 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
  proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the
  Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are
  elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation
  basis to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be
  held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November
  2004 (next expected to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party -
  PSD-PUR 37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party -
  PSD 44, PNL 30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2;
  Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR
  36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111,
  PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN
  (GUSA Group) 3, independent 1, ethnic minorities 18

Russia
  bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists
  of the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (178 seats; as of July
  2000, members appointed by the top executive and legislative
  officials in each of the 88 federal administrative units - oblasts,
  krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal
  cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; members serve four-year
  terms) and the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats;
  currently elected by proportional representation from party lists
  winning at least 7% of the vote; members are elected by direct,
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: State Duma - last held 7 December 2003 (next to be held
  in December 2007)
  election results: State Duma - percent of vote received by parties
  clearing the 5% threshold entitling them to a proportional share of
  the 225 party list seats - United Russia 37.1%, CPRF 12.7%, LDPR
  11.6%, Motherland 9.1%; seats by party - United Russia 222, CPRF 53,
  LDPR 38, Motherland 37, People's Party 19, Yabloko 4, SPS 2, other
  7, independents 65, repeat election required 3; composition as of 1
  July 2006 - United Russia 309, CPRF 45, LDPR 35, Motherland 29,
  People's Party 12, independents 18, vacant 2

Rwanda
  bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members
  elected local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 by the
  Political Organizations Forum, 2 represent institutions of higher
  learning, to serve eight-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (80
  seats; 53 members elected by popular vote, 24 women elected by local
  bodies, 3 selected by youth and disability organizations, to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held NA, members appointed as part of the
  transitional government (next to be held in 2011); Chamber of
  Deputies - last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: seats by party under the 2003 Constitution - RPF
  40, PSD 7, PL 6, additional 27 members indirectly elected

Saint Helena
  unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the
  speaker, 3 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held NA 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 12

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3
  appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member
  constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1

Saint Lucia
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6
  members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the
  advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 after consultation
  with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of
  Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from
  single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to
  be held in December 2011)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
  seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  unicameral General Council or Conseil
  General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
  elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held
  in April 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5
  note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate;
  elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held in September
  2013); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP
  1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French
  National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002,
  second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results -
  percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - ULP 55.26%, NDP 44.68%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3

Samoa
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected
  by voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral
  districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or
  part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a
  village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to
  the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: election last held 31 March 2006 (next election to be
  held not later than March 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  HRPP 35, SDUP 10, independents 4

San Marino
  unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande
  e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 4 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 32.9%, Party of
  Socialists and Democrats 31.9%, APDS 11.9%, United Left 8.7%, New
  Socialist Party 5.4%; seats by party - PDCS 21, Party of Socialists
  and Democrats 20, APDS 7, United Left 5, New Socialist Party 3,
  other 4

Sao Tome and Principe
  unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia
  Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP
  28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23,
  MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1

Saudi Arabia
  Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members
  and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); note -
  in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to
  introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial
  assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative
  Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to
  five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural
  Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council
  elections held nationwide from February through April 2005

Senegal
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120
  seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001,
  had 140 seats
  elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held 27 February
  2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to
  postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they
  will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10

Serbia
  unicameral National Assembly (250 deputies elected by direct
  vote for a four-year term)
  elections: last held 28 December 2003 (next to be held December 2007)
  election results: SRS 83, DSS 53, DS 37, G17 Plus 34, SPO-NS 22, SPS
  22

Seychelles
  unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34
  seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional
  basis to parties winning at least 10% of the vote; members serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 4-6 December 2002 (next to be held in December
  2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 54.3%, SNP 42.6%,
  DP 3.1%; seats by party - SPPF 23, SNP 11

Sierra Leone
  unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by
  popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate
  elections; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC
  22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2

Singapore
  unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there
  are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate
  who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a
  "nonconstituency" member
  elections: last held 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%,
  SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1

Slovakia
  unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or
  Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on
  the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 June 2006 (next to be held 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Smer 29.1%, SDKU 18.4%,
  SNS 11.7%, SMK 11.7%, LS-HZDS 8.8%, KDH 8.3%; seats by party - Smer
  50, SDKU 31, SNS 20, SMK 20, LS-HZDS 15, KDH 14

Slovenia
  bicameral Parliament consisting of a National Assembly or
  Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected
  on a proportional basis; note - the numbers of directly elected and
  proportionally elected seats varies with each election; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the National
  Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; this is primarily an advisory
  body with limited legislative powers; it may propose laws, ask to
  review any National Assembly decisions, and call national referenda;
  members - representing social, economic, professional, and local
  interests - are indirectly elected to five-year terms by an
  electoral college)
  elections: National Assembly - last held 3 October 2004 (next to be
  held October 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - SDS 29.1%, LDS 22.8%,
  ZLSD 10.2%, NSi 9%, SLS 6.8%, SNS 6.3%, DeSUS 4.1%, other 11.7%;
  seats by party - SDS 29, LDS 23, ZLSD 10, NSi 9, SLS 7, SNS 6, DeSUS
  4, Hungarian and Italian minorities 1 each

Solomon Islands
  unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members
  elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%,
  SIPRA 6.3%, Democratic 4.9%, PAP 6.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, Liberal 5%,
  SOCRED 4.3%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4,
  SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2,
  independents 30

Somalia
  unicameral National Assembly
  note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal
  Assembly; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each
  of four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye)
  with the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans

South Africa
  bicameral Parliament consisting of the National
  Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a
  system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and
  the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by
  each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has
  special powers to protect regional interests, including the
  safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic
  minorities); note - following the implementation of the new
  constitution on 3 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and
  replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no
  change in membership and party affiliations, although the new
  institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new
  constitution
  elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces -
  last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC
  69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%;
  seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other
  21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - NA

Spain
  bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes
  Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members
  directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the
  regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of
  Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional
  representation to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March
  2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be
  held March 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 49%, PSOE
  38.9%, Entesa Catalona de Progress 5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC
  1.4%; seats by party - PP 102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress
  12, CiU 4, PNV 6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by
  party - PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 3.2%,
  CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU
  2, CC 3, other 8

Sri Lanka
  unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by
  popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation
  system by district to serve six-year terms)
  elections: last held 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance -
  SLFP and JVP (no longer in formal UPFA alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.83%,
  TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others
  0.93%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, UNP dissident 1,
  TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, JHU dissidents 2, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4,
  Communist Party 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1

Sudan
  bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and Council
  of States (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats);
  pending elections and National Election Law, the Presidency
  appointed 450 members to the National Assembly according to the
  provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28%
  SPLM; 14% other Northerners; 6% other Southerners; 2 representatives
  from every state constitute the Council of States; terms in each
  chamber are five years following the first elections
  elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2008-2009
  timeframe)
  election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments
  under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Suriname
  unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NF 39.73%, NDP 22.2%,
  VVV 13.79%, A-Com 7.21%, A-1 5.86%, other 7.42%; seats by party - NF
  23, NDP 15, VVV 5, A-Com 5, A-1 3

Swaziland
  bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body,
  consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of
  Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year
  terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the
  monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year
  terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be
  held October 2008)
  election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a
  nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local
  council of each constituency and for each constituency the three
  candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are
  narrowed to a single winner by a second round

Sweden
  unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to
  serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held September
  2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%,
  Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian
  Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party -
  Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party
  28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19

Switzerland
  bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in
  German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in
  Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German),
  Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian)
  (46 seats - consists of two representatives from each canton and one
  from each half canton; members serve four-year terms) and the
  National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in
  French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are
  elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
  to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons 19 October
  2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held);
  National Council - last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held
  October 2007)
  election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3;
  National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%,
  FDP 17.3%, CVP 14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%;
  seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13,
  other small parties 14

Syria
  unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats;
  members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents
  33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the
  constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF
  alliance) receives one-half of the seats

Taiwan
  Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41
  elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by
  participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese
  constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received
  by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote
  among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms);
  National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by
  parties and elected by proportional representation six to nine
  months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution, impeach
  president, or change national borders) - see note
  note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by National
  Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be
  reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments
  also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral
  legislature
  elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be
  held in December 2007); National Assembly - last held 14 May 2005;
  dissolved in June 2005
  election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP
  38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%;
  seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7,
  independents 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPP
  42.5%, KMT 38.9%, TSU 7%, PFP 6%, others 6.6%; seats by party - DPP
  127, KMT 117, TSU 21, PFP 18, others 17 (2005)

Tajikistan
  bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the
  Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon
  (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms) and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy
  (34 seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local
  deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the
  former president; all serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 February and 13 March 2005 for the Assembly
  of Representatives (next to be held February 2010) and 25 March 2005
  for the National Assembly (next to be held February 2010)
  election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by
  party - PDPT 74.9%, CPT 13.6%, Islamic Revival Party 8.9%, other
  2.5%; seats by party - PDPT 51, CPT 5, Islamic Revival Party 2,
  independents 5; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT 2, independents 3

Tanzania
  unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232
  elected by popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the
  president, 5 to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives;
  members serve five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws
  that apply to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly
  enacts laws that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own
  House of Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the
  Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by
  universal suffrage to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 14 December 2005 (next to be held in December
  2010)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - CCM 206, CUF 19, CHADEMA 5, other 2, women
  appointed by the president 37, Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - CCM 30, CUF 19; 1 seat was nullified with a rerun to take
  place soon

Thailand
  bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consisted of the
  Senate or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha
  Phuthaen Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve four-year terms); after coup in September 2006, junta
  appointed an interim National Assembly with 250 members to act as
  Senate and House of Representatives; body has no vote on government
  matters
  elections: Senate - last held 19 April 2006; House of
  Representatives - last held 6 February 2005; junta scheduled next
  general election by October 2007
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - NA; House of Representatives - (2005 election) percent of
  vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2

Togo
  unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1
  note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of
  the Forces for Change and the Action Committee for Renewal

Tokelau
  unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional
  representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to
  serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats,
  Atafu has 8 seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers
  limited legislative power on the General Fono
  elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

Tonga
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14
  reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, 9 for nobles
  selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9 elected by popular vote;
  members serve three-year terms)
  elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008)
  election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT
  70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

Trinidad and Tobago
  bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31
  seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President,
  6 by the opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the
  House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next
  to be held by October 2007)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
  55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16
  note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
  serving four-year terms; last election held January 2005; seats by
  party - PNM 11, DAC 1

Tunisia
  bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or
  Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85
  members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and
  professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are
  presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to
  be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005
  (next to be held July 2011)
  election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3,
  PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Turkey
  unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
  Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held in 2007); note
  - a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt
  on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to
  a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister, on
  14 March 2003
  election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
  DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other; seats by
  party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing
  the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by
  party as of 1 December 2005 - AKP 357, CHP 154, ANAVATAN 22, DYP 4,
  SHP 4, HYP 1, independents 4, vacant 4

Turkmenistan
  under the 1992 constitution, there are two
  parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk
  Maslahaty (supreme legislative body of up to 2,500 delegates, some
  of whom are elected by popular vote and some of whom are appointed;
  meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50
  seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
  terms); membership is scheduled to be increased to 65 seats
  elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003 (next to be
  held December 2008); Mejlis - last held 19 December 2004 (next to be
  held December 2008)
  election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -
  all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of
  Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV
  note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of
  the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative
  organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and
  the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its
  supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the
  constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the
  president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and
  the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of
  making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative
  branches of government

Turks and Caicos Islands
  unicameral Legislative Council (21 seats of
  which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;
  seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August
  2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now
  has 5

Tuvalu
  unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of
  Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

Uganda
  unicameral National Assembly (303 members - 214 directly
  elected by popular vote, 81 nominated by legally established special
  interest groups [women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 8
  ex officio members; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  NA; note - election results had not been posted as of March 2006

Ukraine
  unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats;
  allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or
  more of the national electoral vote; members serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)
  election results: percent of vote by party/bloc in 2002 - Party of
  Regions 32.1%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.3%, Our Ukraine 13.9%, SPU
  5.7%, CPU 3.7%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 186, Yuliya
  Tymoshenko Bloc 129, Our Ukraine 81, SPU 33, CPU 21

United Arab Emirates
  unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or
  Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the
  rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)
  elections: President KHALIFA in December 2005 announced that
  indirect elections would be held in early 2006 for half of the seats
  in the FNC; the other half would be filled by appointment
  note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

United Kingdom
  bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords
  (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and
  26 clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless
  the House is dissolved earlier)
  elections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as
  provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House
  of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain
  there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary
  peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to be
  held by May 2010)
  election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -
  Labor 35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%;
  seats by party - Labor 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62,
  other 31; note - as of 10 February 2006 party by seat in the House
  of Commons: Labor 353, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 63,
  Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn
  Fein 5 (but cannot vote), other 11
  note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly
  (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer
  of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of
  1999 and has been suspended four times the latest occurring in
  October 2002); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish
  Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly

United States
  bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats,
  one-third are renewed every two years; 2 members are elected from
  each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
  Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular
  vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held on
  November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
  (next to be held on November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2;
  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
  party - Democratic Party 232, Republican Party 203

Uruguay
  bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of
  Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has
  one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de
  Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to
  be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31
  October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
  election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
  NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber
  of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
  - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

Uzbekistan
  bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an
  Upper House or Senate (100 seats; 84 members are elected by regional
  governing councils to serve five-year terms and 16 are appointed by
  the president) and a Lower House or Legislative Chamber (120 seats;
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 26 December 2004 and 9 January 2005 (next to be
  held December 2009)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
  party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
  seats by party - LDPU 41, NDP 32, Fidokorlar 17, MTP 11, Adolat 9,
  unaffiliated 10
  note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

Vanuatu
  unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular
  vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  NUP 10, UMP 8, VP 8, VRP 4, MPP 3, VGP 3, other and independent 16;
  note - political party associations are fluid
  note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture
  and language

Venezuela
  unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167
  seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms;
  three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
  elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other
  25), opposition 0

Vietnam
  unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members
  elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 90%, other 10% (the
  10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for
  election); seats by party - CPV 447, CPV-approved 51

Virgin Islands
  unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
  Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3
  note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the
  US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006
  (next to be held November 2008); results - Donna M. CHRISTENSEN
  (Democrat) reelected

Wallis and Futuna
  unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee
  Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  five-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held March 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7
  note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and
  one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -
  elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September
  2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now
  UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002
  (next to be held by in 2007); results - percent of vote by party -
  NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1

Yemen
  a new constitutional amendment ratified on 20 February 2001
  created a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111
  seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of
  Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
  six-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2009)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
  GPC 228, Islah 47, YSP 7, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab
  Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 14

Zambia
  unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are
  elected by popular vote, eight members are appointed by the
  president, to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%,
  UNIP 8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%;
  seats by party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP
  1, independents 1; seats not determined 2

Zimbabwe
  bicameral Parliament consists of a House of Assembly (150
  seats - 120 elected by popular vote for five-year terms, 12
  nominated by the president, 10 occupied by traditional chiefs chosen
  by their peers, and eight occupied by provincial governors appointed
  by the president) and a Senate (66 seats - 50 elected by popular
  vote for a five-year term, six nominated by the president, 10
  nominated by the Council of Chiefs)
  elections: House of Assembly last held 31 March 2005 (next to be
  held in 2010), Senate last held 26 November 2005 (next to be held in
  2010)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party -
  ZANU-PF 59.6%, MDC 39.5%, other 0.9%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 78,
  MDC 41, independents 1; Senate - percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF
  73.7%, MDC 20.3%, other 4.4%, independents 1.6%; seats by party -
  ZANU-PF 43, MDC 7

Afghanistan
  total population: 43.34 years
  male: 43.16 years
  female: 43.53 years (2006 est.)

Albania
  total population: 77.43 years
  male: 74.78 years
  female: 80.34 years (2006 est.)

Algeria
  total population: 73.26 years
  male: 71.68 years
  female: 74.92 years (2006 est.)

American Samoa
  total population: 76.05 years
  male: 72.48 years
  female: 79.82 years (2006 est.)

Andorra
  total population: 83.51 years
  male: 80.61 years
  female: 86.61 years (2006 est.)

Angola
  total population: 38.62 years
  male: 37.47 years
  female: 39.83 years (2006 est.)

Anguilla
  total population: 77.28 years
  male: 74.35 years
  female: 80.3 years (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  total population: 72.16 years
  male: 69.78 years
  female: 74.66 years (2006 est.)

Argentina
  total population: 76.12 years
  male: 72.38 years
  female: 80.05 years (2006 est.)

Armenia
  total population: 71.84 years
  male: 68.25 years
  female: 76.02 years (2006 est.)

Aruba
  total population: 79.28 years
  male: 75.95 years
  female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)

Australia
  total population: 80.5 years
  male: 77.64 years
  female: 83.52 years (2006 est.)

Austria
  total population: 79.07 years
  male: 76.17 years
  female: 82.11 years (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan
  total population: 63.85 years
  male: 59.78 years
  female: 68.13 years (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The
  total population: 65.6 years
  male: 62.24 years
  female: 69.03 years (2006 est.)

Bahrain
  total population: 74.45 years
  male: 71.97 years
  female: 77 years (2006 est.)

Bangladesh
  total population: 62.46 years
  male: 62.47 years
  female: 62.45 years (2006 est.)

Barbados
  total population: 72.79 years
  male: 70.79 years
  female: 74.82 years (2006 est.)

Belarus
  total population: 69.08 years
  male: 63.47 years
  female: 74.98 years (2006 est.)

Belgium
  total population: 78.77 years
  male: 75.59 years
  female: 82.09 years (2006 est.)

Belize
  total population: 68.3 years
  male: 66.43 years
  female: 70.26 years (2006 est.)

Benin
  total population: 53.04 years
  male: 51.9 years
  female: 54.22 years (2006 est.)

Bermuda
  total population: 77.96 years
  male: 75.85 years
  female: 80.1 years (2006 est.)

Bhutan
  total population: 54.78 years
  male: 55.02 years
  female: 54.53 years (2006 est.)

Bolivia
  total population: 65.84 years
  male: 63.21 years
  female: 68.61 years (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total population: 78 years
  male: 74.39 years
  female: 81.88 years (2006 est.)

Botswana
  total population: 33.74 years
  male: 33.9 years
  female: 33.56 years (2006 est.)

Brazil
  total population: 71.97 years
  male: 68.02 years
  female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  total population: 76.68 years
  male: 75.56 years
  female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)

Brunei
  total population: 75.01 years
  male: 72.57 years
  female: 77.59 years (2006 est.)

Bulgaria
  total population: 72.3 years
  male: 68.68 years
  female: 76.13 years (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso
  total population: 48.85 years
  male: 47.33 years
  female: 50.42 years (2006 est.)

Burma
  total population: 60.97 years
  male: 58.07 years
  female: 64.03 years (2006 est.)

Burundi
  total population: 50.81 years
  male: 50.07 years
  female: 51.58 years (2006 est.)

Cambodia
  total population: 59.29 years
  male: 57.35 years
  female: 61.32 years (2006 est.)

Cameroon
  total population: 51.16 years
  male: 50.98 years
  female: 51.34 years (2006 est.)

Canada
  total population: 80.22 years
  male: 76.86 years
  female: 83.74 years (2006 est.)

Cape Verde
  total population: 70.73 years
  male: 67.41 years
  female: 74.15 years (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
  total population: 80.07 years
  male: 77.45 years
  female: 82.74 years (2006 est.)

Central African Republic
  total population: 43.54 years
  male: 43.46 years
  female: 43.62 years (2006 est.)

Chad
  total population: 47.52 years
  male: 45.88 years
  female: 49.21 years (2006 est.)

Chile
  total population: 76.77 years
  male: 73.49 years
  female: 80.21 years (2006 est.)

China
  total population: 72.58 years
  male: 70.89 years
  female: 74.46 years (2006 est.)

Colombia
  total population: 71.99 years
  male: 68.15 years
  female: 75.96 years (2006 est.)

Comoros
  total population: 62.33 years
  male: 60 years
  female: 64.72 years (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total population: 51.46 years
  male: 50.01 years
  female: 52.94 years (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  total population: 52.8 years
  male: 51.65 years
  female: 53.98 years (2006 est.)

Costa Rica
  total population: 77.02 years
  male: 74.43 years
  female: 79.74 years (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  total population: 48.82 years
  male: 46.24 years
  female: 51.48 years (2006 est.)

Croatia
  total population: 74.68 years
  male: 71.03 years
  female: 78.53 years (2006 est.)

Cuba
  total population: 77.41 years
  male: 75.11 years
  female: 79.85 years (2006 est.)

Cyprus
  total population: 77.82 years
  male: 75.44 years
  female: 80.31 years (2006 est.)

Czech Republic
  total population: 76.22 years
  male: 72.94 years
  female: 79.69 years (2006 est.)

Denmark
  total population: 77.79 years
  male: 75.49 years
  female: 80.22 years (2006 est.)

Djibouti
  total population: 43.17 years
  male: 41.86 years
  female: 44.52 years (2006 est.)

Dominica
  total population: 74.87 years
  male: 71.95 years
  female: 77.93 years (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic
  total population: 71.73 years
  male: 70.21 years
  female: 73.33 years (2006 est.)

East Timor
  total population: 66.26 years
  male: 63.96 years
  female: 68.67 years (2006 est.)

Ecuador
  total population: 76.42 years
  male: 73.55 years
  female: 79.43 years (2006 est.)

Egypt
  total population: 71.29 years
  male: 68.77 years
  female: 73.93 years (2006 est.)

El Salvador
  total population: 71.49 years
  male: 67.88 years
  female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  total population: 49.54 years
  male: 48 years
  female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)

Eritrea
  total population: 59.03 years
  male: 57.44 years
  female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)

Estonia
  total population: 72.04 years
  male: 66.58 years
  female: 77.83 years (2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  total population: 49.03 years
  male: 47.86 years
  female: 50.24 years (2006 est.)

European Union
  total population: 78.3 years
  male: 75.1 years
  female: 81.6 years (2006 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  total population: NA
  male: NA
  female: NA

Faroe Islands
  total population: 79.35 years
  male: 75.91 years
  female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)

Fiji
  total population: 69.82 years
  male: 67.32 years
  female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Finland
  total population: 78.5 years
  male: 74.99 years
  female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)

France
  total population: 79.73 years
  male: 76.1 years
  female: 83.54 years (2006 est.)

French Guiana
  total population: 77.27 years
  male: 73.95 years
  female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

French Polynesia
  total population: 76.1 years
  male: 73.69 years
  female: 78.63 years (2006 est.)

Gabon
  total population: 54.49 years
  male: 53.21 years
  female: 55.81 years (2006 est.)

Gambia, The
  total population: 54.14 years
  male: 52.3 years
  female: 56.03 years (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip
  total population: 71.97 years
  male: 70.67 years
  female: 73.34 years (2006 est.)

Georgia
  total population: 76.09 years
  male: 72.8 years
  female: 79.87 years (2006 est.)

Germany
  total population: 78.8 years
  male: 75.81 years
  female: 81.96 years (2006 est.)

Ghana
  total population: 58.87 years
  male: 58.07 years
  female: 59.69 years (2006 est.)

Gibraltar
  total population: 79.8 years
  male: 76.92 years
  female: 82.83 years (2006 est.)

Greece
  total population: 79.24 years
  male: 76.72 years
  female: 81.91 years (2006 est.)

Greenland
  total population: 69.94 years
  male: 66.36 years
  female: 73.6 years (2006 est.)

Grenada
  total population: 64.87 years
  male: 63.06 years
  female: 66.68 years (2006 est.)

Guadeloupe
  total population: 78.06 years
  male: 74.91 years
  female: 81.37 years (2006 est.)

Guam
  total population: 78.58 years
  male: 75.52 years
  female: 81.83 years (2006 est.)

Guatemala
  total population: 69.38 years
  male: 67.65 years
  female: 71.18 years (2006 est.)

Guernsey
  total population: 80.42 years
  male: 77.41 years
  female: 83.53 years (2006 est.)

Guinea
  total population: 49.5 years
  male: 48.34 years
  female: 50.7 years (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
  total population: 46.87 years
  male: 45.05 years
  female: 48.75 years (2006 est.)

Guyana
  total population: 65.86 years
  male: 63.21 years
  female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)

Haiti
  total population: 53.23 years
  male: 51.89 years
  female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)

Honduras
  total population: 69.33 years
  male: 67.75 years
  female: 70.98 years (2006 est.)

Hong Kong
  total population: 81.59 years
  male: 78.9 years
  female: 84.5 years (2006 est.)

Hungary
  total population: 72.66 years
  male: 68.45 years
  female: 77.14 years (2006 est.)

Iceland
  total population: 80.31 years
  male: 78.23 years
  female: 82.48 years (2006 est.)

India
  total population: 64.71 years
  male: 63.9 years
  female: 65.57 years (2006 est.)

Indonesia
  total population: 69.87 years
  male: 67.42 years
  female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Iran
  total population: 70.26 years
  male: 68.86 years
  female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)

Iraq
  total population: 69.01 years
  male: 67.76 years
  female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)

Ireland
  total population: 77.73 years
  male: 75.11 years
  female: 80.52 years (2006 est.)

Isle of Man
  total population: 78.49 years
  male: 75.14 years
  female: 82.02 years (2006 est.)

Israel
  total population: 79.46 years
  male: 77.33 years
  female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)

Italy
  total population: 79.81 years
  male: 76.88 years
  female: 82.94 years (2006 est.)

Jamaica
  total population: 73.24 years
  male: 71.54 years
  female: 75.03 years (2006 est.)

Japan
  total population: 81.25 years
  male: 77.96 years
  female: 84.7 years (2006 est.)

Jersey
  total population: 79.38 years
  male: 76.89 years
  female: 82.05 years (2006 est.)

Jordan
  total population: 78.4 years
  male: 75.9 years
  female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan
  total population: 66.89 years
  male: 61.56 years
  female: 72.52 years (2006 est.)

Kenya
  total population: 48.93 years
  male: 49.78 years
  female: 48.07 years (2006 est.)

Kiribati
  total population: 62.08 years
  male: 59.06 years
  female: 65.24 years (2006 est.)

Korea, North
  total population: 71.65 years
  male: 68.92 years
  female: 74.51 years (2006 est.)

Korea, South
  total population: 77.04 years
  male: 73.61 years
  female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

Kuwait
  total population: 77.2 years
  male: 76.13 years
  female: 78.31 years (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  total population: 68.49 years
  male: 64.48 years
  female: 72.7 years (2006 est.)

Laos
  total population: 55.49 years
  male: 53.45 years
  female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)

Latvia
  total population: 71.33 years
  male: 66.08 years
  female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)

Lebanon
  total population: 72.88 years
  male: 70.41 years
  female: 75.48 years (2006 est.)

Lesotho
  total population: 34.4 years
  male: 35.55 years
  female: 33.21 years (2006 est.)

Liberia
  total population: 39.65 years
  male: 37.99 years
  female: 41.35 years (2006 est.)

Libya
  total population: 76.69 years
  male: 74.46 years
  female: 79.02 years (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein
  total population: 79.68 years
  male: 76.1 years
  female: 83.28 years (2006 est.)

Lithuania
  total population: 74.2 years
  male: 69.2 years
  female: 79.49 years (2006 est.)

Luxembourg
  total population: 78.89 years
  male: 75.6 years
  female: 82.38 years (2006 est.)

Macau
  total population: 82.19 years
  male: 79.36 years
  female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)

Macedonia
  total population: 73.97 years
  male: 71.51 years
  female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)

Madagascar
  total population: 57.34 years
  male: 54.93 years
  female: 59.82 years (2006 est.)

Malawi
  total population: 41.7 years
  male: 41.93 years
  female: 41.45 years (2006 est.)

Malaysia
  total population: 72.5 years
  male: 69.8 years
  female: 75.38 years (2006 est.)

Maldives
  total population: 64.41 years
  male: 63.08 years
  female: 65.8 years (2006 est.)

Mali
  total population: 49 years
  male: 47.05 years
  female: 51.01 years (2006 est.)

Malta
  total population: 79.01 years
  male: 76.83 years
  female: 81.31 years (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands
  total population: 70.31 years
  male: 68.33 years
  female: 72.39 years (2006 est.)

Martinique
  total population: 79.18 years
  male: 79.5 years
  female: 78.85 years (2006 est.)

Mauritania
  total population: 53.12 years
  male: 50.88 years
  female: 55.42 years (2006 est.)

Mauritius
  total population: 72.63 years
  male: 68.66 years
  female: 76.66 years (2006 est.)

Mayotte
  total population: 61.76 years
  male: 59.57 years
  female: 64.02 years (2006 est.)

Mexico
  total population: 75.41 years
  male: 72.63 years
  female: 78.33 years (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  total population: 70.05 years
  male: 68.24 years
  female: 71.95 years (2006 est.)

Moldova
  total population: 65.65 years
  male: 61.61 years
  female: 69.88 years (2006 est.)

Monaco
  total population: 79.69 years
  male: 75.85 years
  female: 83.74 years (2006 est.)

Mongolia
  total population: 64.89 years
  male: 62.64 years
  female: 67.25 years (2006 est.)

Montserrat
  total population: 78.85 years
  male: 76.67 years
  female: 81.14 years (2006 est.)

Morocco
  total population: 70.94 years
  male: 68.62 years
  female: 73.37 years (2006 est.)

Mozambique
  total population: 39.82 years
  male: 39.53 years
  female: 40.13 years (2006 est.)

Namibia
  total population: 43.39 years
  male: 44.46 years
  female: 42.29 years (2006 est.)

Nauru
  total population: 63.08 years
  male: 59.5 years
  female: 66.84 years (2006 est.)

Nepal
  total population: 60.18 years
  male: 60.43 years
  female: 59.91 years (2006 est.)

Netherlands
  total population: 78.96 years
  male: 76.39 years
  female: 81.67 years (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  total population: 76.03 years
  male: 73.76 years
  female: 78.41 years (2006 est.)

New Caledonia
  total population: 74.27 years
  male: 71.29 years
  female: 77.39 years (2006 est.)

New Zealand
  total population: 78.81 years
  male: 75.82 years
  female: 81.93 years (2006 est.)

Nicaragua
  total population: 70.63 years
  male: 68.55 years
  female: 72.81 years (2006 est.)

Niger
  total population: 43.76 years
  male: 43.8 years
  female: 43.73 years (2006 est.)

Nigeria
  total population: 47.08 years
  male: 46.52 years
  female: 47.66 years (2006 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
  total population: 76.09 years
  male: 73.5 years
  female: 78.83 years (2006 est.)

Norway
  total population: 79.54 years
  male: 76.91 years
  female: 82.31 years (2006 est.)

Oman
  total population: 73.37 years
  male: 71.14 years
  female: 75.72 years (2006 est.)

Pakistan
  total population: 63.39 years
  male: 62.4 years
  female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Palau
  total population: 70.42 years
  male: 67.26 years
  female: 73.77 years (2006 est.)

Panama
  total population: 75.22 years
  male: 72.68 years
  female: 77.87 years (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  total population: 65.28 years
  male: 63.08 years
  female: 67.58 years (2006 est.)

Paraguay
  total population: 75.1 years
  male: 72.56 years
  female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)

Peru
  total population: 69.84 years
  male: 68.05 years
  female: 71.71 years (2006 est.)

Philippines
  total population: 70.21 years
  male: 67.32 years
  female: 73.24 years (2006 est.)

Poland
  total population: 74.97 years
  male: 70.95 years
  female: 79.23 years (2006 est.)

Portugal
  total population: 77.7 years
  male: 74.43 years
  female: 81.2 years (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico
  total population: 78.4 years
  male: 74.46 years
  female: 82.54 years (2006 est.)

Qatar
  total population: 73.9 years
  male: 71.37 years
  female: 76.57 years (2006 est.)

Reunion
  total population: 74.18 years
  male: 70.78 years
  female: 77.75 years (2006 est.)

Romania
  total population: 71.63 years
  male: 68.14 years
  female: 75.34 years (2006 est.)

Russia
  total population: 67.08 years
  male: 60.45 years
  female: 74.1 years (2006 est.)

Rwanda
  total population: 47.3 years
  male: 46.26 years
  female: 48.38 years (2006 est.)

Saint Helena
  total population: 77.93 years
  male: 75.02 years
  female: 80.98 years (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total population: 72.4 years
  male: 69.56 years
  female: 75.42 years (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia
  total population: 73.84 years
  male: 70.29 years
  female: 77.65 years (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  total population: 78.61 years
  male: 76.27 years
  female: 81.06 years (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  total population: 73.85 years
  male: 71.99 years
  female: 75.77 years (2006 est.)

Samoa
  total population: 71 years
  male: 68.2 years
  female: 73.94 years (2006 est.)

San Marino
  total population: 81.71 years
  male: 78.23 years
  female: 85.5 years (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  total population: 67.31 years
  male: 65.73 years
  female: 68.95 years (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  total population: 75.67 years
  male: 73.66 years
  female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)

Senegal
  total population: 59.25 years
  male: 57.7 years
  female: 60.85 years (2006 est.)

Seychelles
  total population: 72.08 years
  male: 66.69 years
  female: 77.63 years (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone
  total population: 40.22 years
  male: 38.05 years
  female: 42.46 years (2006 est.)

Singapore
  total population: 81.71 years
  male: 79.13 years
  female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)

Slovakia
  total population: 74.73 years
  male: 70.76 years
  female: 78.89 years (2006 est.)

Slovenia
  total population: 76.33 years
  male: 72.63 years
  female: 80.29 years (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands
  total population: 72.91 years
  male: 70.4 years
  female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)

Somalia
  total population: 48.47 years
  male: 46.71 years
  female: 50.28 years (2006 est.)

South Africa
  total population: 42.73 years
  male: 43.25 years
  female: 42.19 years (2006 est.)

Spain
  total population: 79.65 years
  male: 76.32 years
  female: 83.2 years (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka
  total population: 73.41 years
  male: 70.83 years
  female: 76.12 years (2006 est.)

Sudan
  total population: 58.92 years
  male: 57.69 years
  female: 60.21 years (2006 est.)

Suriname
  total population: 69.01 years
  male: 66.66 years
  female: 71.47 years (2006 est.)

Swaziland
  total population: 32.62 years
  male: 32.1 years
  female: 33.17 years (2006 est.)

Sweden
  total population: 80.51 years
  male: 78.29 years
  female: 82.87 years (2006 est.)

Switzerland
  total population: 80.51 years
  male: 77.69 years
  female: 83.48 years (2006 est.)

Syria
  total population: 70.32 years
  male: 69.01 years
  female: 71.7 years (2006 est.)

Taiwan
  total population: 77.43 years
  male: 74.67 years
  female: 80.47 years (2006 est.)

Tajikistan
  total population: 64.94 years
  male: 62.03 years
  female: 68 years (2006 est.)

Tanzania
  total population: 45.64 years
  male: 44.93 years
  female: 46.37 years (2006 est.)

Thailand
  total population: 72.25 years
  male: 69.95 years
  female: 74.68 years (2006 est.)

Togo
  total population: 57.42 years
  male: 55.41 years
  female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)

Tonga
  total population: 69.82 years
  male: 67.32 years
  female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  total population: 66.76 years
  male: 65.71 years
  female: 67.86 years (2006 est.)

Tunisia
  total population: 75.12 years
  male: 73.4 years
  female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

Turkey
  total population: 72.62 years
  male: 70.18 years
  female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan
  total population: 61.83 years
  male: 58.43 years
  female: 65.41 years (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  total population: 74.73 years
  male: 72.48 years
  female: 77.08 years (2006 est.)

Tuvalu
  total population: 68.32 years
  male: 66.08 years
  female: 70.66 years (2006 est.)

Uganda
  total population: 52.67 years
  male: 51.68 years
  female: 53.69 years (2006 est.)

Ukraine
  total population: 69.98 years
  male: 64.71 years
  female: 75.59 years (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates
  total population: 75.44 years
  male: 72.92 years
  female: 78.08 years (2006 est.)

United Kingdom
  total population: 78.54 years
  male: 76.09 years
  female: 81.13 years (2006 est.)

United States
  total population: 77.85 years
  male: 75.02 years
  female: 80.82 years (2006 est.)

Uruguay
  total population: 76.33 years
  male: 73.12 years
  female: 79.65 years (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan
  total population: 64.58 years
  male: 61.19 years
  female: 68.14 years (2006 est.)

Vanuatu
  total population: 62.85 years
  male: 61.34 years
  female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Venezuela
  total population: 74.54 years
  male: 71.49 years
  female: 77.81 years (2006 est.)

Vietnam
  total population: 70.85 years
  male: 68.05 years
  female: 73.85 years (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands
  total population: 79.05 years
  male: 75.24 years
  female: 83.09 years (2006 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
  total population: NA years
  male: NA years
  female: NA years

West Bank
  total population: 73.27 years
  male: 71.5 years
  female: 75.15 years (2006 est.)

World
  total population: 64.77 years
  male: 63.16 years
  female: 66.47 years (2006 est.)

Yemen
  total population: 62.12 years
  male: 60.23 years
  female: 64.11 years (2006 est.)

Zambia
  total population: 40.03 years
  male: 39.76 years
  female: 40.31 years (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe
  total population: 39.29 years
  male: 40.39 years
  female: 38.16 years (2006 est.)

Afghanistan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 36%
  male: 51%
  female: 21% (1999 est.)

Albania
  definition: age 9 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.5%
  male: 93.3%
  female: 79.5% (2003 est.)

Algeria
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 70%
  male: 78.8%
  female: 61% (2003 est.)

American Samoa
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 98%
  female: 97% (1980 est.)

Angola
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 66.8%
  male: 82.1%
  female: 53.8% (2001 est.)

Anguilla
  definition: age 12 and over can read and write
  total population: 95%
  male: 95%
  female: 95% (1984 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  definition: age 15 and over has completed five
  or more years of schooling
  total population: 85.8%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003 est.)

Argentina
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.1%
  male: 97.1%
  female: 97.1% (2003 est.)

Armenia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99.4%
  female: 98% (2003 est.)

Australia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Austria
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: NA
  female: NA

Azerbaijan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.5%
  female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Bahamas, The
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 95.6%
  male: 94.7%
  female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Bahrain
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 89.1%
  male: 91.9%
  female: 85% (2003 est.)

Bangladesh
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 43.1%
  male: 53.9%
  female: 31.8% (2003 est.)

Barbados
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.7% (2002 est.)

Belarus
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Belgium
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Belize
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.1%
  male: 94.1%
  female: 94.1% (2003 est.)

Benin
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 33.6%
  male: 46.4%
  female: 22.6% (2002 est.)

Bermuda
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 99% (2005 est.)

Bhutan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 47%
  male: 60%
  female: 34% (2003 est.)

Bolivia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.2%
  male: 93.1%
  female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.6%
  male: 98.4%
  female: 91.1% (2000 est.)

Botswana
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79.8%
  male: 76.9%
  female: 82.4% (2003 est.)

Brazil
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.4%
  male: 86.1%
  female: 86.6% (2003 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)
  male: NA%
  female: NA%

Brunei
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.9%
  male: 96.3%
  female: 91.4% (2002)

Bulgaria
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Burkina Faso
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 26.6%
  male: 36.9%
  female: 16.6% (2003 est.)

Burma
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.3%
  male: 89.2%
  female: 81.4% (2002)

Burundi
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 51.6%
  male: 58.5%
  female: 45.2% (2003 est.)

Cambodia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 73.6%
  male: 84.7%
  female: 64.1% (2004 est.)

Cameroon
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79%
  male: 84.7%
  female: 73.4% (2003 est.)

Canada
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Cape Verde
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 76.6%
  male: 85.8%
  female: 69.2% (2003 est.)

Cayman Islands
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 98% (1970 est.)

Central African Republic
  definition: age 15 and over can read and
  write
  total population: 51%
  male: 63.3%
  female: 39.9% (2003 est.)

Chad
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
  total population: 47.5%
  male: 56%
  female: 39.3% (2003 est.)

Chile
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.2%
  male: 96.4%
  female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

China
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90.9%
  male: 95.1%
  female: 86.5% (2002)

Colombia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.5%
  male: 92.4%
  female: 92.6% (2003 est.)

Comoros
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 56.5%
  male: 63.6%
  female: 49.3% (2003 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  definition: age 15 and over can
  read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba
  total population: 65.5%
  male: 76.2%
  female: 55.1% (2003 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83.8%
  male: 89.6%
  female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Costa Rica
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: 95.9%
  female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 50.9%
  male: 57.9%
  female: 43.6% (2003 est.)

Croatia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.5%
  male: 99.4%
  female: 97.8% (2003 est.)

Cuba
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97.2%
  female: 96.9% (2003 est.)

Cyprus
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.6%
  male: 98.9%
  female: 96.3% (2003 est.)

Czech Republic
  definition: NA
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Denmark
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Djibouti
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 67.9%
  male: 78%
  female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

Dominica
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 94%
  male: 94%
  female: 94% (2003 est.)

Dominican Republic
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 84.7%
  male: 84.6%
  female: 84.8% (2003 est.)

East Timor
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 58.6%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2002)

Ecuador
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.5%
  male: 94%
  female: 91% (2003 est.)

Egypt
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 57.7%
  male: 68.3%
  female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

El Salvador
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 80.2%
  male: 82.8%
  female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.7%
  male: 93.3%
  female: 78.4% (2003 est.)

Eritrea
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 58.6%
  male: 69.9%
  female: 47.6% (2003 est.)

Estonia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.8%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.8% (2003 est.)

Ethiopia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 42.7%
  male: 50.3%
  female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

Faroe Islands definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper

Fiji
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.7%
  male: 95.5%
  female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Finland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2000 est.)

France
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

French Guiana
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83%
  male: 84%
  female: 82% (1982 est.)

French Polynesia
  definition: age 14 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 98% (1977 est.)

Gabon
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 63.2%
  male: 73.7%
  female: 53.3% (1995 est.)

Gambia, The
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 40.1%
  male: 47.8%
  female: 32.8% (2003 est.)

Gaza Strip
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.9%
  male: 96.3%
  female: 87.4% (2003 est.)

Georgia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2004 est.)

Germany
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Ghana
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74.8%
  male: 82.7%
  female: 67.1% (2003 est.)

Gibraltar
  definition: NA
  total population: above 80%
  male: NA
  female: NA

Greece
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.5%
  male: 98.6%
  female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Greenland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2001 est.)

Grenada
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003 est.)

Guadeloupe
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90%
  male: 90%
  female: 90% (1982 est.)

Guam
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (1990 est.)

Guatemala
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 70.6%
  male: 78%
  female: 63.3% (2003 est.)

Guinea
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 35.9%
  male: 49.9%
  female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 42.4%
  male: 58.1%
  female: 27.4% (2003 est.)

Guyana
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

Haiti
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 52.9%
  male: 54.8%
  female: 51.2% (2003 est.)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  definition: NA
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100%

Honduras
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 76.2%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 76.3% (2003 est.)

Hong Kong
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 93.5%
  male: 96.9%
  female: 89.6% (2002)

Hungary
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.4%
  male: 99.5%
  female: 99.3% (2003 est.)

Iceland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

India
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 59.5%
  male: 70.2%
  female: 48.3% (2003 est.)

Indonesia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.9%
  male: 92.5%
  female: 83.4% (2002 est.)

Iran
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79.4%
  male: 85.6%
  female: 73% (2003 est.)

Iraq
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 40.4%
  male: 55.9%
  female: 24.4% (2003 est.)

Ireland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Israel
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 95.4%
  male: 97.3%
  female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Italy
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99%
  female: 98.3% (2003 est.)

Jamaica
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 87.9%
  male: 84.1%
  female: 91.6% (2003 est.)

Japan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2002)

Jordan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.3%
  male: 95.9%
  female: 86.3% (2003 est.)

Kazakhstan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.4%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 97.7% (1999 est.)

Kenya
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.1%
  male: 90.6%
  female: 79.7% (2003 est.)

Korea, North
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99%

Korea, South
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.9%
  male: 99.2%
  female: 96.6% (2002)

Kuwait
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83.5%
  male: 85.1%
  female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.7%
  male: 99.3%
  female: 98.1% (1999 est.)

Laos
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 66.4%
  male: 77.4%
  female: 55.5% (2002)

Latvia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.8%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.8% (2003 est.)

Lebanon
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.4%
  male: 93.1%
  female: 82.2% (2003 est.)

Lesotho
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 84.8%
  male: 74.5%
  female: 94.5% (2003 est.)

Liberia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 57.5%
  male: 73.3%
  female: 41.6% (2003 est.)

Libya
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 82.6%
  male: 92.4%
  female: 72% (2003 est.)

Liechtenstein
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100%

Lithuania
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Luxembourg
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100% (2000 est.)

Macau
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.5%
  male: 97.2%
  female: 92% (2003 est.)

Macedonia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.1%
  male: 98.2%
  female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Madagascar
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 68.9%
  male: 75.5%
  female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

Malawi
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 62.7%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 49.8% (2003 est.)

Malaysia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 88.7%
  male: 92%
  female: 85.4% (2002)

Maldives
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.2%
  male: 97.1%
  female: 97.3% (2003 est.)

Mali
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 46.4%
  male: 53.5%
  female: 39.6% (2003 est.)

Malta
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.8%
  male: 92%
  female: 93.6% (2003 est.)

Marshall Islands
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.7%
  male: 93.6%
  female: 93.7% (1999)

Martinique
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.7%
  male: 97.4%
  female: 98.1% (2003 est.)

Mauritania
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 41.7%
  male: 51.8%
  female: 31.9% (2003 est.)

Mauritius
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 85.6%
  male: 88.6%
  female: 82.7% (2003 est.)

Mexico
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.2%
  male: 94%
  female: 90.5% (2003 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  definition: age 15 and over can read
  and write
  total population: 89%
  male: 91%
  female: 88% (1980 est.)

Moldova
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.1%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 98.7% (2003 est.)

Monaco
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Mongolia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.8%
  male: 98%
  female: 97.5% (2002)

Montserrat
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 97% (1970 est.)

Morocco
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 51.7%
  male: 64.1%
  female: 39.4% (2003 est.)

Mozambique
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 47.8%
  male: 63.5%
  female: 32.7% (2003 est.)

Namibia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 84%
  male: 84.4%
  female: 83.7% (2003 est.)

Nepal
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 48.6%
  male: 62.7%
  female: 34.9% (2000-2004 est.)

Netherlands
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.7%
  male: 96.7%
  female: 96.8% (2003 est.)

New Caledonia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91%
  male: 92%
  female: 90% (1976 est.)

New Zealand
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Nicaragua
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 67.5%
  male: 67.2%
  female: 67.8% (2003 est.)

Niger
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 17.6%
  male: 25.8%
  female: 9.7% (2003 est.)

Nigeria
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 68%
  male: 75.7%
  female: 60.6% (2003 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
  definition: age 15 and over can read and
  write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 96% (1980 est.)

Norway
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 100%
  male: 100%
  female: 100%

Pakistan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 48.7%
  male: 61.7%
  female: 35.2% (2004 est.)

Palau
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92%
  male: 93%
  female: 90% (1980 est.)

Panama
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.6%
  male: 93.2%
  female: 91.9% (2003 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 64.6%
  male: 71.1%
  female: 57.7% (2002)

Paraguay
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94%
  male: 94.9%
  female: 93% (2003 est.)

Peru
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 87.7%
  male: 93.5%
  female: 82.1% (2004 est.)

Philippines
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.6%
  male: 92.5%
  female: 92.7% (2002)

Poland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.8%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Portugal
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.3%
  male: 95.5%
  female: 91.3% (2003 est.)

Puerto Rico
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.1%
  male: 93.9%
  female: 94.4% (2002 est.)

Qatar
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 89%
  male: 89.1%
  female: 88.6% (2004 est.)

Reunion
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 88.9%
  male: 87%
  female: 90.8% (2003 est.)

Romania
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.4%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 97.7% (2003 est.)

Russia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Rwanda
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 70.4%
  male: 76.3%
  female: 64.7% (2003 est.)

Saint Helena
  definition: age 20 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 98% (1987 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended
  school
  total population: 97.8%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003 est.)

Saint Lucia
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 90.1%
  male: 89.5%
  female: 90.6% (2001 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  definition: age 15 and over can read and
  write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (1982 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  definition: age 15 and over has
  ever attended school
  total population: 96%
  male: 96%
  female: 96% (1970 est.)

Samoa
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

San Marino
  definition: age 10 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: 97%
  female: 95% (1976 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 79.3%
  male: 85%
  female: 62% (1991 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 78.8%
  male: 84.7%
  female: 70.8% (2003 est.)

Senegal
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 40.2%
  male: 50%
  female: 30.7% (2003 est.)

Serbia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.4%
  male: 98.9%
  female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Seychelles
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.9%
  male: 91.4%
  female: 92.3% (2003 est.)

Sierra Leone
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write English,
  Mende, Temne, or Arabic
  total population: 29.6%
  male: 39.8%
  female: 20.5% (2000 est.)

Singapore
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.5%
  male: 96.6%
  female: 88.6% (2002)

Slovakia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.6%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.6% (2001 est.)

Slovenia
  definition: NA
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.7%
  female: 99.6%

Somalia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 37.8%
  male: 49.7%
  female: 25.8% (2001 est.)

South Africa
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.4%
  male: 87%
  female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

Spain
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97.9%
  male: 98.7%
  female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

Sri Lanka
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.3%
  male: 94.8%
  female: 90% (2003 est.)

Sudan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 61.1%
  male: 71.8%
  female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

Suriname
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 88%
  male: 92.3%
  female: 84.1% (2000 est.)

Swaziland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 81.6%
  male: 82.6%
  female: 80.8% (2003 est.)

Sweden
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Switzerland
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Syria
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 76.9%
  male: 89.7%
  female: 64% (2003 est.)

Taiwan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96.1%
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2003)

Tajikistan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.4%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99.1% (2003 est.)

Tanzania
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili
  (Swahili), English, or Arabic
  total population: 78.2%
  male: 85.9%
  female: 70.7% (2003 est.)

Thailand
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 92.6%
  male: 94.9%
  female: 90.5% (2002)

Togo
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 60.9%
  male: 75.4%
  female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Tonga
  definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
  total population: 98.9%
  male: 98.8%
  female: 99% (1999 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.6%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98% (2003 est.)

Tunisia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74.3%
  male: 83.4%
  female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Turkey
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.5%
  male: 94.3%
  female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Turkmenistan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.3%
  female: 98.3% (1999 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  definition: age 15 and over has ever
  attended school
  total population: 98%
  male: 99%
  female: 98% (1970 est.)

Uganda
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 69.9%
  male: 79.5%
  female: 60.4% (2003 est.)

Ukraine
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.7%
  male: 99.8%
  female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

United Arab Emirates
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 77.9%
  male: 76.1%
  female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

United Kingdom
  definition: age 15 and over has completed five or
  more years of schooling
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

United States
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Uruguay
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 97.6%
  female: 98.4% (2003 est.)

Uzbekistan
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99.3%
  male: 99.6%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

Vanuatu
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74%
  male: NA
  female: NA

Venezuela
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 93.4%
  male: 93.8%
  female: 93.1% (2003 est.)

Vietnam
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90.3%
  male: 93.9%
  female: 86.9% (2002)

Virgin Islands
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90-95% est.
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2005 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 50%
  male: 50%
  female: 50% (1969 est.)

West Bank
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 91.9%
  male: 96.3%
  female: 87.4% (2003 est.)

World
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 82%
  male: 87%
  female: 77%
  note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults
  are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh,
  Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the
  illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low
  literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West
  Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around
  one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)

Yemen
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 50.2%
  male: 70.5%
  female: 30% (2003 est.)

Zambia
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
  total population: 80.6%
  male: 86.8%
  female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

Zimbabwe
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
  total population: 90.7%
  male: 94.2%
  female: 87.2% (2003 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
males age 18-49: 18,952
females age 18-49: 18,360 (2005 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
males age 18-49: 1,119,508
females age 18-49: 1,079,435 (2005 est.)

Central African Republic
males age 18-49: 853,760
females age 18-49: 835,426 (2005 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
males age 18-49: 688,628
females age 18-49: 685,388 (2005 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
males age 18-49: 3,696,106
females age 18-49: 3,569,967 (2005 est.)

Cyprus
  Greek Cyriot National Guard (GCNG):
  males age 18-49: 184,352
  females age 18-49: 175,567 (2005 est.)

Czech Republic
males age 18-49: 2,414,728
females age 18-49: 2,329,412 (2005 est.)

Dominican Republic
males age 18-49: 2,133,142
females age 18-49: 2,032,840 (2005 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
males age 18-49: 104,563
females age 18-49: 109,923 (2005 est.)

Korea, North
males age 17-49: 5,851,801
females age 17-49: 5,850,733 (2005 est.)

Korea, South
males age 20-49: 12,483,677
females age 20-49: 12,014,462 (2005 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
males age 16-49: 54,200
females age 16-49: 56,868 (2005 est.)

Papua New Guinea
males age 18-49: 1,264,728
females age 18-49: 1,167,188 (2005 est.)

Philippines
males age 18-49: 20,131,179
females age 18-49: 20,009,526 (2005 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
males age 18-49: 9,196
females age 18-49: 9,236 (2005 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
males age 18-49: 33,438
females age 18-49: 35,279 (2005 est.)

Saudi Arabia
males age 18-49: 7,648,999
females age 18-49: 5,417,922 (2005 est.)

South Africa
males age 18-49: 10,354,769
females age 18-49: 10,626,550 (2005 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
males age 18-49: 290,715
females age 18-49: 258,410 (2005 est.)

Turkmenistan
males age 18-49: 1,132,833
females age 18-49: 1,162,569 (2005 est.)

United Arab Emirates
males age 18-49: 653,181
females age 18-49: 497,394 (includes non-nationals; 2005 est.)

United Kingdom
males age 16-49: 14,607,724
females age 16-49: 14,028,738 (2005 est.)

United States
males age 18-49: 67,742,879
females age 18-49: 67,070,144 (2005 est.)

Albania
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Angola
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Antarctica
  Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic
  Zone (EEZ) rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from
  their continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these
  zones are not accepted by other countries; 21 of 28 Antarctic
  consultative nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory
  (although Russia and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do
  not recognize the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes
  - international entry

Antigua and Barbuda
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Argentina
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Australia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Bahrain
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

Bangladesh
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 18 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin

Belgium
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit
  continental shelf: median line with neighbors

Belize
  territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note
  - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's
  territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act,
  1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for
  negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with
  Guatemala
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Brazil
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

British Indian Ocean Territory
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Bulgaria
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Burma
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Cambodia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

Canada
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Cape Verde
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Chile
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200/350 nm

China
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Christmas Island territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Colombia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors

Cook Islands territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Costa Rica
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

Cote d'Ivoire
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

Croatia
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Cyprus
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Denmark
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Djibouti
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Dominica
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Dominican Republic
  territorial sea: 6 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

East Timor
  territorial sea: NA
  exclusive economic zone: NA
  continental shelf: NA
  exclusive fishing zone: NA

Ecuador
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath

Egypt
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Estonia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with
  neighboring states

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Faroe Islands
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Fiji
  measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
  rectilinear shelf claim added

Finland
  territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
  exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary
  with Sweden

France
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not
  include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands)

Gabon
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Gambia, The
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 18 nm
  continental shelf: not specified
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Gaza Strip
  Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the
  Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be
  determined through further negotiation

Germany
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Ghana
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

Greece
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Greenland
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line

Guatemala
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Guyana
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
  margin

Haiti
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Heard Island and McDonald Islands territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Honduras
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

Iceland
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Iles Eparses
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; note - Juan de Nova Island and
  Tromelin Island claim a continental shelf of 200-m depth or to the
  depth of exploitation

India
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Indonesia
  measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Iran
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
  Persian Gulf
  continental shelf: natural prolongation

Italy
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Jamaica
  measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Jan Mayen
  territorial sea: 4 nm
  contiguous zone: 10 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Japan
  territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the
  international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and
  Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Juan de Nova Island territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Kenya
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Korea, North
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  note: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the
  exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign
  vessels and aircraft without permission are banned

Korea, South
  territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the
  Korea Strait
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: not specified

Latvia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Libya
territorial sea: 12 nm
note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Madagascar
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m deep isobath

Malaysia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
  specified boundary in the South China Sea

Maldives
  measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Malta
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
  exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm

Marshall Islands territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Mauritania
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Mauritius
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Mexico
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Micronesia, Federated States of
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Morocco
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Namibia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Nauru
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

New Zealand
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Nigeria
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Norway
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 10 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

Oman
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Pakistan
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Panama
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Papua New Guinea
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Philippines
  territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100
  nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has
  also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm
  in breadth
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Poland
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

Portugal
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Qatar
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or
  the median line

Romania
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Russia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Saint Lucia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Saint Pierre and Miquelon territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Sao Tome and Principe
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Saudi Arabia
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 18 nm
  continental shelf: not specified

Senegal
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Seychelles
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Sierra Leone
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm

Singapore
  territorial sea: 3 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as
  defined in treaties and practice

Solomon Islands measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

South Africa territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Spain
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

Sri Lanka
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Sudan
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 18 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Svalbard
  territorial sea: 4 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but
  not recognized by Russia

Sweden
  territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion
  of straits to high seas)
  exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Thailand
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Tonga
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Trinidad and Tobago measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

Tromelin Island territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Turkey
  territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea
  and in Mediterranean Sea
  exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary
  agreed upon with the former USSR

Tuvalu
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Ukraine
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation

United Arab Emirates
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

United Kingdom
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in
  accordance with agreed upon boundaries

United States
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: not specified

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Uruguay
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Vanuatu
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Venezuela
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 15 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Vietnam
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

World
  a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries
  make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline
  as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:
  territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive
  economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of
  continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary
  situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from
  extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200nm

Yemen
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Afghanistan
  AsDB, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SACEP,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
  (observer)

Albania
  BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE,
  PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Algeria
  ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB,
  OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,
  UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Andorra
  CE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF,
  OIF (associate member), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Angola
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS
  (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Antigua and Barbuda
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Argentina
  ABEDA, AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate),
  CSN, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO,
  MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council
  (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOVIC, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Armenia
  ACCT (observer), AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Aruba
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO,
WToO (associate)

Australia
  ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
  Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG,
  OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO, ZC

Austria
  ACCT (observer), AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
  (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9,
  IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF
  (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Azerbaijan
  AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GUAM, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS
  (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Bahamas, The
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOM,
  IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), WToO

Bahrain
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Bangladesh
  ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO,
  MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Barbados
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Belarus
  BSEC (observer), CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Belgium
  ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN,
  EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA,
  NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,
  SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR,
  UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WTO, ZC

Belize
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Benin
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
  NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Bhutan
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
  OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Bolivia
  CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), OAS
  (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Botswana
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Brazil
  AfDB, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
  Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

British Virgin Islands
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol
(subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU

Brunei
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
  IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
  OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Bulgaria
  ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC,
  EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
  SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Burkina Faso
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Burma
  APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Burundi
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Cambodia
  ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO

Cameroon
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
  NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Canada
  ACCT, AfDB, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
  partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
  ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC,
  NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE,
  Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMSIL,
  UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Cape Verde
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Cayman Islands
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC,
UNESCO (associate), UPU

Central African Republic
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW,
  OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Chad
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO

Chile
  APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES,
  LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

China
  AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BCIE,
  BIS, CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24 (observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC
  (observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Colombia
  BCIE, CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
  Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Comoros
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC,
  Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL,
  COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Congo, Republic of the
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ,
  G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW
  (signatory), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Cook Islands
ACP, AsDB, FAO, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IOC,
OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Costa Rica
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer),
  OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Cote d'Ivoire
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA,
  NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB
  (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Croatia
  ACCT (observer), BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD,
  FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF
  (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Cuba
  ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM,
  OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW,
  PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Cyprus
  Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Czech Republic
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
  (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state),
  EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU
  (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Denmark
  AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE,
  CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NATO,
  NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
  PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU
  (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Djibouti
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Dominica
  ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
  (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Dominican Republic
  ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended),
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory),
  PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

East Timor
  ACP, ARF, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WToO

Ecuador
  CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Egypt
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU,
  COMESA, EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
  OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
  UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

El Salvador
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM
  (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Equatorial Guinea
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Eritrea
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW,
  PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Estonia
  Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new
  member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Ethiopia
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

European Union
  European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF
  (dialogue member), IDA, OAS (observer), UN (observer), WTO
  European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10,
  NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, ZC (observer)
  European Central Bank: BIS
  European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)

Fiji
  ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Finland
  AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE,
  CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC,
  NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,
  PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
  ZC

France
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia
  Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC,
  EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
  OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI
  (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
  UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO, ZC

Gabon
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO

Gambia, The
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Georgia
  ACCT (observer), BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Germany
  AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS,
  BSEC (observer), CBSS, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU,
  FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
  NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WEU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Ghana
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS
  (observer), OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Greece
  Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
  EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
  OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UN Security Council
  (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Grenada
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
  (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Guatemala
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),
  MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Guinea
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Guinea-Bissau
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
  NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
  WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Guyana
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC,
  OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Haiti
  ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Holy See (Vatican City)
  CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer),
  ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD,
  UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTO (observer)

Honduras
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
  (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS,
  OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Hong Kong
APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate),
IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Hungary
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC,
  EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G- 9,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM
  (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW,
  OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Iceland
  Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD,
  EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO,
  NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO,
  WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

India
  AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C,
  CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS
  (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,
  UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Indonesia
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Iran
  ABEDA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC,
  PCA, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Iraq
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
  LAS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Ireland
  AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA,
  EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINURSO, MONUC, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
  Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL,
  UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Israel
  BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW
  (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Italy
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
  (observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
  G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO,
  NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMOGIP,
  UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Jamaica
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS,
  OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Japan
  AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
  Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD,
  FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
  OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer),
  SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Jordan
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM,
  OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Kazakhstan
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW,
  OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Kenya
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EADB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, ONUB,
  OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Kiribati
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Korea, North
  ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO

Korea, South
  AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
  Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Kuwait
  ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA,
  NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
  UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Kyrgyzstan
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC,
  OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Laos
  ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU,
  MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Latvia
  Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new
  member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
  IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent),
  ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Lebanon
  ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC,
  OIF, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Lesotho
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
  MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Liberia
  ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Libya
  ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW,
  OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Liechtenstein
CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol,
IOC, IPU, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO, WTO

Lithuania
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC,
  EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW,
  OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate
  partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Luxembourg
  ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD,
  EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW,
  OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Macau
IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO
(associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Macedonia
  BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Madagascar
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
  NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Malawi
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Malaysia
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Maldives
  AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC,
  SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Mali
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF,
  ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WADB
  (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Malta
  Australia Group, C, CE, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Marshall Islands
  ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA,
  IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Mauritania
  ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Mauritius
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA,
  SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Mexico
  APEC, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), CDB, CE (observer), CSN
  (observer), EBRD, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-15, G-24, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAFTA, NAM
  (observer), NEA, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Micronesia, Federated States of
  ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
  SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO

Moldova
  ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW,
  OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
  UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Monaco
  ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
  IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Mongolia
  ARF, AsDB, CP, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SCO
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Montenegro
CEI, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, ICFTU, ILO, Interpol, IPU, ITU,
OSCE, UN, UPU, WHO, WTO (observer)

Morocco
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
  MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE
  (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOCI,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Mozambique
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO

Namibia
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
  (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW,
  SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Nauru
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Nepal
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
  IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, ONUB,
  OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL,
  UNMIS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Netherlands
  AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group,
  Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA,
  EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
  OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Netherlands Antilles
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate),
UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate)

New Zealand
  ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11
  August 1986), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
  Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW,
  PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS,
  UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Nicaragua
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS,
  OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Niger
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
  OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB
  (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Nigeria
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Norway
  AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE,
  CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA,
  NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO,
  UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Oman
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Pakistan
  ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC,
  SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Palau
ACP, AsDB, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF,
IOC, IPU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Panama
  CAN (observer), CSN (observer), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM,
  OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Papua New Guinea
  ACP, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, FAO,
  G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
  MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Paraguay
  CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Peru
  APEC, CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA,
  Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Philippines
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-24,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PIF (partner),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Poland
  ACCT (observer), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group,
  BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
  NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW,
  OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Portugal
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
  EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
  NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI (observer),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Qatar
  ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN
  Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Romania
  ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ESA
  (cooperating state), EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM
  (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
  WTO, ZC

Russia
  APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS,
  BSEC, CBSS, CE, CERN (observer), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, G- 8, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA
  (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer),
  OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UN
  Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE,
  UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer), ZC

Rwanda
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Saint Lucia
  ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Samoa
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF,
  Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
  (observer)

San Marino
  CE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO

Sao Tome and Principe
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Saudi Arabia
  ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer),
  OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Senegal
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
  MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Serbia
  ABEDA, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD (suspended), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Seychelles
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
  (observer)

Sierra Leone
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Singapore
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Slovakia
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE,
  CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
  NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN
  Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO,
  UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO, ZC

Slovenia
  ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD,
  EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM,
  IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer),
  OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO,
  WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Solomon Islands
  ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU,
  MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
  WMO, WTO

Somalia
  ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

South Africa
  ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB,
  OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
  UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Spain
  AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
  EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO,
  NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI
  (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNRWA,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Sri Lanka
  AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC,
  NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Sudan
  ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
  MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Suriname
  ACP, Caricom, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IPU, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Swaziland
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Sweden
  AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE,
  CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM
  (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
  Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL,
  UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer),
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Switzerland
  ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC,
  EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest),
  NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,
  PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
  UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Syria
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO

Taiwan
  APEC, AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTO
  note: Taiwan has acquired observer status on the competition
  committee and special observer status on the Trade Committee of the
  OECD, and is seeking observer status with the backing of the US in
  WHO

Tajikistan
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
  UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Tanzania
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EADB, FAO, G-6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN
  Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE,
  UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Thailand
  APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
  (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Togo
  ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
  NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
  UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Tonga
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,
  SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
  (observer)

Trinidad and Tobago
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Tunisia
  ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer),
  FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
  MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB,
  OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU,
  WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Turkey
  AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC,
  EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
  IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC,
  OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS,
  UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Turkmenistan
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
  ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Tuvalu
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, ITU, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Uganda
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC,
  OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Ukraine
  Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC,
  EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
  ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS
  (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer),
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer), ZC

United Arab Emirates
  ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC,
  OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WTO

United Kingdom
  AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia
  Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA,
  EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI
  (observer), UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO, ZC

United States
  AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN
  (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
  (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO,
  G-5, G-7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
  ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE,
  Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN
  Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL,
  UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Uruguay
  CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO,
  MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Uzbekistan
  AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
  IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Vanuatu
  ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PIF,
  Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
  WMO, WTO (observer)

Venezuela
  CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA,
  NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Vietnam
  ACCT (observer), APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO,
  G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO (observer)

Yemen
  AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM,
  OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Zambia
  ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
  IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UPU, WCL,
  WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Zimbabwe
  ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Albania
  total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 52,987 GRT/79,863 DWT
  by type: cargo 23, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

Algeria
  total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 744,406 GRT/766,764 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas
  9, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 3,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 13 (UK 13) (2006)

Angola
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,343 GRT/4,643 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1
  registered in other countries: 5 (Bahamas 5) (2006)

Antigua and Barbuda
  total: 1,011 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,452,503
  GRT/9,783,309 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 596, chemical tanker 7, container
  321, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1,
  refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 21
  foreign-owned: 984 (Australia 1, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia
  2, Denmark 14, Estonia 12, France 1, Germany 858, Iceland 8, Isle of
  Man 2, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 3, Netherlands 14, Norway 11,
  NZ 1, Poland 3, Russia 6, Singapore 1, Slovenia 6, Switzerland 4,
  Turkey 8, UK 7, US 7, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Argentina
  total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 435,969 GRT/707,767 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
  on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 11 (Chile 6, UK 4, Uruguay 1)
  registered in other countries: 24 (Bolivia 1, Chile 1, Liberia 7,
  Panama 9, Paraguay 3, Uruguay 3) (2006)

Australia
  total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,361,000 GRT/1,532,874
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 17, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, container 1,
  liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 6,
  roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 17 (Canada 1, France 3, Germany 3, Japan 1,
  Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 2,
  Bermuda 3, Fiji 1, Hong Kong 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2,
  Netherlands 1, NZ 2, Panama 3, Portugal 1, Singapore 7, Tonga 1, UK
  3, US 2, Vanuatu 2) (2006)

Austria
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,072 GRT/44,437 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, container 2
  foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2)
  registered in other countries: 14 (Liberia 13, Malta 1) (2006)

Azerbaijan
  total: 84 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,395 GRT/436,666 DWT
  by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker
  43, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 3
  registered in other countries: 4 (Georgia 2, Malta 2) (2006)

Bahamas, The
  total: 1,177 ships (1000 GRT or over) 37,743,270
  GRT/50,918,747 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 253, cargo 250, chemical
  tanker 64, container 79, liquefied gas 35, livestock carrier 2,
  passenger 115, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 175,
  refrigerated cargo 114, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 5,
  vehicle carrier 30
  foreign-owned: 1,093 (Angola 5, Australia 2, Belgium 13, Canada 18,
  China 3, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 59, Estonia 1, Finland 8, France
  37, Germany 22, Greece 232, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 1, India 1,
  Indonesia 4, Ireland 2, Israel 1, Italy 5, Japan 51, Jordan 2, Kenya
  1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 17, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24,
  Nigeria 2, Norway 259, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Reunion 1, Russia
  6, Saudi Arabia 12, Singapore 12, Slovenia 1, Spain 12, Sweden 6,
  Switzerland 2, Thailand 1, Turkey 8, UAE 16, UK 69, Uruguay 2, US
  121, Venezuela 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Barbados 1, Liberia 1, Panama 2)
  (2006)

Bahrain
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 235,449 GRT/339,728 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 3 (Kuwait 3) (2006)

Bangladesh
  total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 341,733 GRT/485,840 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 29, container 6, passenger/cargo 1,
  petroleum tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 1 (China 1)
  registered in other countries: 10 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Comoros 1,
  Malta 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1) (2006)

Barbados
  total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1,
  passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1,
  Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  1) (2006)

Belgium
  total: 66 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,952,159 GRT/6,521,645
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 4, chemical tanker 2, container 10,
  liquefied gas 15, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 4, Greece 4, UK 2)
  registered in other countries: 113 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas
  13, Bermuda 4, Cyprus 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 6,
  Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Greece 12, Hong Kong 3, Luxembourg 9, Malta
  10, Mozambique 2, Netherlands 2, Netherlands Antilles 4, Panama 11,
  Portugal 8, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore
  12, Sweden 2) (2006)

Belize
  total: 285 ships (1000 GRT or over) 985,464 GRT/1,322,629 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 203, chemical tanker 7, container 4,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 12, roll
  on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 225 (China 103, Croatia 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 3,
  Germany 3, Greece 2, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 2, Indonesia 2, Italy 4,
  Japan 2, North Korea 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 6, Lithuania 1,
  Malaysia 1, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Poland 2, Russia 36, Singapore 6,
  Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 11, UAE 5, Ukraine 7, US 5) (2006)

Bermuda
  total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,873,728 GRT/8,688,692
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 1, container 24, liquefied gas 23,
  passenger 19, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated
  cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 116 (Australia 3, Belgium 4, France 1, Germany 21,
  Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Monaco 2,
  Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, Switzerland 2, UK 9, US 27)
  registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 4,
  Panama 1) (2006)

Bolivia
  total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 127,297 GRT/198,525 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo
  3, petroleum tanker 10
  foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 1, China 1, Egypt 2, Iran 1, Singapore
  3, Taiwan 1, Yemen 1) (2006)

Brazil
  total: 137 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,038,923 GRT/3,057,820
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 21, cargo 21, chemical tanker 8, container 8,
  liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll
  on/roll off 8
  foreign-owned: 15 (Chile 1, Germany 7, Norway 2, Spain 4, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall
  Islands 1) (2006)

Brunei
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
  by type: liquefied gas 8
  foreign-owned: 8 (UK 8) (2006)

Bulgaria
  total: 75 ships (1000 GRT or over) 872,653 GRT/1,294,877 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 17, chemical tanker 4, container 6,
  passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Russia 1)
  registered in other countries: 41 (Cambodia 1, Comoros 1, Malta 13,
  Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Slovakia 7, unknown
  1) (2006)

Burma
  total: 34 ships (1000 GRT or over) 402,699 GRT/620,642 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 9 (Germany 5, Japan 4) (2006)

Cambodia
  total: 544 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,777,907 GRT/2,529,708
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 443, chemical tanker 11, container
  10, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 9,
  refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1,
  vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 407 (Bulgaria 1, Canada 6, China 128, Cyprus 12,
  Egypt 8, Gabon 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 1, Japan 4,
  South Korea 23, Latvia 2, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1,
  Philippines 1, Russia 105, Singapore 4, Spain 1, Syria 20, Taiwan 2,
  Turkey 26, UAE 1, Ukraine 17, US 8, Yemen 3, unknown 1) (2006)

Cameroon
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 38,613 GRT/68,820 DWT
  by type: petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2006)

Canada
  total: 173 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,129,243 GRT/2,716,340
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 62, cargo 10, chemical tanker 9, container 2,
  passenger 6, passenger/cargo 63, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll
  off 8
  foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, US 2)
  registered in other countries: 111 (Australia 1, Bahamas 18,
  Barbados 8, Cambodia 6, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong
  28, Liberia 2, Malta 18, Marshall Islands 6, Panama 4, Russia 1,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, US 4, Vanuatu 5) (2006)

Cape Verde
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,300 GRT/7,726 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4
  foreign-owned: 2 (Spain 1, UK 1) (2006)

Cayman Islands
  total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,746,290
  GRT/4,366,790 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 14, chemical tanker 42, liquefied
  gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 23, roll
  on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 130 (Denmark 5, Germany 13, Greece 21, Italy 12,
  Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Philippines 1,
  Singapore 10, Sweden 9, UK 10, US 41) (2006)

Chile
  total: 46 ships (1000 GRT or over) 649,091 GRT/898,110 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 10, container 1,
  liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 7,
  roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 3
  foreign-owned: 1 (Argentina 1)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Argentina 6, Brazil 1, Marshall
  Islands 1, Panama 9) (2006)

China
  total: 1,723 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,405,633
  GRT/32,411,260 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 387, cargo 695, chemical
  tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 152, liquefied gas 31,
  passenger 8, passenger/cargo 83, petroleum tanker 261, refrigerated
  cargo 30, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier
  14
  foreign-owned: 13 (Hong Kong 7, Japan 3, South Korea 2, Norway 1)
  registered in other countries: 1,191 (Bahamas 3, Bangladesh 1,
  Belize 103, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 128, Cyprus 11, Georgia 2, Honduras
  3, Hong Kong 274, India 2, North Korea 1, Liberia 35, Malaysia 1,
  Malta 14, Mongolia 4, Norway 3, Panama 420, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 103, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 23, Thailand 1, Tuvalu 23,
  unknown 33) (2006)

Colombia
  total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 42,413 GRT/58,737 DWT
  by type: cargo 13, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3
  registered in other countries: 7 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 5)
  (2006)

Comoros
  total: 121 ships (1000 GRT or over) 564,882 GRT/801,238 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 85, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
  livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
  tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5, specialized
  tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 72 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Greece 10, India 1,
  Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Pakistan 2,
  Philippines 1, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi
  Arabia 3, Syria 4, Turkey 11, UAE 6, Ukraine 14, US 2) (2006)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,004 GRT/1,640 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Congo, Republic of the 1) (2006)

Congo, Republic of the
registered in other countries: 1 (Congo,
Democratic Republic of the 1) (2006)

Cook Islands
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 48,422 GRT/51,900 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3
  foreign-owned: 5 (Norway 1, NZ 1, Sweden 3) (2006)

Costa Rica
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,308 GRT/743 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 2 (2006)

Croatia
  total: 72 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,079,286 GRT/1,724,698
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 11, chemical tanker 3,
  passenger/cargo 27, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
  on/roll off 3
  registered in other countries: 36 (Belize 1, Cyprus 2, Liberia 7,
  Malta 10, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 9) (2006)

Cuba
  total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,932 GRT/48,791 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1,
  petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands
  Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Cyprus
  total: 884 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,477,944 GRT/31,157,473
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 354, cargo 210, chemical tanker 44, container
  145, liquefied gas 8, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 23, petroleum
  tanker 64, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle
  carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 777 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 11, Croatia 2, Cuba
  2, Denmark 1, Estonia 6, Germany 214, Greece 337, Greenland 1, Hong
  Kong 1, India 5, Iran 2, Ireland 3, Israel 3, Italy 2, Japan 17,
  South Korea 1, Latvia 4, Netherlands 18, Norway 16, Philippines 1,
  Poland 20, Portugal 2, Russia 53, Singapore 1, Slovakia 1, Slovenia
  4, Spain 7, Sweden 3, Switzerland 4, Syria 3, UAE 11, UK 6, Ukraine
  4, US 7, unknown 1)
  registered in other countries: 87 (Bahamas 13, Belize 2, Cambodia
  12, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 1, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 3,
  Malta 15, Marshall Islands 15, Norway 2, Panama 14, Portugal 1,
  Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Turkey
  2) (2006)

Czech Republic
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Denmark
  total: 293 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,986,735 GRT/9,936,431
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 63, chemical tanker 48, container 86,
  liquefied gas 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo
  40, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 8,
  specialized tanker 4
  foreign-owned: 25 (Canada 1, Germany 13, Greece 5, Greenland 1,
  Norway 3, Sweden 1, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 409 (Antigua and Barbuda 14, Bahamas
  59, Belgium 4, Cayman Islands 5, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Estonia 2,
  France 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Gibraltar 1, Hong
  Kong 6, Isle of Man 53, North Korea 1, Liberia 8, Lithuania 10,
  Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 2, Netherlands 9, Netherlands
  Antilles 1, Norway 32, Panama 34, Portugal 4, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 14, Singapore 52, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 4, UK
  46, US 24, Vanuatu 6, Venezuela 3, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Djibouti
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Dominica
  total: 48 ships (1000 GRT or over) 634,668 GRT/1,100,558 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 24, chemical tanker 4, container 2,
  petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1,
  vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 45 (Estonia 11, Germany 1, Greece 5, Latvia 1, Norway
  1, NZ 4, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 9, Syria 1, Turkey 3,
  UAE 2, Ukraine 2) (2006)

Dominican Republic
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165
  DWT
  by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Ecuador
  total: 31 ships (1000 GRT or over) 184,819 GRT/300,339 DWT
  by type: chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 7, petroleum
  tanker 21, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 1, Paraguay 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

Egypt
  total: 76 ships (1000 GRT or over) 987,524 GRT/1,467,139 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 33, container 2, passenger/cargo 5,
  petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 9
  foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 2)
  registered in other countries: 49 (Bolivia 2, Cambodia 8, Georgia 8,
  Honduras 4, North Korea 2, Panama 16, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 3, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Sierra Leone
  1, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Equatorial Guinea
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434
  DWT
  by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Eritrea
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWT
  by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll
  off 1 (2006)

Estonia
  total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 388,723 GRT/98,393 DWT
  by type: cargo 7, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2)
  registered in other countries: 72 (Antigua and Barbuda 12, Bahamas
  1, Belize 3, Cyprus 6, Dominica 11, Isle of Man 2, Liberia 1, Malta
  4, Norway 1, Panama 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  25, Slovakia 1, Vanuatu 1) (2006)

Ethiopia
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 79,441 GRT/97,669 DWT
by type: cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2 (2006)

Faroe Islands
  total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,265 GRT/9,171 DWT
  by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2006)

Fiji
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,867 GRT/8,432 DWT
  by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2006)

Finland
  total: 87 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,250,600 GRT/952,072 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 22, chemical tanker 6, container 1,
  passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll
  off 25
  foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 1, Russia 1, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 48 (Bahamas 8, Germany 2, Gibraltar
  3, Luxembourg 4, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 13, Norway 4,
  Sweden 11, UK 1) (2006)

France
  total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 875,777 GRT/1,318,605 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, container 5, liquefied gas 6,
  passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll
  off 1
  foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 1, Italy 2, Monaco 1, Norway
  1, NZ 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 2, Switzerland 2)
  registered in other countries: 154 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia
  3, Bahamas 37, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1, French Polynesia 1, French
  Southern and Antarctic Lands 36, Gibraltar 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of
  Man 2, Italy 1, South Korea 12, Liberia 3, Luxembourg 14, Malta 6,
  Mexico 1, Morocco 1, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8,
  UK 4, Wallis and Futuna 5) (2006)

French Polynesia
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684
  GRT/17,291 DWT
  by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo
  1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (France 1)
  registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2006)

French Southern and Antarctic Lands total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/5,345,291 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, container 18, liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 6, Denmark 2, France 36, Germany 2, Hong Kong 2, Japan 4, Norway 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)

Gambia, The
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,064 GRT/9,751 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 (2006)

Georgia
  total: 222 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,059,386 GRT/1,538,746
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 27, cargo 176, container 4, liquefied gas 1,
  passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated
  cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 188 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2, Belgium 1, China 2,
  Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 8, Germany 1, Greece 8, Indonesia 1,
  South Korea 1, Lebanon 7, Monaco 13, Romania 11, Russia 28, Slovakia
  1, Slovenia 1, Syria 43, Turkey 30, UAE 1, UK 4, Ukraine 22) (2006)

Germany
  total: 394 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,017,754
  GRT/13,091,194 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 60, chemical tanker 13, container
  273, liquefied gas 3, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 25, petroleum
  tanker 10, roll on/roll off 3
  foreign-owned: 4 (Finland 2, Italy 1, Switzerland 1)
  registered in other countries: 2,491 (Antigua and Barbuda 858,
  Australia 3, Bahamas 22, Belize 3, Bermuda 21, Brazil 7, Bulgaria 1,
  Burma 5, Canada 3, Cayman Islands 13, Cyprus 214, Denmark 13,
  Dominica 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Georgia 1,
  Gibraltar 108, Guyana 1, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Ireland 2, Isle
  of Man 56, Jamaica 3, Liberia 587, Luxembourg 10, Malaysia 2, Malta
  64, Marshall Islands 194, Morocco 2, Netherlands 56, Netherlands
  Antilles 60, NZ 1, Panama 35, Portugal 17, Russia 2, Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines 8, Samoa 1, Singapore 9, Spain 12, Sri Lanka 5,
  Sweden 3, Turkey 1, UK 76, US 2) (2006)

Ghana
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2006)

Gibraltar
  total: 180 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,129,379
  GRT/1,437,754 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 1, cargo 105, chemical tanker
  26, container 26, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off
  6, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 165 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Finland 3,
  France 1, Germany 108, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Ireland 1, Italy 6,
  Latvia 2, Netherlands 5, Norway 18, Sweden 5, UK 4) (2006)

Greece
  total: 817 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,895,832 GRT/54,341,584
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 270, cargo 61, chemical tanker 47, container
  47, liquefied gas 5, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 114, petroleum
  tanker 244, roll on/roll off 17, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 24 (Belgium 12, Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 1, UK 9, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 2,363 (Bahamas 232, Barbados 11,
  Belgium 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 2, Cambodia 8, Cayman Islands 21,
  Comoros 10, Cyprus 337, Denmark 5, Dominica 5, Egypt 6, Georgia 8,
  Gibraltar 7, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 27, Isle of Man 45, Italy 6,
  Jamaica 6, North Korea 1, Lebanon 3, Liberia 267, Malta 495,
  Marshall Islands 199, Norway 1, Panama 524, Philippines 5, Portugal
  4, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 82, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Singapore 9, Slovakia 4, UAE
  2, UK 7, Uruguay 1, US 1, Venezuela 3, unknown 7) (2006)

Greenland
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,540 GRT/2,540 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger 2
  registered in other countries: 2 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 1) (2006)

Guyana
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,461 GRT/15,155 DWT
  by type: cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  3, unknown 1) (2006)

Honduras
  total: 136 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,984 GRT/557,179 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 61, chemical tanker 5, container 1,
  liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo
  9, petroleum tanker 29, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 4,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 43 (Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 4, Greece 3, Hong Kong
  2, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Qatar 1,
  Singapore 11, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, US 1, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Hong Kong
  total: 924 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,838,025
  GRT/51,957,682 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 495, cargo 121, chemical
  tanker 44, container 133, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6,
  passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 76, roll on/roll off 3,
  specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 8
  foreign-owned: 562 (Australia 1, Belgium 3, Canada 28, China 274,
  Denmark 6, Germany 6, Greece 27, Indonesia 4, Japan 67, South Korea
  6, Norway 26, Philippines 16, Portugal 1, Singapore 24, Syria 1,
  Taiwan 6, UAE 2, UK 43, US 21)
  registered in other countries: 417 (Bahamas 8, Belize 8, Bermuda 10,
  Cambodia 15, China 7, Cyprus 1, France 1, French Southern and
  Antarctic Lands 2, Greece 1, Honduras 2, India 1, Liberia 37,
  Malaysia 14, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 7, Norway 55, Panama 169,
  Philippines 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 50,
  Taiwan 3, Tuvalu 8, unknown 7) (2006)

Iceland
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 3,354 GRT/480 DWT
  by type: passenger/cargo 1
  registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Bahamas 1,
  Belize 2, Faroe Islands 4, Gibraltar 1, Malta 4, Norway 4, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 10) (2006)

India
  total: 316 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,772,313 GRT/13,310,858
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 96, cargo 72, chemical tanker 13, container 8,
  liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker
  96, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 10 (China 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 6, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 46 (Bahamas 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 5,
  North Korea 1, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Mauritius 2, Panama 19, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 5, Venezuela 1, unknown 1)
  (2006)

Indonesia
  total: 824 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,773,771
  GRT/4,887,614 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 451, chemical tanker 21, container
  50, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41,
  passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 132, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
  on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2
  foreign-owned: 30 (France 1, Germany 1, Japan 3, South Korea 1,
  Norway 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 17, Switzerland 3, UK 2)
  registered in other countries: 122 (Bahamas 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 1,
  Cambodia 1, Georgia 1, Hong Kong 4, Liberia 1, Panama 50, Singapore
  56, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Iran
  total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,086,702 GRT/8,878,829 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12,
  liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker
  30, roll on/roll off 3
  foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 22 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 14,
  Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Iraq
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)

Ireland
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 103,589 GRT/145,044 DWT
  by type: cargo 19, chemical tanker 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 4 (Germany 2, US 2)
  registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 1, Cyprus 3,
  Gibraltar 1, Netherlands 10, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 1, UK 1) (2006)

Isle of Man
  total: 305 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,266,229
  GRT/13,792,927 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 65, chemical tanker 53, container
  16, liquefied gas 38, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74,
  refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 1,
  vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 213 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 53, Estonia 2, France 2,
  Germany 56, Greece 45, Italy 5, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1,
  Norway 27, Singapore 7, Sweden 1, Turkey 3, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 9 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Liberia 5,
  Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1) (2006)

Israel
  total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,382 GRT/845,053 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, container 16
  registered in other countries: 51 (Bahamas 1, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 3,
  Honduras 1, Liberia 5, Malta 23, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 2, Slovakia 7) (2006)

Italy
  total: 591 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,737,175 GRT/12,573,225
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 52, cargo 45, chemical tanker 136, container
  25, liquefied gas 37, livestock carrier 3, passenger 16,
  passenger/cargo 150, petroleum tanker 49, refrigerated cargo 4, roll
  on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 13, vehicle carrier 28
  foreign-owned: 36 (France 1, Greece 6, Spain 1, Taiwan 10, UK 3, US
  15)
  registered in other countries: 152 (Bahamas 5, Belize 4, Cayman
  Islands 12, Cyprus 2, France 2, Germany 1, Gibraltar 6, Isle of Man
  5, Jamaica 1, Liberia 16, Malta 29, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 4,
  Panama 15, Portugal 12, Romania 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  18, Singapore 2, Spain 2, Sweden 7, Turkey 3, UK 4) (2006)

Jamaica
  total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 124,323 GRT/184,247 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll
  off 2
  foreign-owned: 10 (Germany 3, Greece 6, Italy 1) (2006)

Japan
  total: 683 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,415,892 GRT/11,765,038
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 134, cargo 30, chemical tanker 20, container
  11, liquefied gas 59, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 149, petroleum
  tanker 156, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle
  carrier 56
  registered in other countries: 2,459 (Australia 1, Bahamas 51,
  Belize 2, Burma 4, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 1, China 3, Cyprus 17,
  French Southern and Antarctic Lands 4, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 67,
  Indonesia 3, Isle of Man 4, South Korea 1, Liberia 102, Malaysia 4,
  Malta 1, Marshall Islands 7, Mongolia 1, Norway 1, Panama 2007,
  Philippines 26, Portugal 9, Singapore 100, Sweden 2, Thailand 4,
  Vanuatu 28, unknown 1) (2006)

Jordan
  total: 25 ships (1000 GRT or over) 346,698 GRT/501,060 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6,
  petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 11 (UAE 11)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 2, Panama 13) (2006)

Kazakhstan
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 27,173 GRT/43,475 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Oman 2) (2006)

Kenya
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,049 GRT/7,082 DWT
  by type: passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1
  registered in other countries: 6 (Bahamas 1, Comoros 1, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Tuvalu 1, unknown 1) (2006)

Kiribati
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,749 GRT/3,911 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)

Korea, North
  total: 232 ships (1000 GRT or over) 983,182
  GRT/1,370,104 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 176, chemical tanker 1, container 4,
  livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 17,
  refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 60 (British Virgin Islands 1, China 1, Denmark 1,
  Egypt 2, Greece 1, India 1, Lebanon 6, Lithuania 1, Marshall Islands
  1, Pakistan 3, Romania 11, Russia 1, Singapore 1, Syria 14, Turkey
  4, UAE 6, US 3, Yemen 2)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Belize 2, Mongolia 3) (2006)

Korea, South
  total: 669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188
  GRT/13,733,624 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker 98, container
  81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum
  tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specialized
  tanker 3, vehicle carrier 6
  foreign-owned: 22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7)
  registered in other countries: 365 (Belize 4, Cambodia 23, China 2,
  Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia
  3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore
  17, unknown 2) (2006)

Kuwait
  total: 38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,424,983 GRT/3,996,755 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5,
  livestock carrier 3, petroleum tanker 21
  registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1,
  Libya 1, Panama 2, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 5, UAE 8) (2006)

Laos
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Latvia
  total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 250,559 GRT/336,136 DWT
  by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1
  registered in other countries: 105 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas
  1, Belize 6, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 4, Dominica 1, Gibraltar 2, Liberia
  14, Malta 40, Marshall Islands 7, Panama 3, Russia 2, Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines 18) (2006)

Lebanon
  total: 39 ships (1000 GRT or over) 150,598 GRT/178,295 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 18, livestock carrier 10,
  refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 3
  foreign-owned: 4 (Greece 3, Syria 1)
  registered in other countries: 59 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Barbados
  1, Cambodia 6, Comoros 6, Egypt 2, Georgia 7, Honduras 1, North
  Korea 6, Liberia 2, Malta 10, Mongolia 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent
  and the Grenadines 4, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Syria 7, unknown 2)
  (2006)

Liberia
  total: 1,687 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,522,787
  GRT/96,776,521 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 322, cargo 83, chemical
  tanker 199, combination ore/oil 2, container 477, liquefied gas 75,
  passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 397, refrigerated
  cargo 76, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier
  35
  foreign-owned: 1,611 (Argentina 7, Australia 2, Austria 13, Bahamas,
  The 1, Bermuda 1, Brazil 3, Canada 2, China 35, Croatia 7, Cyprus 3,
  Denmark 8, Estonia 1, France 3, Germany 587, Greece 267, Hong Kong
  37, India 3, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 5, Israel 5, Italy 16, Japan
  102, South Korea 3, Kuwait 1, Latvia 14, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Monaco
  10, Netherlands 29, Norway 38, Poland 14, Qatar 2, Russia 77, Saudi
  Arabia 24, Singapore 28, Slovenia 2, Sweden 8, Switzerland 7, Taiwan
  69, Turkey 1, UAE 18, UK 41, Ukraine 16, Uruguay 3, US 93, unknown
  1) (2006)

Libya
  total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 86,034 GRT/89,820 DWT
  by type: cargo 10, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
  tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1, Turkey 2) (2006)

Lithuania
  total: 49 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,094 GRT/352,883 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
  passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 14, roll
  on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 10)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belize 1,
  North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  3, unknown 3) (2006)

Luxembourg
  total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 557,636 GRT/792,069 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, chemical tanker 16, container 7, liquefied
  gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 42 (Belgium 9, Finland 4, France 14, Germany 10,
  Netherlands 2, US 3) (2006)

Madagascar
total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,896 GRT/18,466 DWT
by type: cargo 5, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)

Malaysia
  total: 312 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,542,727 GRT/7,544,154
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 99, chemical tanker 38, container
  48, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 8,
  petroleum tanker 61, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 6
  foreign-owned: 66 (China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, South
  Korea 1, Singapore 44)
  registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 12, Belize 1, Cayman
  Islands 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 13, Philippines 1, Singapore 35, US 4)
  (2006)

Maldives
  total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,149 GRT/87,220 DWT
  by type: cargo 13, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2
  registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Malta
  total: 1,220 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,917,414
  GRT/38,685,924 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 434, cargo 344, chemical tanker 105,
  combination ore/oil 1, container 59, liquefied gas 7, livestock
  carrier 1, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 146,
  refrigerated cargo 43, roll on/roll off 33, specialized tanker 2,
  vehicle carrier 16
  foreign-owned: 1,162 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 2, Bangladesh 3, Belgium
  10, Bulgaria 13, Canada 18, China 14, Croatia 10, Cyprus 15, Denmark
  6, Estonia 4, France 6, Germany 64, Greece 495, Hong Kong 2, Iceland
  4, India 1, Iran 14, Israel 23, Italy 29, Japan 1, South Korea 6,
  Latvia 40, Lebanon 10, Monaco 1, Netherlands 6, Norway 49, Pakistan
  1, Poland 27, Portugal 3, Romania 9, Russia 70, Slovenia 3, Spain 6,
  Sweden 3, Switzerland 21, Syria 7, Taiwan 2, Turkey 123, UAE 5, UK
  8, Ukraine 24, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, Portugal 1, Russia 4)
  (2006)

Marshall Islands
  total: 795 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,772,611
  GRT/50,987,293 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 178, cargo 53, chemical
  tanker 133, container 147, liquefied gas 25, passenger 7, petroleum
  tanker 234, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 7, specialized
  tanker 2, vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 730 (Australia 2, Bermuda 4, Brazil 1, Canada 6,
  Chile 1, Croatia 2, Cyprus 15, Denmark 1, Finland 2, Germany 194,
  Greece 199, Hong Kong 7, Isle of Man 1, Italy 1, Japan 7, South
  Korea 1, Latvia 7, Monaco 8, Netherlands 1, Norway 65, Russia 1,
  Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 6, Slovenia 3, Spain 3, Switzerland 13,
  Turkey 20, UAE 3, UK 12, US 143)
  registered in other countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006)

Mauritius
  total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,386 GRT/23,214 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (India 2, Switzerland 2) (2006)

Mexico
  total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 751,607 GRT/1,129,234 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas
  4, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 4
  foreign-owned: 5 (Denmark 2, France 1, Norway 1, UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Belize 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 1,
  Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 3, Venezuela 3) (2006)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over)
  2,423 GRT/1,551 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)

Moldova
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,831 GRT/15,003 DWT
  by type: cargo 7
  foreign-owned: 3 (Ukraine 3) (2006)

Monaco
  registered in other countries: 77 (Bahamas 17, Barbados 1,
  Bermuda 2, France 1, Georgia 13, Isle of Man 3, Liberia 10, Malta 1,
  Marshall Islands 8, Norway 4, Panama 9, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Switzerland 2, unknown 1) (2006)

Mongolia
  total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 319,053 GRT/479,190 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 49, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll
  off 3
  foreign-owned: 49 (China 4, Japan 1, North Korea 3, Lebanon 1,
  Malaysia 1, Russia 13, Singapore 10, Syria 1, Thailand 1, UAE 5,
  Ukraine 1, Vietnam 8) (2006)

Montenegro
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 9,458 GRT/10,172 DWT
  by type: cargo 4
  registered in other countries: 4 (Bahamas 2, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 2) (2006)

Morocco
  total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 382,781 GRT/285,435 DWT
  by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, container 9, passenger/cargo
  13, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 5 (France 1, Germany 2, Switzerland 1, UK 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Mozambique
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,964 GRT/5,324 DWT
  by type: cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2006)

Namibia
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,265 GRT/3,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Netherlands
  total: 558 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,042,775
  GRT/5,016,265 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 345, chemical tanker 29, container
  59, liquefied gas 12, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum
  tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 18, specialized
  tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 157 (Australia 1, Belgium 2, Denmark 9, Finland 13,
  Germany 56, Ireland 10, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 7, Sweden 26,
  UK 19, US 13)
  registered in other countries: 222 (Antigua and Barbuda 14,
  Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 24, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 4,
  Cyprus 18, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 29, Luxembourg 2,
  Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands Antilles 54, Norway 3,
  Panama 21, Philippines 19, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 5, Singapore 2, UK 3, US 4, unknown 1) (2006)

Netherlands Antilles
  total: 152 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,289,462
  GRT/1,671,649 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 13, cargo 68, chemical tanker
  3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
  petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 4,
  specialized tanker 3
  foreign-owned: 143 (Belgium 4, Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 60,
  Netherlands 54, Norway 5, Sweden 5, Turkey 9, UK 3, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Netherlands 1) (2006)

New Caledonia
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)

New Zealand
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 136,361 GRT/124,972
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum
  tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 2, Germany 1, Isle of Man 1)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Cook
  Islands 1, Dominica 4, France 1, UK 1) (2006)

Nigeria
  total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 277,709 GRT/475,414 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 1,
  liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, specialized
  tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1, Spain 1)
  registered in other countries: 28 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cambodia
  2, Comoros 2, Panama 7, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2006)

Norway
  total: 724 ships (1000 GRT or over) 14,472,103 GRT/20,245,353
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 67, cargo 153, chemical tanker 150, container
  2, liquefied gas 79, passenger/cargo 121, petroleum tanker 75,
  refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 19, specialized tanker 2,
  vehicle carrier 47
  foreign-owned: 168 (China 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 32, Estonia 1,
  Finland 4, Greece 1, Hong Kong 55, Iceland 4, Italy 4, Japan 1,
  Lithuania 1, Monaco 4, Netherlands 3, Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 3,
  Sweden 28, UAE 1, UK 6, US 13)
  registered in other countries: 861 (Antigua and Barbuda 11,
  Australia 1, Bahamas 259, Barbados 29, Belize 2, Bermuda 5, Brazil
  2, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 2, China 1, Comoros 1, Cook
  Islands 1, Cyprus 16, Denmark 3, Dominica 1, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2,
  Faroe Islands 4, Finland 1, France 1, French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands 12, Gibraltar 18, Hong Kong 26, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 27,
  Liberia 38, Libya 1, Malta 49, Marshall Islands 65, Mexico 1,
  Netherlands 7, Netherlands Antilles 5, Nigeria 1, Panama 66,
  Philippines 3, Portugal 4, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 16, Singapore 90, Spain 7, Sweden 7, Thailand 30, Tonga
  1, UK 36, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)

Oman
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 10,797 GRT/5,040 DWT
  by type: passenger 1
  registered in other countries: 2 (Kazakhstan 2) (2006)

Pakistan
  total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 397,740 GRT/657,656 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, container 1, petroleum tanker 4
  registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 2, North Korea 3, Malta
  1, Nigeria 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Panama
  total: 5,473 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,511,342
  GRT/219,940,567 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 1,776, cargo 992, chemical
  tanker 476, combination ore/oil 2, container 663, liquefied gas 193,
  livestock carrier 7, passenger 49, passenger/cargo 77, petroleum
  tanker 518, refrigerated cargo 299, roll on/roll off 123,
  specialized tanker 23, vehicle carrier 274
  foreign-owned: 4,922 (Anguilla 1, Argentina 9, Australia 3, Bahamas,
  The 2, Belgium 11, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 1, Canada 4, Chile 9, China
  420, Colombia 5, Croatia 5, Cuba 11, Cyprus 14, Denmark 34, Egypt
  16, Estonia 3, France 15, Gabon 1, Germany 35, Greece 524, Hong Kong
  169, India 19, Indonesia 50, Iran 4, Ireland 2, Israel 6, Italy 15,
  Japan 2007, Jordan 13, South Korea ( ( (291, Kuwait 2, Latvia 3,
  Lebanon 2, Lithuania 5, Malaysia 13, Maldives 1, Malta 3, Mexico 5,
  Monaco 9, Morocco 1, Netherlands 21, Nigeria 7, Norway 66, Pakistan
  3, Peru 15, Philippines 13, Poland 15, Portugal 10, Qatar 1, Romania
  9, Russia 7, Saudi Arabia 8, Singapore 67, South Africa 3, Spain 53,
  Sri Lanka 5, Sudan 1, Sweden 5, Switzerland 226, Syria 18, Taiwan
  308, Thailand 9, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 42, UAE 105, UK 37,
  Ukraine 8, US 94, Venezuela 14, Vietnam 4, Yemen 3)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Venezuela 1) (2006)

Papua New Guinea
  total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,532
  GRT/72,240 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 18, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum
  tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 6 (UK 6) (2006)

Paraguay
  total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,749 GRT/39,280 DWT
  by type: cargo 15, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo
  1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 3 (Argentina 3)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Ecuador 1) (2006)

Peru
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 38,954 GRT/62,255 DWT
  by type: cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Panama 15) (2006)

Philippines
  total: 403 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,661,285
  GRT/6,426,183 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 82, cargo 115, chemical tanker 13, container
  6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 17, passenger 9,
  passenger/cargo 73, petroleum tanker 42, refrigerated cargo 15, roll
  on/roll off 13, vehicle carrier 13
  foreign-owned: 66 (Greece 5, Hong Kong 3, Japan 26, Malaysia 1,
  Netherlands 19, Norway 3, UAE 1, US 8)
  registered in other countries: 41 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Cambodia
  1, Cayman Islands 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 1, Hong Kong 16, Indonesia 1,
  Panama 13, Singapore 5) (2006)

Poland
  total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,701 GRT/45,082 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll
  off 1, vehicle carrier 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1)
  registered in other countries: 106 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas
  15, Belize 2, Cyprus 20, Liberia 14, Malta 27, Norway 2, Panama 15,
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 5) (2006)

Portugal
  total: 111 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,077,300 GRT/1,363,435
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 27, chemical tanker 15, container 7,
  liquefied gas 11, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker
  8, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 9
  foreign-owned: 82 (Australia 1, Belgium 8, Cyprus 1, Denmark 4,
  Germany 17, Greece 4, Italy 12, Japan 9, Malta 1, Mexico 1,
  Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Spain 15, Switzerland 3, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 16 (Cyprus 2, Hong Kong 1, Malta 3,
  Panama 10) (2006)

Puerto Rico
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 77,177 GRT/50,138 DWT
  by type: roll on/roll off 3
  foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  1) (2006)

Qatar
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 750,669 GRT/1,177,673 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, container 8, liquefied gas 2,
  petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 8 (Kuwait 7, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Honduras 1, Liberia 2, Panama 1)
  (2006)

Romania
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 198,767 GRT/246,732 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 15, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2,
  petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Italy 1)
  registered in other countries: 48 (Georgia 11, North Korea 11, Malta
  9, Panama 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Syria 3, unknown 4)
  (2006)

Russia
  total: 1,178 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,080,341 GRT/6,287,784
  DWT
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 46, cargo 743, chemical
  tanker 25, combination ore/oil 38, container 13, passenger 12,
  passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 219, refrigerated cargo 54, roll
  on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 5
  foreign-owned: 100 (Belgium 4, Canada 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 1,
  Germany 2, Greece 1, Latvia 2, Malta 4, Norway 1, Switzerland 7,
  Turkey 63, Ukraine 11, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 465 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas
  6, Belize 36, Bulgaria 1, Cambodia 105, Comoros 4, Cyprus 53,
  Dominica 2, Finland 1, Georgia 28, North Korea 1, Liberia 77, Malta
  70, Marshall Islands 1, Mongolia 13, Panama 7, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 29, Sierra Leone 1, Tuvalu 2,
  Ukraine 1, Vanuatu 1, Venezuela 1, unknown 14) (2006)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 50 ships (1000 GRT or over) 261,556
  GRT/381,593 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 36, chemical tanker 5,
  passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 41 (Greece 1, Monaco 1, Russia 5, Spain 2, Syria 3,
  Tanzania 1, Turkey 6, UAE 19, Ukraine 3) (2006)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines total: 589 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,449,699 GRT/8,051,250 DWT by type: bulk carrier 106, cargo 351, chemical tanker 5, container 20, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 38, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 529 (Bangladesh 1, Barbados 1, Belgium 3, Bulgaria 17, Canada 6, China 103, Croatia 9, Cyprus 1, Czech Republic registered in other countries: 1 (Comoros 1) (2006)

Samoa
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
  by type: cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2006)

Sao Tome and Principe
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527
  GRT/29,823 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7
  foreign-owned: 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006)

Saudi Arabia
  total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 837,272
  GRT/1,064,377 DWT
  by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo
  8, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9
  foreign-owned: 9 (Egypt 2, Kuwait 5, Sudan 1, UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 12, Comoros 3, Dominica
  3, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1, Liberia 24, Marshall
  Islands 1, Norway 3, Panama 8) (2006)

Seychelles
  total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 69,777 GRT/113,501 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4
  foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1) (2006)

Sierra Leone
  total: 54 ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, combination
  ore/oil 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1,
  UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)

Singapore
  total: 1,063 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,033,735
  GRT/49,715,650 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 155, cargo 87, chemical tanker 136, container
  214, liquefied gas 53, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1,
  petroleum tanker 353, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2,
  specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40
  foreign-owned: 592 (Australia 7, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 12, China 23,
  Denmark 52, Germany 9, Greece 9, Hong Kong 50, India 5, Indonesia
  56, Italy 2, Japan 100, South Korea 17, Malaysia 35, Netherlands 2,
  Norway 90, Philippines 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Taiwan 59, Thailand
  22, UAE 7, UK 9, US 7)
  registered in other countries: 285 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas
  12, Belize 6, Bolivia 3, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1,
  Dominica 9, France 2, Honduras 11, Hong Kong 24, Indonesia 17, Isle
  of Man 7, North Korea 1, Liberia 28, Malaysia 44, Marshall Islands
  6, Mongolia 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 67, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 5, Thailand 6, Tuvalu 6, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)

Slovakia
  total: 43 ships (1000 GRT or over) 217,819 GRT/309,049 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 36, chemical tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 40 (Bulgaria 7, Estonia 1, Greece 4, Israel 7, Poland
  2, Syria 2, Turkey 8, UK 1, Ukraine 8)
  registered in other countries: 2 (Cyprus 1, Georgia 1) (2006)

Slovenia
  registered in other countries: 26 (Antigua and Barbuda 6,
  Bahamas 1, Cyprus 4, Georgia 1, Liberia 2, Malta 3, Marshall Islands
  3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Singapore 1) (2006)

Somalia
  total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,659 GRT/2,540 DWT
  by type: cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)

South Africa
  total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,815 GRT/39,295 DWT
  by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, UK 5) (2006)

Spain
  total: 169 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,902,839 GRT/1,874,161 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 13, chemical tanker 14, container 27,
  liquefied gas 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 49, petroleum tanker
  15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 2,
  vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 36 (Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 12, Italy 2, Mexico 3,
  Norway 7, UK 1, Uruguay 2, US 7)
  registered in other countries: 112 (Bahamas 12, Belize 3, Brazil 4,
  Cambodia 1, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Italy 1, Malta 6,
  Marshall Islands 3, Nigeria 1, Panama 53, Portugal 15, Saint Kitts
  and Nevis 2, UK 1, Venezuela 1) (2006)

Sri Lanka
  total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 144,066 GRT/196,418 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, container 2, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 5, UAE 2)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Panama 5) (2006)

Sudan
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,326 GRT/14,068 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1
  registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Saudi Arabia 1) (2006)

Suriname
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,078 GRT/1,214 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Sweden
  total: 198 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,703,834 GRT/2,382,754
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 28, chemical tanker 47, container 5,
  passenger 3, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll
  off 31, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 21
  foreign-owned: 37 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 3,
  Italy 7, Japan 2, Norway 7, US 1)
  registered in other countries: 161 (Bahamas 6, Bermuda 14, Cayman
  Islands 9, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, France 2, French
  Southern and Antarctic Lands 9, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia
  8, Malta 3, Netherlands 26, Netherlands Antilles 5, Norway 28,
  Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 12, UK 15,
  US 5) (2006)

Switzerland
  total: 27 ships (1000 GRT or over) 492,434 GRT/810,559
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 10, chemical tanker 3, container 4,
  specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Monaco 2)
  registered in other countries: 320 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas
  2, Belize 1, Bermuda 2, Cyprus 4, France 2, French Southern and
  Antarctic Lands 1, Germany 1, Indonesia 3, Liberia 7, Malta 21,
  Marshall Islands 13, Mauritius 2, Morocco 1, Panama 226, Portugal 3,
  Russia 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Tonga 1, Turkey 1, UK
  3, Vanuatu 2) (2006)

Syria
  total: 108 ships (1000 GRT or over) 386,603 GRT/563,506 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 93, container 1, livestock carrier 4,
  petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 11 (Lebanon 7, Romania 3, UAE 1)
  registered in other countries: 130 (Cambodia 20, Comoros 4, Cyprus
  3, Dominica 1, Georgia 43, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 14, Lebanon 1,
  Malta 7, Mongolia 1, Panama 18, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Slovakia 2, unknown 5)
  (2006)

Taiwan
  total: 112 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,798,992 GRT/4,652,921
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, container 25,
  passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 7, roll
  on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 3)
  registered in other countries: 463 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Honduras
  2, Hong Kong 6, Italy 10, Liberia 69, Malta 2, Panama 308, Singapore
  59, UK 1, US 1, unknown 2) (2006)

Tanzania
  total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 24,801 GRT/31,507 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4
  registered in other countries: 2 (Honduras 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  1) (2006)

Thailand
  total: 400 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,808,509 GRT/4,317,320
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 60, cargo 145, chemical tanker 14, container
  21, liquefied gas 29, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
  tanker 91, refrigerated cargo 32, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 45 (China 1, Egypt 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway
  30, Singapore 6, UK 2)
  registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 9,
  Singapore 22, Tuvalu 1) (2006)

Togo
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Tonga
  total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1, livestock
  carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo
  1
  foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)

Trinidad and Tobago
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,760
  GRT/7,941 DWT
  by type: liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum
  tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Tunisia
  total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo
  4 (2006)

Turkey
  total: 545 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,772,864 GRT/7,313,070
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 109, cargo 239, chemical tanker 50, container
  24, liquefied gas 6, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 50, petroleum
  tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 24, specialized
  tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Italy 3, Switzerland 1)
  registered in other countries: 411 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda
  8, Bahamas 8, Belize 11, Cambodia 26, Comoros 11, Dominica 3,
  Georgia 30, Isle of Man 3, North Korea 4, Liberia 1, Libya 2, Malta
  123, Marshall Islands 20, Netherlands Antilles 9, Panama 42, Russia
  63, Saint Kitts and Nevis 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25,
  Slovakia 8, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 3) (2006)

Turkmenistan
  total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,870 GRT/25,801 DWT
  by type: cargo 4, combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 2,
  refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)

Tuvalu
  total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 196,790 GRT/256,436 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 37, chemical tanker 1, container 2,
  passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, specialized
  tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 43 (China 23, Hong Kong 8, Kenya 1, Russia 2,
  Singapore 6, Thailand 1, Turkey 2) (2006)

Ukraine
  total: 202 ships (1000 GRT or over) 782,456 GRT/911,201 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 151, container 4, passenger 6,
  passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, roll
  on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Russia 1)
  registered in other countries: 160 (Belize 7, Cambodia 17, Comoros
  14, Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Georgia 22, Liberia 16, Malta 24, Moldova
  3, Mongolia 1, Panama 8, Russia 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 4, Slovakia 8, unknown
  4) (2006)

United Arab Emirates
  total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 656,003
  GRT/891,837 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, container 6,
  liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, roll
  on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 10 (Greece 2, Kuwait 8)
  registered in other countries: 259 (Bahamas 16, Barbados 1, Belize
  5, Cambodia 1, Comoros 6, Cyprus 11, Dominica 2, Georgia 1, Hong
  Kong 2, India 6, Iran 1, Jordan 11, Kiribati 1, North Korea 6,
  Liberia 18, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5,
  Norway 1, Panama 105, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 19, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3,
  Singapore 7, Somalia 1, Sri Lanka 2, Syria 1, unknown 5) (2006)

United Kingdom
  total: 449 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,049,317
  GRT/11,731,680 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 24, cargo 54, chemical tanker 50, container
  146, liquefied gas 17, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 65, petroleum
  tanker 33, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 26, vehicle
  carrier 8
  foreign-owned: 215 (Australia 3, Denmark 46, Finland 1, France 4,
  Germany 76, Greece 7, Ireland 1, Italy 4, Netherlands 3, Norway 36,
  NZ 1, South Africa 5, Spain 1, Sweden 15, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 1,
  Turkey 2, US 6)
  registered in other countries: 368 (Algeria 13, Antigua and Barbuda
  7, Argentina 4, Australia 2, Bahamas 69, Barbados 5, Belgium 2,
  Bermuda 9, Brazil 1, Brunei 8, Cape Verde 1, Cayman Islands 10,
  Cyprus 6, Denmark 1, Finland 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  1, Georgia 4, Gibraltar 4, Greece 9, Hong Kong 43, India 1,
  Indonesia 2, Italy 3, South Korea 2, Liberia 41, Malta 8, Marshall
  Islands 12, Morocco 1, Netherlands 19, Netherlands Antilles 3,
  Norway 6, Panama 37, Papua New Guinea 6, Saint Vincent and the
  Grenadines 13, Singapore 9, Slovakia 1, Spain 1, Thailand 2, Tonga
  1) (2006)

United States
  total: 465 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,590,325
  GRT/13,273,133 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 67, cargo 91, chemical tanker
  20, container 76, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker
  76, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, specialized tanker 1,
  vehicle carrier 20
  foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 4, Denmark 24, Germany 2,
  Greece 1, Malaysia 4, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Singapore 2, Sweden
  5, Taiwan 1)
  registered in other countries: 700 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia
  3, Bahamas 121, Belize 5, Bermuda 27, Cambodia 8, Canada 2, Cayman
  Islands 41, Comoros 2, Cyprus 7, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 21,
  Ireland 2, Isle of Man 3, Italy 15, North Korea 3, South Korea 7,
  Liberia 93, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 143, Netherlands
  13, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 13, Panama 94, Peru 1,
  Philippines 8, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Qatar 1, Russia 1, Saint
  Vincent and the Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 7, Spain 7,
  Sweden 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, UK 6, Vanuatu 1, Wallis and Futuna
  1) (2006)

Uruguay
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,259 GRT/19,725 DWT
  by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum
  tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)
  registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Liberia 3,
  Spain 2) (2006)

Vanuatu
  total: 51 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,340,132 GRT/1,908,687
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2,
  petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 2,
  vehicle carrier 5
  foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 5, Denmark 6, Estonia 1,
  Japan 28, Poland 5, Russia 1, Switzerland 2, US 1) (2006)

Venezuela
  total: 56 ships (1000 GRT or over) 824,941 GRT/1,327,924
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, container 1,
  liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 18
  foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, India 1, Mexico 3, Panama 1,
  Russia 1, Spain 1)
  registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 1, Panama 14) (2006)

Vietnam
  total: 267 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,423,936 GRT/2,191,858
  DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 23, cargo 202, chemical tanker 4, container 5,
  liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
  on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
  registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Honduras
  1, Mongolia 8, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, unknown
  2) (2006)

Wallis and Futuna total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 110,428 GRT/56,830 DWT by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 7 foreign-owned: 8 (France 5, French Polynesia 2, US 1) (2006)

Yemen
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,400 GRT/18,072 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll
  on/roll off 1
  registered in other countries: 9 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 3, North Korea
  2, Panama 3) (2006)

Austria
  National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the
  State Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of
  occupation and the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

Bahrain
  National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is
  the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date
  of independence from British protection

Bangladesh
  Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971
  is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is
  Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of
  Bangladesh

Belarus
  Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the
  date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the
  date of independence from the Soviet Union

Bhutan
National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king),
17 December (1907)

Brunei
  National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was
  the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date
  of independence from British protection

China
Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China,
1 October (1949)

Croatia
  Independence Day, 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 is
  the day the Croatian Parliament voted for independence; following a
  three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the
  Yugoslav crisis peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8
  October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia

Cuba
  Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898
  is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of
  independence from US administration; Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953)

Cyprus
Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots
celebrate 15 November (1983) as Independence Day

Denmark
none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is
generally viewed as the National Day

Estonia
  Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February
  1918 is the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet
  Russia; 20 August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from
  the Soviet Union

European Union
  Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday,
  the day that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of an organized
  Europe

France
  Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often
  incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually
  commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the
  storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of
  a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete
  Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)

Georgia
  Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the
  date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of
  independence from the Soviet Union

Gibraltar
  National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the
  national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go
  with Spain

Hong Kong
  National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's
  Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is
  celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment
  Day

Iran
  Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
  note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include
  Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21
  March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925); and various
  Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based
  hejira calendar

Iraq
  Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was
  celebrated under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim
  Government has yet to declare a new national holiday

Israel
  Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared
  independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and
  the holiday may occur in April or May

Korea, North
Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK), 9 September (1948)

Latvia
  Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918
  is the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4
  May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August
  1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union

Lithuania
  Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February
  1918 is the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet
  Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it
  declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Macau
  National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's
  Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is
  celebrated as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Macedonia
Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint
Elijah's Day and Ilinden

Netherlands
  Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909
  and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980),
  30 April

Netherlands Antilles
  Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA
  in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX
  in 1980), 30 April

New Zealand
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British
sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Niue
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British
sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Norfolk Island
Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn
Islanders), 8 June (1856)

Philippines
  Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898
  was date of declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was
  date of independence from US

Portugal
  Portugal Day (Day of Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also
  called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes
  (1524-80) died

Puerto Rico
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico
Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)

Samoa
  Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January
  1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered
  UN trusteeship, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is
  celebrated

Somalia
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26
June (1960) in Somaliland

Tokelau
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British
sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Ukraine
  Independence Day, 24 August (1991); 22 January (1918), the
  day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and
  the day the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics
  united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day

American Samoa
noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals)
adjective: American Samoan

Antigua and Barbuda
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Barbados
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Botswana
noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)

British Virgin Islands
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  noun: Congolese (singular and
  plural)
  adjective: Congolese or Congo

Congo, Republic of the
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo

Equatorial Guinea
noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island

French Guiana
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese

Ireland
  noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective
  plural)
  adjective: Irish

Micronesia, Federated States of
noun: Micronesian(s)
adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese

Saint Helena noun: Saint Helenian(s) adjective: Saint Helenian note: referred to locally as "Saints"

Saint Kitts and Nevis
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or
  Vincentian(s)
  adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian

Taiwan
  noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)
  note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan
  adjective: Taiwan

Trinidad and Tobago
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Virgin Islands
noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander

Wallis and Futuna noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Western Sahara
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Afghanistan
  natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc,
  barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and
  semiprecious stones

Albania
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper,
iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower

Angola
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar,
gold, bauxite, uranium

Antarctica
  iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and
  other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small
  uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish,
  and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries

Arctic Ocean
  sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits,
  polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals
  (seals and whales)

Argentina
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper,
iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium

Atlantic Ocean
  oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and
  whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic
  nodules, precious stones

Australia
  bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver,
  uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds,
  natural gas, petroleum

Austria
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc,
antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Baker Island
guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and
aquatic wildlife

Belarus
forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural
gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Bolivia
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony,
silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc,
  chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand,
  forests, hydropower

Botswana
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal,
iron ore, silver

Brazil
bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates,
platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Burkina Faso
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold,
phosphates, pumice, salt

Burma
  petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten,
  lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas,
  hydropower

Burundi
  nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper,
  platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum,
  gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Cambodia
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese,
phosphates, hydropower potential

Canada
  iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum,
  potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum,
  natural gas, hydropower

Chad
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold,
limestone, sand and gravel, salt

Chile
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals,
molybdenum, hydropower

China
  coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin,
  tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite,
  aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

Colombia
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold,
copper, emeralds, hydropower

Congo, Democratic Republic of the cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber

Congo, Republic of the petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower

Cote d'Ivoire
  petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore,
  cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay,
  cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

Croatia
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium,
gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Cuba
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber,
silica, petroleum, arable land

Cyprus
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay
earth pigment

Denmark
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone,
gravel and sand

Djibouti
geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble,
salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Egypt
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese,
limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Equatorial Guinea
petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite,
diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay

Estonia
oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand,
dolomite, arable land, sea mud

Ethiopia
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural
gas, hydropower

European Union
iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal,
copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
fish, squid, wildlife, calcified
seaweed, sphagnum moss

Finland
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel,
gold, silver, limestone

France
coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic,
potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

French Guiana
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum,
kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay

Gabon
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium,
gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Gambia, The
fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon,
silica sand, clay, petroleum

Georgia
  forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper,
  minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for
  important tea and citrus growth

Germany
coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel,
uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Ghana
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,
rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Greece
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel,
magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Greenland
coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum,
uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Guinea-Bissau
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite,
limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Honduras
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore,
antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Howland Island
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial
and aquatic wildlife

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India and Europa Island: none
  Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island: guano, phosphates; coconuts
  Tromelin Island: fish

India
  coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore,
  manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas,
  diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land

Indian Ocean
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel
aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Indonesia
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite,
copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Iran
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
manganese, zinc, sulfur

Ireland
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite,
gypsum, limestone, dolomite

Israel
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock,
magnesium bromide, clays, sand

Italy
  coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice,
  fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil
  reserves, fish, arable land

Jarvis Island
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial
and aquatic wildlife

Johnston Atoll
guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890,
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Kazakhstan
  major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
  manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
  zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Kenya
limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc,
diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower

Korea, North
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron
ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Kyrgyzstan
  abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and
  rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas;
  other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Lebanon
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a
water-deficit region, arable land

Lesotho
water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay,
building stone

Macedonia
  low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite,
  manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber,
  arable land

Madagascar
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar
sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Malawi
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of
uranium, coal, and bauxite

Mali
  gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum,
  granite, hydropower
  note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are
  known but not exploited

Micronesia, Federated States of
forests, marine products,
deep-seabed minerals, phosphate

Mongolia
oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin,
nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron

Namibia
  diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium,
  cadmium, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
  note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Nepal
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small
deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Netherlands
natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and
gravel, arable land

New Caledonia
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold,
lead, copper

New Zealand
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower,
gold, limestone

Niger
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum,
gypsum, salt, petroleum

Nigeria
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone,
niobium, lead, zinc, arable land

Norway
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc,
titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower

Oman
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium,
gypsum, natural gas

Pacific Ocean
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish

Pakistan
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum,
poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Palau
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products,
deep-seabed minerals

Peru
copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal,
phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

Pitcairn Islands
  miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
  note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
  discovered offshore

Poland
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber,
arable land

Portugal
  fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin,
  tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable
  land, hydropower

Romania
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal,
iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower

Russia
  wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil,
  natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber
  note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder
  exploitation of natural resources

Rwanda
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore),
methane, hydropower, arable land

Saint Lucia
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral
springs, geothermal potential

Serbia
  oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, antimony,
  chromite, nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone,
  marble, salt, arable land

Slovakia
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper
and manganese ore; salt; arable land

Slovenia
lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver,
hydropower, forests

Somalia
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin,
gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

South Africa
  gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese,
  nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper,
  vanadium, salt, natural gas

Southern Ocean
  probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields
  on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer
  deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales,
  and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes

Spain
  coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium,
  tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite,
  kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land

Sri Lanka
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates,
clay, hydropower

Sudan
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore,
zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Suriname
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold,
and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Swaziland
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests,
small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Sweden
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten,
uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Syria
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt,
iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Tajikistan
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal,
lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Tanzania
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds,
gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

Thailand
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead,
fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Turkey
  coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold,
  barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone,
  magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable
  land, hydropower

Ukraine
  iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur,
  graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber,
  arable land

United Kingdom
  coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc,
  gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica
  sand, slate, arable land

United States
  coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium,
  bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten,
  zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber

Uzbekistan
natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver,
copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Venezuela
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other
minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Vietnam
phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil
and gas deposits, forests, hydropower

World
  the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the
  depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and
  plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality
  (especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose
  serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only
  beginning to address

Yemen
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal,
gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

Zambia
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver,
uranium, hydropower

Zimbabwe
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron
ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Botswana
  6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
  and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
  17.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2006
  est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DRC in August 1998, which left 2.33 million Congolese internally displaced and caused 412,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is
  expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and
  Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine
  in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2006 est.)

Guinea
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is
  host to approximately 141,500 refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia,
  and Sierra Leone (2006 est.)

Kenya
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2005 Kenya was host to
  233,778 refugees from neighboring countries, including Somalia
  153,627, Sudan 67,556, Ethiopia 12,595 (2006 est.)

Liberia
  27.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: at least 238,500 Liberian refugees are in surrounding
  countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their
  ability to return (2006 est.)

Malaysia
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal
  immigrants from other countries in the region (2006 est.)

New Caledonia
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
  Caledonia (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone
  0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly
  returning (2006 est.)

South Africa
  -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
  and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
  NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
  Caledonia (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
  and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.)

Afghanistan
  landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast
  to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the
  country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan
  Corridor)

Akrotiri
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several
small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

Albania
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic
Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

American Samoa
  Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater
  harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough
  seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds;
  strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean

Angola
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the
rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Antarctica
  the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest
  continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface
  at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent
  period; mostly uninhabitable

Antigua and Barbuda
  Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with
  many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western
  harbor

Arctic Ocean
  major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern
  access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic
  location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link
  between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating
  research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover
  in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean;
  snow cover lasts about 10 months

Argentina
  second-largest country in South America (after Brazil);
  strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic
  and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel,
  Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical
  climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is
  the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon
  is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

Armenia
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich
(Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

Aruba
  a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches;
  its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the
  Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27
  degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
established in August 1983

Atlantic Ocean
  major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of
  Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits
  include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The
  Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the
  Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

Australia
  world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country;
  population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts;
  the invigorating tropical sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor"
  affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most
  consistent winds in the world

Austria
  landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central
  Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major
  river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
  because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Azerbaijan
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan
exclave are landlocked

Bahamas, The
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive
island chain of which 30 are inhabited

Bahrain
  close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
  location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's
  petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Baker Island
  treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting
  of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
  nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
  and marine wildlife

Bangladesh
  most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers
  flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main
  channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually
  empty into the Bay of Bengal

Bassas da India
the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits
atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano

Belarus
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of
Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

Belgium
  crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European
  capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European
  Union and NATO

Belize
only country in Central America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean

Benin
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural
harbors, river mouths, or islands

Bermuda
  consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample
  rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by
  US Government from 1941 to 1995

Bhutan
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

Bolivia
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized
  borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat
  Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led
  Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region
  called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Serbia and
  Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an
  ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the
  east

Brazil
largest country in South America; shares common boundaries
with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

British Indian Ocean Territory archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility

Brunei
  close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking
  Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by
  Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia

Bulgaria
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land
routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Burkina Faso
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of
the Black, Red, and White Voltas

Burundi
  landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the
  Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote
  headstream of the White Nile

Cambodia
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River
and Tonle Sap

Cameroon
  sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout
  the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of
  current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest
  mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

Canada
  second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic
  location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately
  90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border

Cape Verde
  strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near
  major north-south sea routes; important communications station;
  important sea and air refueling site

Chile
  strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and
  Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);
  Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

China
world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US);
Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
islands are thickly covered with coconut
palms and other vegetation

Colombia
only South American country with coastlines on both the
North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Congo, Democratic Republic of the straddles equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands

Congo, Republic of the
about 70% of the population lives in
Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them

Cook Islands
  the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely
  populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of
  the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic
  isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km

Costa Rica
  four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital
  of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes,
  Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65

Cote d'Ivoire
  most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal
  region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is
  sparsely populated

Croatia
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea
and Turkish Straits

Cuba
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the
Greater Antilles

Cyprus
the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after
Sicily and Sardinia)

Czech Republic
  landlocked; strategically located astride some of
  oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is
  a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and
  the Danube in central Europe

Denmark
  controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking
  Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in
  greater Copenhagen

Dhekelia
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several
small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

Djibouti
  strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and
  close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia;
  mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in
  Africa

Dominica
  known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its
  spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected
  by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the
  Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and
  include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in
  the world

East Timor
  Timor comes from the Malay word for "East"; the island of
  Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and
  easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands

Egypt
  controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
  remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link
  between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition
  to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
  dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues;
  prone to influxes of refugees

El Salvador
smallest Central American country and only one without a
coastline on Caribbean Sea

Eritrea
  strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest
  shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia
  along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May
  1993

Estonia
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded;
offshore lie more than 1,500 islands

Ethiopia
  landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost
  with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue
  Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in
  T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are
  believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and
  castor bean

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
deeply indented coast provides
good natural harbors; short growing season

Faroe Islands
  archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one
  uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically
  located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic;
  precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

Finland
  long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
  capital on European continent; population concentrated on small
  southwestern coastal plain

French Guiana
mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only
non-independent portion of the South American continent

French Polynesia
  includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral);
  Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock
  islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island)
  in Kiribati and Nauru

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
islands component is widely
scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean

Gabon
  a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped
  Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these
  circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its
  pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

Gambia, The
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the
continent of Africa

Gaza Strip
  strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade
  routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of
  Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history

Georgia
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia
controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

Germany
strategic location on North European Plain and along the
entrance to the Baltic Sea

Gibraltar
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the
North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Glorioso Islands
the islands and rocks are surrounded by an
extensive reef system

Greece
  strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern
  approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an
  archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Greenland
  dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and
  Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast,
  but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital,
  Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

Grenada
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Guadeloupe
  a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe
  proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the
  smaller, eastern Grande-Terre

Guam
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands
archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Guinea
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their
sources in the Guinean highlands

Guinea-Bissau
this small country is swampy along its western coast
and low-lying further inland

Guyana
  the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname
  and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern
  territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

Haiti
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western
one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's
  smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the
  Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial
  authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including
  the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer
  residence)

Honduras
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean
shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Howland Island
  almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines,
  and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily
  a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
  and marine wildlife

Hungary
  landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes
  between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between
  Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna
  (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

Iceland
  strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost
  European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in
  the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
  Europe

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: the atoll is a circular reef that sits
  atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano
  Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island: wildlife sanctuary for
  seabirds and sea turtles
  Glorioso Islands: the islands and rocks are surrounded by an
  extensive reef system
  Tromelin Island: climatologically important location for forecasting
  cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds,
  tortoises)

India
  dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian
  Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the
  world, lies on the border with Nepal

Indian Ocean
  major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of
  Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and
  the Lombok Strait

Indonesia
  archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles
  equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from
  Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Iran
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz,
which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Iraq
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of
the Persian Gulf

Ireland
  strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
  America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
  within 100 km of Dublin

Isle of Man
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest,
and is a bird sanctuary

Israel
  there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites
  in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the
  Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of
  Galilee is an important freshwater source

Italy
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Jamaica
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica
Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Jarvis Island
  sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing
  shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for
  seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

Jersey
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

Johnston Atoll
  strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
  Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been
  expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island
  (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the
  egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; a
  former US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed Johnston
  Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities
  dismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation

Jordan
  strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as
  the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the
  occupied West Bank

Kazakhstan
  landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
  territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004,
  Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

Kenya
  the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
  agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on
  Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography
  supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic
  value

Kiribati
  21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island)
  in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
  Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

Korea, North
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and
Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Kyrgyzstan
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien
Shan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

Laos
  landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
  forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western
  boundary with Thailand

Latvia
most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains,
with some hills in the east

Lebanon
  Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not
  crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically
  helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based
  on religion, clan, and ethnicity

Lesotho
  landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa;
  mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea
  level

Liberia
  facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by
  lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland
  grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Liechtenstein
  along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly
  landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic
  variations based on elevation

Lithuania
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that
are ancient glacial deposits

Macau
  essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea
  measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of
  Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland
  peninsula by three bridges

Macedonia
landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and
Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Madagascar
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along
Mozambique Channel

Malawi
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's
most prominent physical feature

Malaysia
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern
South China Sea

Maldives
  1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited
  islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with
  strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

Mali
  landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,
  cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the
  northern, arid Saharan

Malta
  the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three
  largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino)
  being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and
  Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
  continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
  exploration

Marshall Islands
  Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test
  sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is used as a
  US missile test range; island city of Ebeye is the second largest
  settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and
  one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific

Martinique
  the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May
  1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre,
  killing 30,000 inhabitants

Mauritania
  most of the population concentrated in the cities of
  Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the
  southern part of the country

Mauritius
  the main island, from which the country derives its name,
  is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral
  reefs

Mexico
  strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize),
  one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated
  in Mexico

Midway Islands
  a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge
  and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form
  of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling,
  and scuba diving; the refuge is temporarily closed for
  reorganization at present (2004)

Moldova
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and
minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

Monaco
second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy
See); almost entirely urban

Montserrat
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised
of three major volcanic centers of differing ages

Mozambique
the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most
fertile part of the country

Namibia
  first country in the world to incorporate the protection of
  the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is
  protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

Nauru
  Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
  Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
  Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

Navassa Island
  strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base
  at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock but with enough
  grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees,
  scattered cactus

Nepal
  landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
  contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest
  and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the
  borders with China and India respectively

Netherlands
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine,
Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

Netherlands Antilles
  the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles
  are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group
  (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands
  (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)

New Caledonia
  consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of
  the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute,
  and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

New Zealand
about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington
is the southernmost national capital in the world

Nicaragua
largest country in Central America; contains the largest
freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Niger
  landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world;
  northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna,
  suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

Nigeria
  the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows
  southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in
  the Gulf of Guinea

Norfolk Island
  most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost
  inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one
  small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is
  situated

Norway
  about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much
  indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air
  routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines
  in the world

Oman
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of
Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Pacific Ocean
  the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama
  Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides
  the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific
  Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in
  the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Pakistan
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion
routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Palau
  westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six
  island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II
  battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands

Palmyra Atoll
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut
trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall

Panama
  strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land
  bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
  that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific
  Ocean

Papua New Guinea
shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of
world's largest swamps along southwest coast

Paracel Islands
  composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs
  divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent
  Group

Paraguay
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil;
population concentrated in southern part of country

Peru
  shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable
  lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak,
  is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

Philippines
  the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands;
  favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water
  bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea,
  and Luzon Strait

Pitcairn Islands
  Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger
  island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural
  harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger
  ships stationed offshore

Poland
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and
the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Portugal
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along
western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Puerto Rico
  important location along the Mona Passage - a key
  shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest
  and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and
  high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast
  relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

Reunion
  this mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano,
  Piton de la Fournaise; there is a tropical cyclone center at
  Saint-Denis, which is the monitoring station for the whole of the
  Indian Ocean

Romania
controls most easily traversable land route between the
Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

Russia
  largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably
  located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its
  size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either
  too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's
  tallest peak

Rwanda
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the
population predominantly rural

Saint Helena
  Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants
  unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground
  for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da
  Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a
  prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat
  and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide
  channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball
  bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in
  the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape
  complements that of its sister island

Saint Lucia
  the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking
  cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural
  highlights of the Caribbean

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

San Marino
landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after
the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

Sao Tome and Principe
  the smallest country in Africa; the two main
  islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are
  fairly mountainous

Saudi Arabia
  extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea
  provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through
  Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

Senegal
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is
almost an enclave within Senegal

Serbia
controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to
Turkey and the Near East

Sierra Leone
  rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches)
  a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western
  Africa

Slovakia
  landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous;
  the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic
  lakes and valleys

Slovenia
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country
controls some of Europe's major transit routes

Solomon Islands
strategic location on sea routes between the South
Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea

Somalia
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern
approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

South Africa
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost
completely surrounds Swaziland

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  the north coast of
  South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage;
  reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia

Southern Ocean
  the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between
  South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic
  Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent
  of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the
  Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar
  surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the
  Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching
  south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south
  in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum
  westerly winds

Spratly Islands
  strategically located near several primary shipping
  lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small
  islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Suriname
  smallest independent country on South American continent;
  mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna
  that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new
  development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

Svalbard
  northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of
  nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total
  area; site of future seed repository under construction by the
  Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government

Switzerland
  landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe;
  along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern
  Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps

Syria
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites
in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)

Taiwan
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the
Luzon Strait

Tajikistan
  landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the
  Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast;
  highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was
  the tallest mountain in the former USSR

Tanzania
  Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three
  of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
  second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
  world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

Togo
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct
geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Tokelau
  consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a
  number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over
  three meters above sea level

Trinidad and Tobago
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is
the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Tromelin Island
climatologically important location for forecasting
cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

Tunisia
  strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and
  Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
  continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
  exploration

Turkey
  strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus,
  Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount
  Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far
  eastern portion of the country

Turkmenistan
  landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate
  portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert,
  which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

Tuvalu
  one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six
  of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti,
  and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao
  have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Ukraine
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and
Asia; second-largest country in Europe

United Arab Emirates
strategic location along southern approaches to
Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

United Kingdom
  lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km
  from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because
  of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from
  tidal waters

United States
  world's third-largest country by size (after Russia
  and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley
  is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point
  on the continent

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker, Howland, and
  Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses,
  prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting,
  roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine
  wildlife
  Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands,
  which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and
  East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging;
  the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference
  Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
  to the public
  Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge
  and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form
  of wildlife observation and photography
  Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make
  the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island
  territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed
  stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific

Uruguay
  second-smallest South American country (after Suriname);
  most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is
  grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

Uzbekistan
along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world

Vanuatu
a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller
islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

Venezuela
  on major sea and air routes linking North and South
  America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest
  waterfall

Vietnam
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km
across at its narrowest point

Virgin Islands
  important location along the Anegada Passage - a key
  shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best
  natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

Wake Island
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency
landing location for transpacific flights

West Bank
  landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's
  coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East
  Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts
  (August 2005 est.)

World
  the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old,
  just about one-third of the 13-billion-year age estimated for the
  universe

Yemen
  strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the
  Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping
  lanes

Zimbabwe
  landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary
  with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria
  Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water

Afghanistan
  Jamiat-e Islami (Society of Islam) [former President
  Burhanuddin RABBANI]; Ittihad-e Islami (Islamic Union for the
  Liberation of Afghanistan) [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; there are also
  small monarchist, communist, and democratic groups

Albania
  Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of
  Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian
  National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement [Erion
  VELIAJ]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of
  Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

Algeria
The Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia Ali
ABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET]

Angola
  Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC
  [N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE]
  note: FLEC's small-scale, highly factionalized armed struggle for
  the independence of Cabinda Province has largely ended

Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William
ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Argentina
  Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA);
  Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine
  Rural Society (large landowners' association); business
  organizations; Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union
  for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor
  or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization);
  Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest
  organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); Roman
  Catholic Church; students

Austria
  Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but
  primarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber;
  OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman
  Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic
  Action; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or
  OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and other
  non-government organizations in the areas of environment and human
  rights

Azerbaijan
  Sadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed Armenian
  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union of
  Pro-Azerbaijani Forces (UPAF)

Bahrain
  Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and
  have recently engaged in protests and marches, demanding that more
  power be vested in the elected Council of Representatives and that
  the government do more to decrease unemployment; several small,
  clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active

Barbados
  Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor
  Union [David COMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric
  SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]

Belarus
  Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH];
  Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Alyaksandr
  YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO];
  Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97
  [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the
  Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee of
  Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership
  NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol
  SHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic
  Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dzmitryy
  DASHKEVICH, Syarhey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group [Vladimir KOBETS]

Belgium
  Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation
  of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing
  bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and
  medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural
  interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax
  Christi and groups representing immigrants

Belize
Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR
[Adele CATZIM]

Bermuda
  Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial
  Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or
  BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]

Bhutan
  Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading
  militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United
  Front for Democracy (exiled)

Bolivia
  Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions;
  Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman
  LOAYZA]

Brazil
  Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions and federations;
  large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical
  Christian churches and the Catholic Church

Bulgaria
  Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or
  CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and
  national interest groups with various agendas

Burkina Faso
  Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB;
  Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February;
  National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National
  Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action
  groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities

Burma
  National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB
  (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN
  WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the
  People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and
  joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in
  exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National
  Union or KNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA;
  Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a
  social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general
  secretary]

Cameroon
Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN];
Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]

Chile
  revitalized university student federations at all major
  universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT
  includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor
  confederations

China
  no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the
  government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the
  China Democracy Party as subversive groups

Colombia
  two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia -
  Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and National
  Liberation Army or ELN; largest illegal paramilitary group, a
  roughly organized umbrella group of disparate paramilitary forces,
  is United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC

Congo, Republic of the
  Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC;
  General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC;
  Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese
  Socialist Youth or UJSC

Costa Rica
  Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD
  (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated
  Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican
  Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party
  affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National
  Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association
  of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert
  BROWN]

Cyprus
  Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West);
  Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of
  Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor
  Federation or PEO (Communist controlled)

Czech Republic
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS
[Milan STECH]

Djibouti
  Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes
  RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD
  (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed Dini
  AHMED]

Dominican Republic
  Citizen Participation Group (Participacion
  Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation
  for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)

East Timor
  Popular Council for the Defense of the Democratic
  Republic of East Timor or CPD-RDTL [Antonio-Aitahan MATAK] is
  largest political pressure group; dissatisfied veterans of struggle
  against Indonesia, led by one-time government advisor Cornelio GAMA
  (also known as L-7), also play an important role in pressuring
  government

Ecuador
  Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or
  CONAIE [Luis MACAS, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or
  CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of
  Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of
  Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA
  CRUZ, president]

Egypt
  despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties,
  the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes Hosni
  MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK
  tolerated limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his
  first two terms, but moved more aggressively since then to block its
  influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in
  practical terms; trade unions and professional associations are
  officially sanctioned

El Salvador
  labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El
  Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar
  Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National
  Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of
  Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or
  SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or
  USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of
  Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National
  Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly
  Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or
  ASI

Eritrea
  Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean
  Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel
  Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the
  Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH
  Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including
  EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru];
  Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]

Ethiopia
  Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF; Oromo
  Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]; Oromo National Liberation
  Front or ONLF

France
  historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du
  Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed);
  left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du
  Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed);
  independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force
  Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar
  union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members
  (claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or
  MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)

Georgia
  Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in
  exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
  Ossetia; supporters of former President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA ousted in
  1991

Germany
business associations, employers' organizations; expellee,
refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups

Gibraltar
Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives
Organization; Women's Association

Greece
  General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Khristos
  POLYZOGOPOULOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Odysseas
  KYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros
  PAPASPYROS]

Guadeloupe
  Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or
  KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General
  Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent
  Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement

Guatemala
  Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity
  or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee
  of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations
  or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM

Guyana
  Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative;
  Guyana Bar Association; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana
  Public Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades
  Union Congress

Haiti
  Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole
  ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of
  Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or
  KOREGA; Group of 184 Civil Society Organizations, or G-184 [Andy
  APAID]; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement
  or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering
  Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church; Protestant Federation of Haiti

Holy See (Vatican City)
none (exclusive of influence exercised by
church officers)

Honduras
  Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or
  CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating
  Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers
  Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or
  COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH;
  National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United
  Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

Hong Kong
  Article 45 Concern Group (pro-democracy); Chinese General
  Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association
  of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy)
  [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary];
  Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or
  FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong
  Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China
  [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council
  (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong
  Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president];
  Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy);
  The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]

India
  numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
  including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya
  Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater
  communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties
  Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist
  Council of Nagaland in the Northeast

Iran
  political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political
  activities; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic
  include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the
  Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic
  Coalition Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active
  pro-reform student groups include the Office of Strengthening Unity
  (OSU); opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the
  National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist
  organizations; armed political groups that have been almost
  completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq
  Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian
  Kurdistan, and Komala

Iraq
  an insurgency against the Iraqi Transitional Government and
  Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas
  west and north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is
  led principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a
  shared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq

Israel
  Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West
  Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in
  the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes
  settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem
  monitors human rights abuses

Italy
  Italian manufacturers and merchants associations
  (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups
  (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church; three
  major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana
  del Lavoro or CGIL [Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing,
  Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Savino
  PEZZOTTA], which is Roman Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del
  Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

Jamaica
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

Jordan
  Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice
  chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman];
  Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim
  Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, secretary general]

Kazakhstan
  Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel
  FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; For a
  Just Kazakhstan [Bolat ABILOV, Altynbek SARSENBAYEV]; For Fair
  Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash
  NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights
  [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pensioners Movement or
  Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of
  International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International
  [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]

Kenya
  human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations;
  National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition
  of political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha
  KIBWANA]; Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK
  [Mutava MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches;
  Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur
  al-BUSAIDY]

Korea, South
  Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean
  Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National
  Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans'
  Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic
  Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations;
  National Federation of Student Associations

Kuwait
  a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several
  legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups,
  merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, and secular liberals

Kyrgyzstan
  Council of Free Trade Unions; Kyrgyz Committee on Human
  Rights [Ramazan DYRYLDAYEV]; National Unity Democratic Movement;
  Union of Entrepreneurs

Laos
noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition
leaders fled the country in 1975

Latvia
Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB)
[Aleksandr KAZAKOV]

Libya
  various Arab nationalist movements with almost negligible
  memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some
  Islamic elements; an anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement exists,
  primarily based in London, but has little influence

Luxembourg
  ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector
  trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural
  producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union
  representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of
  Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL
  (federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment protection);
  LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of
  ecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)

Macedonia
Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; World
Macedonian Congress [Todor PETROV]

Madagascar
  Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR;
  Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National
  Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

Mali
Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement
and Fronts of Azawad or MFUA

Martinique
  Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union
  for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle;
  League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP

Mauritania
  Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of
  Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary
  general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM
  [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM
  [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

Mexico
  Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or
  COPARMEX; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN;
  Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National
  Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade
  Business Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing
  Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation
  Industries or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC;
  National Union of Workers or UNT; Regional Confederation of Mexican
  Workers or CROM; Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants
  or CROC; Roman Catholic Church

Morocco
  Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI];
  General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL];
  Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; National
  Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan
  Workers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]

Mozambique
  Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e
  Democracia) or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Etica [Abdul CARIMO
  Issa, chairman]; Movement for Peace and Citizenship (Movimento para
  Paz e Cidadania); Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga
  Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president];
  Human Rights and Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or
  DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary general]

Nepal
  Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also
  known as PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI]; numerous
  small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small,
  radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups

Netherlands
  Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV (consisting of
  a merger of Socialist and Catholic trade unions); Christian Trade
  Union Federation or CNV; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High
  Personnel or MHP; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers
  Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational
  firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises

Nicaragua
  National Workers Front or FNT is a Sandinista umbrella
  group of eight labor unions including - Farm Workers Association or
  ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs
  Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National
  Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of
  Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG,
  Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of
  Nicaragua or UPN; Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT is an
  umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including -
  Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of
  Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor
  or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS; Nicaraguan
  Workers' Central or CTN is an independent labor union; Superior
  Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP is a confederation of
  business groups

Pakistan
  military remains most important political force; ulema
  (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also
  influential

Panama
  Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council
  of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private
  Enterprise or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar
  Workers (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or
  APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers
  Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP

Paraguay
  Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of
  Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation
  of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or
  CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers
  Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central
  or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]

Peru
  leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael GUZMAN
  Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top leader at-large)]; Tupac
  Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned),
  Hugo AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)]

Philippines
  AKBAYAN [Reps. Etta ROSALES, Mario AGUJA, and Risa
  HONTIVEROS-BARAQUIEL]; ALAGAD [Rep. Rodante MARROLITA]; ALIF [Rep.
  Acmad TOMAWIS]; An Waray [Rep. Horencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv
  HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Reps. Crispin BELTRAN and Rafael MARIANO]; APEC
  [Reps. Ernesto PABLO, Edgar VALDEZ]; Association of Philippine
  Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Reps. Edgar VALDEZ, Ernesto PABLO, and
  Sunny Rose MADAMBA]; AVE [Rep. Eulogio MAGSAYSAY]; Bayan Muna [Reps.
  Satur OCAMPO, Joel VIRADOR, and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; BUHAY [Reps.
  Rene VELARDE and Hans Christian SENERES]; BUTIL [Rep. Benjamin
  CRUZ]; CIBAC [Rep. Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Rep.
  Guillermo CUA]; GABRIELA [Rep. Liza MAZA]; Partido Ng Manggagawa
  [Rep. Renato MAGTUBO]; Veterans Federation of the Philippines [Rep.
  Ernesto GIDAYA] (2006)

Poland
  All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan
  GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade
  Union [Janusz SNIADEK]

Puerto Rico
  Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also
  known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are
  considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for
  National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance,
  Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

Slovakia
  Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak
  Republic; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation
  of Trade Unions or KOZ

Solomon Islands
  Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force
  (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon
  Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003

South Africa
  Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU
  [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party
  or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National
  Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national
  president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the
  ANC

Spain
  business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor
  unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of
  Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or
  USO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers'
  Commissions or CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formed
  in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill)

Sri Lanka
  Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil
  Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for
  a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the
  National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

Sudan
Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP
[Hassan al-TURABI]

Suriname
  Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE];
  Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE];
  Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]

Syria
  Kurdish Democratic Alliance (includes several groups but has
  no designated leader); Kurdish Democratic Front (includes several
  groups but has no designated leader); Muslim Brotherhood (operates
  in exile in London) [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI]; National Democratic
  Front [Hassan Abd al-AZIM]

Taiwan
  Taiwan independence movement, various business and
  environmental groups
  note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the
  mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization
  and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's
  legislature have opened public debate on the island's national
  identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan
  currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate
  outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's
  people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan
  independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify
  with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement
  include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the
  UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the
  World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for
  Taiwan Nation Building

Tajikistan
  unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party
  [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV]; Party of Justice [Abdurahim KARIMOV];
  People's Unity Party [Abdumalik ABDULLOJONOV]; Progressive Party
  [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Socialist Party [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV]; note - this
  is the SPT that was disbanded, another pro-government SPT (listed
  above under political parties) replaced it; Unity Party [Hikmatullo
  SAIDOV]

Tonga
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev.
Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]

Turkey
  Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];
  Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman
  CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
  or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim
  USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Refik
  BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC];
  Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis
  GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or
  TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and
  Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

United Kingdom
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of
British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress

Uruguay
  Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization);
  Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's
  association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional
  organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions);
  Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students;
  Uruguayan Construction League

Uzbekistan
  Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Birlik
  (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman]; Erk (Freedom)
  Democratic Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December
  1992; Ezgulik Human Rights Society [Vasilia INOYATOVA]; Free
  Farmers' Party or Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigara KHIDOYATOVA]; Human Rights
  Society of Uzbekistan [Tolib YAKUBOV, chairman]; Independent Human
  Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]; Mazlum;
  Sunshine Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

Venezuela
  FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS
  groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor
  organization dominated by the Democratic Action)

Zimbabwe
  Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Wellington CHIBEBE]; National
  Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Zimbabwe Congress
  of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Lovemore MATOMBO]

Afghanistan
  Afghanistan's economic outlook has improved
  significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 because
  of the infusion of over $8 billion in international assistance,
  recovery of the agricultural sector and growth of the service
  sector, and the reestablishment of market institutions. Real GDP
  growth is estimated to have slowed in the last fiscal year primarily
  because adverse weather conditions cut agricultural production, but
  is expected to rebound over 2005-06 because of foreign donor
  reconstruction and service sector growth. Despite the progress of
  the past few years, Afghanistan remains extremely poor, landlocked,
  and highly dependent on foreign aid, farming, and trade with
  neighboring countries. It will probably take the remainder of the
  decade and continuing donor aid and attention to significantly raise
  Afghanistan's living standards from its current status, among the
  lowest in the world. Much of the population continues to suffer from
  shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and
  jobs, but the Afghan government and international donors remain
  committed to improving access to these basic necessities by
  prioritizing infrastructure development, education, housing
  development, jobs programs, and economic reform over the next year.
  Growing political stability and continued international commitment
  to Afghan reconstruction create an optimistic outlook for continuing
  improvements in the Afghan economy in 2006. Expanding poppy
  cultivation and a growing opium trade may account for one-third of
  GDP and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy challenges.
  Other long-term challenges include: boosting the supply of skilled
  labor, reducing vulnerability to severe natural disasters, expanding
  health services, and rebuilding a war torn infrastructure.

Akrotiri
  Economic activity is limited to providing services to the
  military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and
  manufactured goods must be imported.

Albania
  Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the
  difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The
  government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur
  economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by annual
  remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and
  Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture,
  which accounts for about one-quarter of GDP, is held back because of
  frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment, to clarify
  property rights, and to consolidate small plots of land. Energy
  shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to
  Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to
  attract and sustain foreign investment. The planned construction of
  a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission and
  distribution facilities will help relieve the energy shortages.
  Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national
  road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic
  growth. On the positive side: growth was strong in 2003-05 and
  inflation is not a problem.

Algeria
  The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy,
  accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over
  95% of export earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of
  natural gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it
  ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent
  years, along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF,
  have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic
  indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and
  building up record foreign exchange reserves. Real GDP has risen due
  to higher oil output and increased government spending. The
  government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by
  attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy
  sector, however, has had little success in reducing high
  unemployment and improving living standards. The population is
  becoming increasingly restive due to the lack of jobs and housing
  and frequently stages protests, which have resulted in arrests and
  injuries, including some deaths as government forces intervened to
  restore order. Structural reform within the economy, such as
  development of the banking sector and the construction of
  infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and
  bureaucratic resistance.

American Samoa
  American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy
  in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic
  activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa
  conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing
  plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the
  primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially
  to American Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government
  to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's
  remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating
  hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.

Andorra
  Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy,
  accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 million
  tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and
  by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage
  has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain
  have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and
  lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven"
  status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural
  production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most
  food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep
  raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars,
  and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is
  treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs)
  and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.

Angola
  Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with
  record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production
  and its supporting activities contribute about half of GDP and 90%
  of exports. Increased oil production supported 12% growth in 2004
  and 19% growth in 2005. A postwar reconstruction boom and
  resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in
  construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's
  infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long
  civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines
  still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace
  was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in
  February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood
  for half of the population, but half of the country's food must
  still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2
  billion line of credit from China to rebuild Angola's public
  infrastructure, and several large-scale projects are scheduled for
  completion by 2006. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange
  rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy
  kwanzas out of circulation, a policy that was more sustainable in
  2005 because of strong oil export earnings, and has significantly
  reduced inflation. Consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to
  about 18% in 2005, but the stabilization policy places pressure on
  international net liquidity. To fully take advantage of its rich
  national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic
  fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to continue
  reforming government policies and to reduce corruption. The
  government has made sufficient progress on reforms recommended by
  the IMF such as promoting greater transparency in government
  spending but continues to be without a formal monitoring agreement
  with the institution.

Anguilla
  Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends
  heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and
  remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism
  industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector,
  has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put
  substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector,
  which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the
  economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on
  revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on
  favorable weather conditions.

Antarctica
  Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad,
  account for Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic
  fisheries in 2003-04 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 136,262
  metric tons (estimated fishing from the area covered by the
  Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
  (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area).
  Unregulated fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish, is a
  serious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits
  for marine species. A total of 23,175 tourists visited in the
  2004-05 Antarctic summer, up from the 19,486 visitors the previous
  year. Nearly all of them were passengers on commercial
  (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that make trips during
  the summer. Most tourist trips last approximately two weeks.

Antigua and Barbuda
  Tourism continues to dominate the economy,
  accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers
  since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the
  government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's
  agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and
  constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming
  from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction.
  Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major
  products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components.
  Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to
  depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in
  the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist
  arrivals.

Arctic Ocean
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of
natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

Argentina
  Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly
  literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a
  diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the
  country has suffered problems of inflation, external debt, capital
  flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8%, as
  both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the
  government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed
  exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in
  2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive
  withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and
  investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a "zero deficit,"
  to stabilize the banking system, and to restore economic growth
  proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The
  peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso
  was floated in February. The exchange rate plunged and real GDP fell
  by 10.9% in 2002, but by mid-year the economy had stabilized, albeit
  at a lower level. GDP expanded by about 9% per year from 2003 to
  2005. Growth is being led by a revival in domestic demand, solid
  exports, and favorable external conditions. The government boosted
  spending ahead of the October 2005 midterm congressional elections,
  but strong revenue performance allowed Argentina to maintain a
  budget surplus. Inflation has been rising steadily and reached 12.3
  percent in 2005.

Armenia
  Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had
  developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools,
  textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics in
  exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the
  USSR in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale
  agriculture away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the
  Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more
  investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has
  been at a slower pace, but has been given renewed emphasis by the
  current administration. Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral
  deposits (copper, gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict
  with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of
  Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup of the centrally directed economic
  system of the former Soviet Union contributed to a severe economic
  decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian
  Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic
  liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in
  1995-2005. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. Armenia also has
  managed to slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize
  most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Armenia's unemployment
  rate, however, remains high, despite strong economic growth. The
  chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s
  have been offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power
  plants at Metsamor. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although
  it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor,
  which is under international pressure to close. The electricity
  distribution system was privatized in 2002. Armenia's severe trade
  imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances
  from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment.
  Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy
  sector. The government made some improvements in tax and customs
  administration in 2005, but anti-corruption measures will be more
  difficult to implement. Investment in the construction and
  industrial sectors is expected to continue in 2006 and will help to
  ensure annual average real GDP growth of about 13.9%.

Aruba
  Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy,
  with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important.
  The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has
  resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5
  million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the
  US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times
  the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil
  refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange
  earnings, has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals have
  rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001
  attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel
  occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest
  of the Caribbean. The newly re-elected government has made cutting
  the budget and trade deficits a high priority.

Atlantic Ocean
  The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most
  heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and
  Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the
  exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of
  aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and
  natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).

Australia
  Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy
  with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European
  economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business
  and consumer confidence, and rising exports of raw materials and
  agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis
  on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key
  factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak
  foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up
  from $8 billion in 2002, to $18 billion in 2003, $13 billion in
  2004, and nearly $17 billion in 2005. Housing prices probably peaked
  in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be
  raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies
  have kept Australia's budget in surplus from 2002 to 2005.

Austria
  Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high
  standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies,
  especially Germany's. The Austrian economy also benefits greatly
  from strong commercial relations, especially in the banking and
  insurance sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe.
  The economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial
  sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector.
  Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors
  attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and
  proximity to the new EU economies. The current government has
  successfully pursued a comprehensive economic reform program, aimed
  at streamlining government, creating a more competitive business
  environment, further strengthening Austria's attractiveness as an
  investment location, pursuing a balanced budget, and implementing
  effective pension reforms. Weak domestic consumption and slow growth
  in Europe have held the economy to growth rates of 0.4% in 2002,
  1.4% in 2003, 2.4% in 2004, and 1.8% in 2005. To meet increased
  competition from both EU and Central European countries,
  particularly the new EU members, Austria will need to continue
  restructuring, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors of the economy,
  and encouraging greater labor flexibility and greater labor
  participation by its aging population.

Azerbaijan
  Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. Azerbaijan's oil
  production declined through 1997, but has registered an increase
  every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements
  (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion
  to long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed
  to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the
  first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating
  Company, began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil
  companies is scheduled to begin pumping 1 million barrels a day from
  a large offshore field in early 2006, through a $4 billion pipeline
  it built from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
  Economists estimate that by 2010 revenues from this project will
  double the country's current GDP. Azerbaijan shares all the
  formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the
  transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable
  energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only
  recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic
  ties and structures are slowly being replaced. Several other
  obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for
  stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the
  continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
  and the pervasive corruption. Trade with Russia and the other former
  Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building
  with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will
  depend on world oil prices, the location of new pipelines in the
  region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its oil wealth.

Bahamas, The
  The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an
  economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism
  together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts
  for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half
  of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts
  and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences
  had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the
  US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in
  these sectors in 2001-03. The current government has presided over a
  period of economic recovery and an upturn in large-scale private
  sector investments in tourism. Financial services constitute the
  second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for
  about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government
  enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international
  businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture
  together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little
  growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors.
  Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the
  fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US,
  the source of more than 80% of the visitors.

Bahrain
  Petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of
  Bahrain's export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of
  GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport
  facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with
  business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum
  products made from refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on
  several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among
  the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources
  are major long-term economic problems. In 2005 Bahrain and the US
  ratified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US
  and a Gulf state.

Bangladesh
  Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to
  improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a
  poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although
  half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly
  two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector,
  with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to
  growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned
  enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor
  force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting
  energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and
  slow implementation of economic reforms. Reform is stalled in many
  instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of
  government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the
  bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups.
  The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the
  parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the
  party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. One
  encouraging note: growth has been a steady 5% for the past several
  years.

Barbados
  Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on
  sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in
  recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism.
  Offshore finance and information services are important foreign
  exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce
  unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to
  privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted
  in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive
  in 2005, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately
  improved.

Belarus
  Belarus's economy in 2005 posted 8% growth. The government
  has succeeded in lowering inflation over the past several years.
  Trade with Russia - by far its largest single trade partner -
  decreased in 2005, largely as a result of a change in the way the
  Value Added Tax (VAT) on trade was collected. Trade with European
  countries increased. Belarus has seen little structural reform since
  1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of
  "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO
  reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange
  rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management
  of private enterprises. During 2005, the government re-nationalized
  a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been
  subject to pressure by central and local governments, e.g.,
  arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections,
  retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of
  "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of
  redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the
  ladder; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest in the world.
  Because of these restrictive economic policies, Belarus has had
  trouble attracting foreign investment, which remains low. Growth has
  been strong in recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough,
  centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing, rate of
  inflation. Belarus continues to receive heavily discounted oil and
  natural gas from Russia. Much of Belarus' growth can be attributed
  to the re-export of Russian oil at market prices.

Belgium
  This modern, private-enterprise economy has capitalized on
  its central geographic location, highly developed transport network,
  and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is
  concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north. With
  few natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of
  raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its
  economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly
  three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt
  is nearly 100% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has
  succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is
  relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in
  January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of
  the global economic slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004-05.

Belize
  In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy the
  tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed
  by marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The
  government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in
  September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 5% in
  1999-2005. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit
  and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction
  of poverty with the help of international donors.

Benin
  The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on
  subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade.
  Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years,
  but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase.
  Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to
  raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign
  investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the
  development of new food processing systems and agricultural
  products, and encourage new information and communication
  technology. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's
  application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for
  which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy
  continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture
  in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral
  creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin
  benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while
  pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be
  hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing
  list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in
  increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.

Bermuda
  Bermuda enjoys the highest per capita income in the world,
  more than 50% higher than that of the US. Its economy is primarily
  based on providing financial services for international business and
  luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies
  relocated to the island following 11 September 2001 and again after
  Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the expansion of an already
  robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry -
  which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to
  struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital
  equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is
  small, although construction continues to be important; the average
  cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is
  limited with only 20% of the land being arable.

Bhutan
  The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed,
  is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main
  livelihood for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists
  largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged
  mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and
  other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely
  aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and
  dependence on India's financial assistance. The industrial sector is
  technologically backward, with most production of the cottage
  industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction,
  rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its
  attraction for tourists are key resources. Model education, social,
  and environment programs are underway with support from multilateral
  development organizations. Each economic program takes into account
  the government's desire to protect the country's environment and
  cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious
  expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale,
  environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and
  uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor,
  and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.

Bolivia
  Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin
  American countries, reformed its economy after suffering a
  disastrous economic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred
  real GDP growth, which averaged 4% in the 1990s, and poverty rates
  fell. Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999
  because of a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political
  turmoil, civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which
  hurt investor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against the
  pro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE
  LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans to
  export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large
  northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a
  controversial natural gas law that imposes on the oil and gas firms
  significantly higher taxes as well as new contracts that give the
  state control of their operations. Bolivian officials are in the
  process of implementing the law; meanwhile, foreign investors have
  stopped investing and have taken the first legal steps to secure
  their investments. Real GDP growth in 2003-05 - helped by increased
  demand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was positive, but
  still below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia's fiscal
  position has improved in recent years, but the country remains
  dependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreign
  governments to meet budget shortfalls. In 2005, the G8 announced a
  $2 billion debt-forgiveness plan over the next few decades that
  should help reduce some fiscal pressures on the government in the
  near term.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to
  Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation.
  Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small
  and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of
  food. Industry remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the
  socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the
  development of military industries in the republic with the result
  that Bosnia was saddled with a host of industrial firms with little
  commercial potential. The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused
  production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to
  soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at
  high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in
  2000-02. Part of the lag in output was made up in 2003-05.
  National-level statistics are limited and do not capture the large
  share of black market activity. The konvertibilna marka (convertible
  mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged
  to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector
  has increased. Implementation of privatization, however, has been
  slow, and local entities only reluctantly support national-level
  institutions. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the
  Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down; foreign banks,
  primarily from Western Europe, now control most of the banking
  sector. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment
  rate remain the two most serious economic problems. The country
  receives substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance and
  humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to
  prepare for an era of declining assistance.

Botswana
  Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic
  growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline
  and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of
  the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a
  per capita GDP of $10,000 in 2005. Two major investment services
  rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has
  fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than
  one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism,
  financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are
  other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with
  high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially is
  23.8%, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS
  infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten
  Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in
  diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects.

Brazil
  Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural,
  mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy
  outweighs that of all other South American countries and is
  expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages
  fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as
  the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic
  shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse
  is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the
  economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and
  strengthened by President LULA DA SILVA. In 2004, Brazil enjoyed
  more robust growth that yielded increases in employment and real
  wages. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating
  exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal
  policy, all reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency
  depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a
  dramatic current account adjustment; in 2003 to 2005, Brazil ran
  record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account
  surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in
  agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports, and Brazil
  in 2005 surpassed the previous year's record export level. While
  economic management has been good, there remain important economic
  vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the
  government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to
  2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a
  percentage of GDP in 2005, while Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of
  private and public debt) is large in relation to Brazil's small (but
  growing) export base. Another challenge is maintaining economic
  growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the
  government debt burden more manageable.

British Indian Ocean Territory
  All economic activity is concentrated
  on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense
  facilities are located. Construction projects and various services
  needed to support the military installations are done by military
  and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and
  the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the
  islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane
  production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing
  licenses and postage stamps.

British Virgin Islands
  The economy, one of the most stable and
  prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism,
  generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated
  350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998.
  Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In
  the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration
  to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and
  incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly
  400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The
  adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which
  provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory
  gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British
  Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business.
  Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor
  soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements.
  Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the
  British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since
  1959.

Brunei
  This small, well-to-do economy encompasses a mixture of
  foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation,
  welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas
  production account for nearly half of GDP and more than 90% of
  government revenues. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third
  World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment
  supplements income from domestic production. The government provides
  for all medical services and free education through the university
  level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are
  concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy
  will undermine internal social cohesion, although it became a more
  prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian
  Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include
  upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the
  banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the
  economic base beyond oil and gas.

Bulgaria
  Bulgaria, a former communist country soon to enter the
  European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong
  growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of
  the then socialist government. As a result, the government became
  committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning.
  Minerals, including coal, copper, and zinc, play an important role
  in industry. In 1997, macroeconomic stability was reinforced by the
  imposition of a fixed exchange rate of the lev against the German
  D-mark - the currency is now fixed against the euro - and the
  negotiation of an IMF standby agreement. Low inflation and steady
  progress on structural reforms improved the business environment;
  Bulgaria has averaged 4% growth since 2000 and has begun to attract
  significant amounts of foreign direct investment. Corruption in the
  public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of
  organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria.

Burkina Faso
  One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked
  Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base.
  About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture,
  which is vulnerable to harsh climatic conditions. Cotton is the key
  crop and the government has joined with other cotton producing
  countries in the region to lobby for improved access to Western
  markets. GDP growth has largely been driven by increases in world
  cotton prices. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable
  government-controlled corporations. Following the CFA franc currency
  devaluation in January 1994, the government updated its development
  program in conjunction with international agencies; exports and
  economic growth have increased. The government devolved
  macroeconomic policy and inflation targeting to the West African
  regional central bank (BCEAO), but maintains control over fiscal and
  microeconomic policies, including implementing reforms to encourage
  private investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote
  d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and
  deepens the need for international assistance.

Burma
  Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive
  government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural
  poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the
  economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to
  Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the
  liberalization measures were rescinded. Burma does not have monetary
  or fiscal stability, so the economy suffers from serious
  macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation, multiple official
  exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, and a distorted
  interest rate regime. Most overseas development assistance ceased
  after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and
  subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative
  elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May
  2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic
  sanctions against Burma - including a ban on imports of Burmese
  products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons.
  A poor investment climate further slowed the inflow of foreign
  exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in
  extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber.
  Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with
  inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies,
  deteriorating health and education systems, and corruption. A major
  banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and
  disrupted the economy. As of December 2005, the largest private
  banks operate under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's
  access to formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate.
  Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated
  because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade
  - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Burma's
  trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the Burmese
  government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better
  investment and business climates and an improved political situation
  are needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism.

Burundi
  Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an
  underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
  agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on
  subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea
  exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The
  ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather
  conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi
  minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the
  coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the
  population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade
  resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000
  refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally.
  Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 10
  adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short
  supply. Political stability and the end of the civil war have
  improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but
  underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a
  weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk
  undermining planned economic reforms.

Cambodia
  In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, the
  government made progress on economic reforms. The US and Cambodia
  signed a Bilateral Textile Agreement, which gave Cambodia a
  guaranteed quota of US textile imports and established a bonus for
  improving working conditions and enforcing Cambodian labor laws and
  international labor standards in the industry. From 2001 to 2004,
  the economy grew at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an
  expansion in the garment sector and tourism. With the January 2005
  expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing,
  Cambodia-based textile producers were forced to compete directly
  with lower-priced producing countries such as China and India.
  Although initial 2005 GDP growth estimates were less than 3%,
  better-than-expected garment sector performance led the IMF to
  forecast 6% growth in 2005. Faced with the possibility that its
  vibrant garment industry, with more than 200,000 jobs, could be in
  serious danger, the Cambodian government has committed itself to a
  policy of continued support for high labor standards in an attempt
  to maintain favor with buyers. The tourism industry continues to
  grow rapidly, with foreign visitors surpassing 1 million for the
  year by September 2005. In 2005, exploitable oil and natural gas
  deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters,
  representing a new revenue stream for the government once commercial
  extraction begins in the coming years. The long-term development of
  the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government
  continues to work with bilateral and multilateral donors, including
  the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing
  needs. In December 2004, official donors pledged $504 million in aid
  for 2005 on the condition that the Cambodian government implement
  steps to reduce corruption. The major economic challenge for
  Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic
  environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to
  handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the
  population is 20 years or younger. The population lacks education
  and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden
  countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic
  infrastructure. Fully 75% of the population remains engaged in
  subsistence farming.

Cameroon
  Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural
  conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity
  economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious
  problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy
  civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business
  enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF
  and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment,
  increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize
  the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an
  IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however,
  the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget
  transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.
  International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the
  economy.

Canada
  As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion
  dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented
  economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living
  standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the
  manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the
  nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial
  and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the
  1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes
  Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic
  integration with the US. Given its great natural resources, skilled
  labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoys solid economic
  prospects. Top-notch fiscal management has produced consecutive
  balanced budgets since 1997, although public debate continues over
  how to manage the rising cost of the publicly funded healthcare
  system. Exports account for roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a
  substantial trade surplus with its principal trading partner, the
  US, which absorbs more than 85% of Canadian exports. Canada is the
  US' largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium,
  and electric power.

Cape Verde
  This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource
  base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of
  long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce,
  transport, tourism, and public services accounting for 66% of GDP.
  Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the
  share of agriculture in GDP in 2004 was only 12%, of which fishing
  accounted for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing
  potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape
  Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid
  and remittances from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more
  than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private
  sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy.
  Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the
  encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the
  government's development program.

Cayman Islands
  With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving
  offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were
  registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600
  banks and trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A
  stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay,
  accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency
  earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and
  caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals
  exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with 600,000 from the US. About 90% of
  the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The
  Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of
  the highest standards of living in the world.

Central African Republic
  Subsistence agriculture, together with
  forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African
  Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in
  outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP.
  Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the
  diamond industry, for 40%. Important constraints to economic
  development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor
  transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy
  of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between
  the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic
  revitalization, with GDP growth at only 0.5% in 2004 and 2.5% in
  2005. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from
  France and the international community can only partially meet
  humanitarian needs.

Chad
  Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be
  boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil
  sector that began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on
  subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's
  economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high
  energy costs, and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign
  assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector
  investment projects. A consortium led by two US companies has been
  investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1
  billion barrels - in southern Chad. The nation's total oil reserves
  has been estimated to be 2 billion barrels. Oil production came on
  stream in late 2003. Chad began to export oil in 2004. Cotton,
  cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export
  earnings.

Chile
  Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high
  level of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation
  as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the
  democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the
  military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the
  military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97,
  but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary
  policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check
  and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the
  global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession
  in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls
  and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic
  growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects
  of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong
  financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the
  strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of
  1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth
  rebounded to 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1%
  in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation
  of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began a slow recovery in
  2003, growing 3.2%, and accelerated to 6.1% in 2004-05, while Chile
  maintained a low rate of inflation. GDP growth benefited from high
  copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry,
  fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment.
  Unemployment, however, remains stubbornly high. Chile deepened its
  longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of
  a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January
  2004. Chile signed a free trade agreement with China in November
  2005, and it already has several trade deals signed with other
  nations and blocs, including the European Union, Mercosur, South
  Korea, and Mexico. Record-high copper prices helped to strengthen
  the peso to a 5½-year high, as of December 2005, and will boost GDP
  in 2006.

China China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion. The process continues with key moves in 2005 including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2005 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 150 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has struggled to: (a) sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. Reports of shortages of electric power in the summer of 2005 in southern China receded by September-October and did not have a substantial impact on China's economy. More power generating capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2006 as large scale investments are completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River will be essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area. The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2005 approved the draft 11th Five-Year Plan and the National People's Congress is expected to give final approval in March 2006. The plan calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals.

Christmas Island
  Phosphate mining had been the only significant
  economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government
  closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of
  the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino
  closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support
  the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island,
  projected to begin operations in the near future.

Clipperton Island
  Although 115 species of fish have been identified
  in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic
  activity is tuna fishing.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are
  the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to
  the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must
  be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry.

Colombia
  Colombia's economy has been on a recovery trend during the
  past two years despite a serious armed conflict. The economy
  continues to improve thanks to austere government budgets, focused
  efforts to reduce public debt levels, an export-oriented growth
  strategy, and an improved security situation in the country. Ongoing
  economic problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the
  pension system to reducing high unemployment. New exploration is
  needed to offset declining oil production. On the positive side,
  several international financial institutions have praised the
  economic reforms introduced by URIBE, which succeeded in reducing
  the public-sector deficit below 1.5% of GDP. The government's
  economic policy and democratic security strategy have engendered a
  growing sense of confidence in the economy, particularly within the
  business sector. Coffee prices have recovered from previous lows as
  the Colombian coffee industry pursues greater market shares in
  developed countries such as the United States.

Comoros
  One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of
  three islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and
  rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low
  educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence
  level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy
  dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture,
  including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP,
  employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports.
  The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the
  main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government -
  which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to
  upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and
  industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports,
  promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate.
  Increased foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP
  growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help
  supplement GDP.

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  The economy of the Democratic
  Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth
  - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began
  in August 1998, dramatically reduced national output and government
  revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the deaths of
  perhaps 3.5 million people from violence, famine, and disease.
  Foreign businesses curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the
  outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult
  operating environment. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the
  withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. The
  transitional government has reopened relations with international
  financial institutions and international donors, and President
  KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies
  outside the GDP data. Economic stability improved in 2003-05,
  although an uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of
  openness in government policy continues to hamper growth. In 2005,
  renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most exports,
  boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth. Business and
  economic prospects are expected to improve once a new government is
  installed after elections.

Congo, Republic of the
  The economy is a mixture of village
  agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on
  oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget
  problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the
  mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government
  revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil
  revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development
  projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest
  rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion
  of its oil earnings through oil-backed loans that have contributed
  to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic
  reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of
  international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF.
  However, the reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil
  war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the
  war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving
  forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing
  cooperation with international financial institutions. Economic
  progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of
  armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's
  budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy
  internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of
  stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices
  has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. The Republic
  of Congo may be eligible for an IMF-World Bank heavily indebted poor
  countries (HIPC) initiative in early 2006, provided it meets the
  strict fiscal and monetary targets set out for it under a new
  three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) with the IMF.

Cook Islands
  Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook
  Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the
  country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets,
  lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural
  disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing
  about 70% of the working population, provides the economic base with
  major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are
  the Cook Island's leading export. Manufacturing activities are
  limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade
  deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign
  aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the
  country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service
  and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including
  the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management,
  the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement,
  have rekindled investment and growth.

Costa Rica
  Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism,
  agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially
  reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has
  been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the
  country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism
  continues to bring in foreign exchange. Low prices for coffee and
  bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues
  to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable
  internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult
  problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market
  rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform
  its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is
  the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement
  (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result
  in economic reforms and an improved investment climate.

Cote d'Ivoire
  Cote d'Ivoire is among the world's largest producers
  and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil. Consequently,
  the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international
  prices for these products and weather conditions. Despite government
  attempts to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on
  agriculture and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the
  population. Growth was negative in 2000-03 because of the difficulty
  of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low
  prices of key exports, and severe civil war. In November 2004, the
  situation deteriorated when President GBAGBO's troops attacked and
  killed nine French peacekeeping forces, and the UN imposed an arms
  embargo. Political turmoil damaged the economy in 2005, with fear
  among Ivorians spreading, foreign investment shriveling, French
  businesses and expats fleeing, travel within the country falling,
  and criminal elements that traffic in weapons and diamonds gaining
  ground. The government will continue to survive financially off of
  the sale of cocoa, which represents 90% of foreign exchange
  earnings. Though the 2005 harvest was largely unaffected by past
  fighting, the government will likely lose between 10% and 20% of its
  cocoa harvest to northern rebels, who smuggle the cocoa they control
  to neighboring countries where cocoa prices are higher. The
  government remains hopeful that ongoing exploration of Cote
  d'Ivoire's offshore oil reserves will result in significant
  production that could boost daily crude output from roughly 33,000
  barrels per day (b/d) to over 200,000 b/d by the end of the decade.

Croatia
  Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of
  Croatia, after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized
  area with a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav
  average. The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000 with
  tourism, banking, and public investments leading the way.
  Unemployment remains high, at about 18%, with structural factors
  slowing its decline. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely
  been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on
  the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians.
  Growth, while impressive at about 3% to 4% for the last several
  years, has been stimulated, in part, through high fiscal deficits
  and rapid credit growth. The EU accession process should accelerate
  fiscal and structural reform.

Cuba
  The government continues to balance the need for economic
  loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled
  back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise
  efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods,
  and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a
  lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused
  by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The
  government in 2005 strengthened its controls over dollars coming
  into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. External
  financing has helped growth in the mining, oil, construction, and
  tourism sectors.

Cyprus
  The Republic of Cyprus has a market economy dominated by the
  service sector, which accounts for 76% of GDP. Tourism and financial
  services are the most important sectors; erratic growth rates over
  the past decade reflect the economy's reliance on tourism, which
  often fluctuates with political instability in the region and
  economic conditions in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the economy
  grew a healthy 3.7% per year in 2004 and 2005, well above the EU
  average. Cyprus joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM2)
  in May 2005. The government has initiated an aggressive austerity
  program, which has cut the budget deficit to below 3% but continued
  fiscal discipline is necessary if Cyprus is to meet its goal of
  adopting the euro on 1 January 2008. As in the area administered by
  Turkish Cypriots, water shortages are a perennial problem; a few
  desalination plants are now on line. After 10 years of drought, the
  country received substantial rainfall from 2001-03 alleviating
  immediate concerns. The Turkish Cypriot economy has roughly
  one-third of the per capita GDP of the south, and economic growth
  tends to be volatile, given north Cyprus's relative isolation,
  bloated public sector, reliance on the Turkish lira, and small
  market size. The Turkish Cypriot economy grew 15.4% in 2004, fueled
  by growth in the construction and education sectors, as well as
  increased employment of Turkish Cypriots in the Republic of Cyprus.
  The Turkish Cypriots are heavily dependent on transfers from the
  Turkish Government. Under the 2003-06 economic protocol, Ankara
  plans to provide around $550 million to the "TRNC." Agriculture and
  services, together, employ more than half of the work force.

Czech Republic
  The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and
  prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern
  Europe. Growth in 2000-05 was supported by exports to the EU,
  primarily to Germany, and a strong recovery of foreign and domestic
  investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role
  in underpinning growth as interest rates drop and the availability
  of credit cards and mortgages increases. The current account deficit
  has declined to around 3% of GDP as demand for Czech products in the
  European Union has increased. Inflation is under control. Recent
  accession to the EU gives further impetus and direction to
  structural reform. In early 2004 the government passed increases in
  the Value Added Tax (VAT) and tightened eligibility for social
  benefits with the intention to bring the public finance gap down to
  4% of GDP by 2006, but more difficult pension and healthcare reforms
  will have to wait until after the next elections. Privatization of
  the state-owned telecommunications firm Cesky Telecom took place in
  2005. Intensified restructuring among large enterprises,
  improvements in the financial sector, and effective use of available
  EU funds should strengthen output growth.

Denmark
  This thoroughly modern market economy features high-tech
  agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry,
  extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards,
  a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is
  a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance
  of payments surplus. Government objectives include streamlining the
  bureaucracy and further privatization of state assets. The
  government has been successful in meeting, and even exceeding, the
  economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase
  (a common European currency) of the European Economic and Monetary
  Union (EMU), but Denmark has decided not to join 12 other EU members
  in the euro. Nonetheless, the Danish krone remains pegged to the
  euro. Economic growth gained momentum in 2004 and the upturn
  accelerated through 2005. Because of high GDP per capita, welfare
  benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish
  people enjoy living standards topped by no other nation. A major
  long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to
  retirees.

Dhekelia
  Economic activity is limited to providing services to the
  military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and
  manufactured goods must be imported.

Djibouti
  The economy is based on service activities connected with
  the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in
  northeast Africa. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in the capital
  city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall
  limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must
  be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for
  the region and an international transshipment and refueling center.
  Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation
  is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help
  support its balance of payments and to finance development projects.
  An unemployment rate of at least 50% continues to be a major
  problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of
  the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value
  of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of
  payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the
  last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a high
  population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced
  with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen
  in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to
  meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.

Dominica
  The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily
  bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and
  international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped
  precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP.
  Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote
  Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism
  industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged
  coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international
  airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the
  economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls,
  privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to
  address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order
  to diversify the island's production base, the government is
  attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning
  to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.

Dominican Republic
  The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean
  representative democracy that enjoyed strong GDP growth until 2003.
  Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter
  of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the service sector
  has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer due to
  growth in tourism and free trade zones. Growth turned negative in
  2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud, and limited growth in
  the US economy (the source of about 80% of export revenues), but
  recovered in 2004 and 2005. With the help of strict fiscal targets
  agreed in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan, President
  FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial situation. Although
  the economy continues to grow at a respectable rate, unemployment
  remains an important challenge. The country suffers from marked
  income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less
  than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of
  national income. The Dominican Republic's development prospects
  improved with the ratification of the Central America-Dominican
  Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in September 2005.

East Timor
  In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of
  East Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence
  militias, and 300,000 people fled westward. Over the next three
  years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000
  peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to
  substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By the end
  of 2005, all refugees either returned or resettled in Indonesia.
  Non-petroleum GDP growth was held back in 2003 by extensive drought
  and the gradual winding down of the international presence but
  recovered somewhat in 2004. The country faces great challenges in
  continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure, strengthening the
  infant civil administration, and generating jobs for young people
  entering the work force. The development of oil and gas resources in
  nearby waters has begun to supplement government revenues ahead of
  schedule and above expectations - the result of high petroleum
  prices - but the technology-intensive industry does little to create
  jobs for the unemployed, because there are no production facilities
  in Timor and the gas is piped to Australia. The parliament in June
  2005 unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve
  as a repository for all petroleum revenues and preserve the value of
  East Timor's petroleum wealth for future generations.

Ecuador
  Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources, which have
  accounted for 40% of the country's export earnings and one-third of
  central government budget revenues in recent years. Consequently,
  fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic
  impact. In the late 1990s, Ecuador suffered its worst economic
  crisis, with natural disasters and sharp declines in world petroleum
  prices driving Ecuador's economy into free fall in 1999. Real GDP
  contracted by more than 6%, with poverty worsening significantly.
  The banking system also collapsed, and Ecuador defaulted on its
  external debt later that year. The currency depreciated by some 70%
  in 1999, and, on the brink of hyperinflation, the MAHAUD government
  announced it would dollarize the economy. A coup, however, ousted
  MAHAUD from office in January 2000, and after a short-lived junta
  failed to garner military support, Vice President Gustavo NOBOA took
  over the presidency. In March 2000, Congress approved a series of
  structural reforms that also provided the framework for the adoption
  of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the
  economy, and growth returned to its pre-crisis levels in the years
  that followed. Under the administration of Lucio GUTIERREZ - January
  2003 to April 2005 - Ecuador benefited from higher world petroleum
  prices. However, the government under Alfredo PALACIO has reversed
  economic reforms that reduced Ecuador's vulnerability to petroleum
  price swings and financial crises, allowing the central government
  greater access to oil windfalls and disbursing surplus retirement
  funds.

Egypt
  Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt
  is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic
  activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has
  reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President
  NASSER. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF reduced personal and
  corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized
  several enterprises. The stock market boomed, and GDP grew nearly
  5%. Despite these achievements, the government has failed to raise
  living standards for the average Egyptian, and has had to continue
  providing subsidies for basic necessities. The subsidies have
  contributed to a growing budget deficit - more than 8% of GDP in
  2005 - and represent a significant drain on the economy. Foreign
  direct investment remains low. To achieve higher GDP growth the
  NAZIF government will need to continue its aggressive pursuit of
  reform, especially in the energy sector. Egypt's export sectors -
  particularly natural gas - have bright prospects.

El Salvador
  The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has
  the third largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent
  years. Hoping to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is
  striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment,
  and modernize the tax and healthcare systems. Implementation in 2006
  of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement,
  which El Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed as a key policy
  to help achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has been offset
  by annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16.6% of GDP
  in 2005 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as
  its currency in 2001, El Salvador has lost control over monetary
  policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal
  policy.

Equatorial Guinea
  The discovery and exploitation of large oil
  reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent
  years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of
  GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence
  Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency
  earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes
  has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government
  has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into
  agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank
  and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and
  mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because
  of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a
  "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF.
  Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and
  their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include
  titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth
  remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the
  second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg.

Eritrea
  Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced
  the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the
  economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on
  subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in
  farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely
  hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to
  -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern
  Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss,
  including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The
  attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive
  region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war,
  Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new
  roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and
  bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm
  grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and
  party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda.
  Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists
  from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding
  down growth in 2002-05. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its
  ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment,
  and low skills, as well as the willingness to open its economy to
  private enterprise so that the diaspora's money and expertise can
  foster economic growth.

Estonia
  Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization and
  the European Union, has transitioned effectively to a modern market
  economy with strong ties to the West, including the pegging of its
  currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics
  and telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced by
  developments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major trading
  partners. The current account deficit remains high; however, the
  state budget is essentially in balance, and public debt is low.

Ethiopia
  Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on
  agriculture, accounting for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of
  total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent
  drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the
  Ethiopian economy with exports of some $156 million in 2002, but
  historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to
  supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent
  drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production.
  In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly
  Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the
  International Monetary Fund voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the
  body. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all
  land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system
  continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs
  are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again
  late in 2002, leading to a 2% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather
  patterns late in 2003 helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in
  2004-05.

European Union
  Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower
  trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence
  of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster
  Europe's trade position and its political and economic power.
  Because of the great differences in per capita income (from $15,000
  to $56,000) and historic national animosities, the European
  Community faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common
  policies. For example, since 2003 Germany and France have flouted
  the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national
  budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU
  admitted 10 central and eastern European countries that are, in
  general, less advanced technologically and economically than the
  other 15. Twelve EU member states introduced the euro as their
  common currency on 1 January 1999, but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark
  do not participate. The 10 new member states may choose to adopt the
  euro when they meet the EU's fiscal and monetary criteria and the
  other euro states so agree.

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date, no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost.

Faroe Islands
  The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since
  1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and
  stable export prices. Unemployment is minimal and there are signs of
  labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic
  development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce
  increasing budget surpluses, which in turn have helped reduce the
  large public debt, most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total
  dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely
  vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what
  is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close
  to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese
  area, which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified
  economy and thus lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance.
  Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (about 15% of GDP) from
  Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the
  Danes and other Scandinavians.

Fiji
  Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one
  of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still
  with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports, remittances from
  Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with
  300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of
  foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union
  markets, but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar
  subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial
  activity but is not efficient. Long-term problems include low
  investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's
  ability to manage its budget. Yet, because of a tourist boom,
  short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not
  again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas
  remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased
  significantly.

Finland
  Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market
  economy with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France,
  Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing -
  principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and
  electronics industries. Trade is important; exports equal two-fifths
  of GDP. Finland excels in high-tech exports, e.g., mobile phones.
  Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports
  of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured
  goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited
  to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an
  important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the
  rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe
  - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic
  and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over
  the next several years. High unemployment remains a persistent
  problem.

France
  France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern
  economy that has featured extensive government ownership and
  intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The
  government has partially or fully privatized many large companies,
  banks, and insurers. It retains controlling stakes in several
  leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and
  Thales, and is dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public
  transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is
  gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain
  committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by
  means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income
  disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and
  welfare. The government has lowered income taxes and introduced
  measures to boost employment and reform the pension system. In
  addition, it is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labor
  and labor market inflexibility resulting from the 35-hour workweek
  and restrictions on lay-offs. The tax burden remains one of the
  highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering
  economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the budget
  deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit; unemployment stands at
  10%.

French Guiana
  The economy is tied closely to the much larger French
  economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space
  center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and
  forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and
  woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical
  hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill
  industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is
  limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely
  concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is
  heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a
  serious problem, particularly among younger workers.

French Polynesia
  Since 1962, when France stationed military
  personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a
  subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion
  of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the
  tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996,
  the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism
  accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard
  currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and
  deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector
  primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits
  substantially from development agreements with France aimed
  principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social
  services.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  Economic activity is limited to
  servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and
  French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles
  Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion.

Gabon
  Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of
  sub-Saharan African nations. This has supported a sharp decline in
  extreme poverty; yet, because of high income inequality, a large
  proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber
  and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s.
  The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face
  fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports.
  Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management
  hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in January
  1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped
  to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in
  1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near
  commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119
  million in October 2000. Those agreements mandated progress in
  privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional
  financial support in January 1997 after Gabon met IMF targets for
  mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government
  for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central
  bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and
  administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped
  growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing
  potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with
  the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up
  bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December
  2001. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in
  May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year.
  Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal
  and other adjustments in line with IMF policies.

Gambia, The
  The Gambia has no significant mineral or natural
  resource deposits and has a limited agricultural base. About 75% of
  the population depends on crops and livestock for its livelihood.
  Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of
  peanuts, fish, and hides. Reexport trade normally constitutes a
  major segment of economic activity, but a 1999 government-imposed
  preshipment inspection plan, and instability of the Gambian dalasi
  (currency) have drawn some of the reexport trade away from The
  Gambia. The government's 1998 seizure of the private peanut firm
  Alimenta eliminated the largest purchaser of Gambian groundnuts.
  Despite an announced program to begin privatizing key parastatals,
  no plans have been made public that would indicate that the
  government intends to follow through on its promises. Unemployment
  and underemployment rates remain extremely high; short-run economic
  progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on
  responsible government economic management, on continued technical
  assistance from the IMF and bilateral donors, and on expected growth
  in the construction sector.

Gaza Strip
  High population density, limited land access, and strict
  internal and external controls have kept economic conditions in the
  Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas under the Palestinian
  Authority (PA)- even more degraded than in the West Bank. The
  beginning of the second intifadah in September 2000 sparked an
  economic downturn, largely the result of Israeli closure policies;
  these policies, which were imposed in response to security interests
  in Israel, disrupted labor and commodity relationships with the Gaza
  Strip. In 2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli military
  measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of much capital
  plant, the disruption of administrative structure, and widespread
  business closures. Including the West Bank, the UN estimates that
  more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work
  in Israel or in joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. Half
  the labor force is unemployed. Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza
  Strip in September 2005 offers some medium-term opportunities for
  economic growth, especially given the removal of restrictions on
  internal movement. In addition, recent agreements and continuing
  negotiations on the administration of Gaza's border crossings
  increase the prospects for trade.

Georgia
  Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation
  of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and
  hazelnuts; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small
  industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages,
  metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of
  its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. It has
  sizeable but underdeveloped hydropower capacity. Despite the severe
  damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with
  the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic
  gains since 2000, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing
  inflation. Georgia had suffered from a chronic failure to collect
  tax revenues; however, the new government is making progress and has
  reformed the tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax
  enforcement, and cracked down on corruption. In addition, the
  reinvigorated privatization process has met with success,
  supplementing government expenditures on infrastructure, defense,
  and poverty reduction. Despite customs and financial (tax)
  enforcement improvements, smuggling is a drain on the economy.
  Georgia also suffers from energy shortages due to aging and badly
  maintained infrastructure, as well as poor management. Due to
  concerted reform efforts, collection rates have improved
  considerably to roughly 60%, both in T'bilisi and throughout the
  regions. Continued reform in the management of state-owned power
  entities is essential to successful privatization and onward
  sustainability in this sector. The country is pinning its hopes for
  long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and
  trade. The construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
  the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline have brought much-needed
  investment and job opportunities. Nevertheless, high energy prices
  in 2006 will compound the pressure on the country's inefficient
  energy sector. Restructuring the sector and finding energy supply
  alternatives to Russia remain major challenges.

Germany
  Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy -
  the fifth largest in the world - has become one of the slowest
  growing economies in the euro zone. A quick turnaround is not in the
  offing in the foreseeable future. Growth in 2001-03 fell short of
  1%, rising to 1.7% in 2004 before falling back to 0.9% in 2005. The
  modernization and integration of the eastern German economy
  continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers
  from west to east amounting to roughly $70 billion. Germany's aging
  population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social
  security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers.
  Structural rigidities in the labor market - including strict
  regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages on a
  national basis - have made unemployment a chronic problem. Corporate
  restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the
  foundations that could allow Germany to meet the long-term
  challenges of European economic integration and globalization,
  particularly if labor market rigidities are further addressed. In
  the short run, however, the fall in government revenues and the rise
  in expenditures have raised the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit.

Ghana
  Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice
  the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even
  so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and
  technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major
  sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to
  revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34% of
  GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders.
  Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country
  (HIPC) program in 2002, but was included in a G-8 debt relief
  program decided upon at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005.
  Priorities under its current $38 million Poverty Reduction and
  Growth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and fiscal policies,
  accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services.
  Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2005
  along with record high prices for Ghana's largest cocoa crop to
  date. Inflation should ease but remains a major internal problem.
  Ghana also remains a candidate country to benefit from Millennium
  Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding that could assist in
  transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector. A final decision on
  its MCC bid is expected in spring 2006.

Gibraltar
  Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive
  shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an
  international conference center. The British military presence has
  been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local
  economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism
  (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and
  duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial
  sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of
  GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years,
  Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a
  private sector economy, but changes in government spending still
  have a major impact on the level of employment.

Greece
  Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector
  accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP at least 75%
  of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 15% of GDP.
  Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in
  menial jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about
  3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy grew by about 4.0% for the
  between 2003 and 2005, largely because of an investment boom and
  infrastructure upgrades for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Economic
  growth slowed to about 3% in 2005. Greece has not met the EU's
  Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criteria of 3% of GDP since
  2000. Public debt, inflation, and unemployment are above the
  euro-zone average. To overcome these challenges, the Greek
  Government is expected to continue cutting government spending,
  reducing the size of the public sector, and reforming the labor and
  pension systems.

Greenland
  The economy remains critically dependent on exports of
  fish and substantial support from the Danish Government, which
  supplies about half of government revenues. The public sector,
  including publicly-owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays
  the dominant role in the economy. Despite several interesting
  hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take a
  number of years before production can materialize. Tourism is the
  only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is
  limited due to a short season and high costs.

Grenada
  Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign
  exchange, especially since the construction of an international
  airport in 1985. Strong performances in construction and
  manufacturing, together with the development of an offshore
  financial industry, have also contributed to growth in national
  output.

Guadeloupe
  This Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism,
  light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large
  subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists
  from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the
  islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by
  other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export
  earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops
  are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still
  dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry
  features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel
  are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
  Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.

Guam
  The economy depends largely on US military spending and
  tourism. Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays
  amounted to $1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the
  tourist industry has grown to become the largest income source
  following national defense. The Guam economy continues to experience
  expansion in both its tourism and military sectors.

Guatemala
  Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central
  American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of
  Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for
  about one-fourth of GDP, two-thirds of exports, and half of the
  labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The
  1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war,
  removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, but widespread
  political violence and corruption scandals continue to dampen
  investor confidence. The distribution of income remains highly
  unequal with perhaps 75% of the population below the poverty line.
  Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues,
  negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading
  both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug
  trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit.

Guernsey
  Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance -
  account for about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous
  Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture,
  mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and
  death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving
  economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment
  under which Guernsey operates.

Guinea
  Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural
  resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country
  possesses almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the
  second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for
  over 70% of exports in 2004. Long-run improvements in government
  fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if
  the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra
  Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have
  caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in investor
  confidence. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation
  and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving
  multilateral aid; the IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in
  2003. Growth rose slightly in 2005, primarily due to increases in
  global demand and commodity prices on world markets.

Guinea-Bissau
  One of the 10 poorest countries in the world,
  Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops
  have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks
  sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood
  along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice
  is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting
  between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta
  destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread
  damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in
  GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war,
  trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part
  of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF
  sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development
  of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy.
  Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and
  other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However,
  offshore oil prospecting has begun and could lead to much-needed
  revenue in the long run. The inequality of income distribution is
  one of the most extreme in the world. The government and
  international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic
  development from a lamentably low base. In December 2003, the World
  Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced to step in to provide emergency
  budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004,
  representing over 80% of the total national budget. Government drift
  and indecision, however, have resulted in continued low growth in
  2002-05.

Guyana
  The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in
  2001-02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors,
  a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more
  realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued
  support of international organizations. Growth slowed in 2003 and
  came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export
  earnings; it slowed again in 2005. Chronic problems include a
  shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The
  government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent
  need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector
  should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial
  privatization. Export earnings from agriculture and mining have
  fallen sharply, while the import bill has risen, driven by higher
  energy prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and
  Economy (CSME) in January 2006 might broaden the country's export
  market, primarily in the raw materials sector.

Haiti
  In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the
  population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians
  depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence
  farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural
  disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
  The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth rate since 1999.
  Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a
  severe trade deficit. In early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the
  World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The
  government is reliant on formal international economic assistance
  for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of
  foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP in 2005.

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  No indigenous economic activity,
  but the Australian Government allows limited fishing around the
  islands.

Holy See (Vatican City)
  This unique, noncommercial economy is
  supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic
  dioceses throughout the world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale
  of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for
  admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments
  and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of
  revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are
  comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.

Honduras
  Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western
  Hemisphere with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income
  and massive unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the
  US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief
  under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The
  country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, and began a
  three-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PGRF) program
  in February 2004. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US,
  its largest trading partner, on continued exports of non-traditional
  agricultural products (such as melons, chiles, tilapia, and shrimp),
  and on reduction of the high crime rate.

Hong Kong
  Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly
  dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and
  food and raw materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports
  (i.e., including reexports to and from third countries) each exceed
  GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese
  administration on 1 July 1997, it had extensive trade and investment
  ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy
  with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has
  made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong Kong's
  reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per
  capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of
  Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2005,
  but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past eight years
  because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998 and the global
  downturn in 2001-2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory
  Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also battered Hong Kong's economy,
  a solid rise in exports, a boom in tourism from the mainland because
  of China's easing of travel restrictions, and a return of consumer
  confidence resulted in the resumption of strong growth from late
  2003 through 2005.

Hungary
  Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to
  a market economy, with a per capita income about 60% of the EU-25
  average. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and
  acceded to the EU in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over
  80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms
  are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling
  more than $34 billion between 1990 and 2003. Several private sector
  analysts and sovereign ratings agencies have expressed concerns over
  Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits.
  Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 3.5% in 2005.
  Unemployment in 2005 rose to 7.1%, its highest point since 1999;
  Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest
  in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
  Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy
  challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by
  2008, from about 6.1% in 2005, and orchestrating an orderly interest
  rate reduction without sparking capital outflows.

Iceland
  Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically
  capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including
  generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even
  distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources
  (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily
  on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and
  employs 4% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to
  declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for
  its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and
  ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the current
  account deficit, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation,
  revising agricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the
  economy. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily
  because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their
  fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into
  manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new
  developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial
  services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding,
  with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had
  been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be
  sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth
  resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007,
  slowly dropping until the end of the decade.

India
  India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village
  farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern
  industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major
  source of economic growth, accounting for half of India's output
  with less than one quarter of its labor force. About three-fifths of
  the work-force is in agriculture, leading the UPA government to
  articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic
  infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost
  economic performance. Government controls on foreign trade and
  investment have been reduced in some areas, but high tariffs
  (averaging 20% on non-agricultural items in 2004) and limits on
  foreign direct investment are still in place. The government in 2005
  liberalized investment in the civil aviation, telecom, and
  construction sectors. Privatization of government-owned industries
  essentially came to a halt in 2005, and continues to generate
  political debate; continued social, political, and economic
  rigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted an
  average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1994,
  reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 7.6%
  GDP growth in 2005, significantly expanding manufacturing. India is
  capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in
  the English language to become a major exporter of software services
  and software workers. Despite strong growth, the World Bank and
  others worry about the combined state and federal budget deficit,
  running at approximately 9% of GDP; government borrowing has kept
  interest rates high. Economic deregulation would help attract
  additional foreign capital and lower interest rates. The huge and
  growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and
  environmental problem.

Indian Ocean
  The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting
  the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas.
  It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum
  products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its
  fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries
  for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia,
  Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly
  for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped
  in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western
  Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production
  comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and
  offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering
  countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
  and Thailand.

Indonesia
  Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to
  overcome the Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with high
  unemployment, a fragile banking sector, endemic corruption,
  inadequate infrastructure, a poor investment climate, and unequal
  resource distribution among regions. Indonesia became a net oil
  importer in 2004 because of declining production and lack of new
  exploration investment. In late December 2004, the Indian Ocean
  tsunami took 131,000 lives with another 37,000 missing, left some
  570,000 displaced persons, and caused an estimated $4.5 billion in
  damages and losses. The cost of subsidizing domestic fuel placed
  increasing strain on the budget in 2005, and combined with
  indecisive monetary policy, contributed to a run on the currency in
  August 2005, prompting the government to enact a 126% average fuel
  price hike in October. The resulting inflation and interest rate
  hikes dampened growth prospects in 2006. However, in October 2006,
  Jakarta paid off its outstanding IMF debt, incurred during the
  1997-98 Asian financial crisis, four years ahead of schedule. Keys
  to future growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence
  of international and domestic investors, and strong global economic
  growth.

Iran
  Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state
  sector, over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that
  create major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is
  controlled by the state. Private sector activity is typically
  small-scale - workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud
  AHMADI-NEJAD has continued to follow the market reform plans of
  former President RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high
  oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $40
  billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic
  hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of
  the economy devoted to the development of weapons of mass
  destruction remains a contentious issue with leading Western nations.

Iraq
  Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has
  traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.
  Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international
  economic sanctions, and damage from military action by an
  international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically
  reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting
  large military and internal security forces and allocating resources
  to key supporters of the regime hurt the economy, implementation of
  the UN's oil-for-food program, which began in December 1996, helped
  improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed
  to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and
  some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN Security
  Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as
  required to meet humanitarian needs. Per capita food imports
  increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care
  services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards
  were still well below the pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a
  wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in
  March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central
  economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small
  amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities, looting,
  insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild
  the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil
  pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching
  projected export volumes, but total government revenues have been
  higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political
  uncertainty, Iraq has established the institutions needed to
  implement economic policy, has successfully concluded a three-stage
  debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and is working toward
  a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would
  clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club.

Ireland
  Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with
  growth averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the
  most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services.
  Industry accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of
  the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for
  Ireland's growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in
  consumer spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita
  GDP is 10% above that of the four big European economies and the
  second highest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade,
  the Irish Government has implemented a series of national economic
  programs designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce
  government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote
  foreign investment. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1
  January 2002 along with 11 other EU nations.

Isle of Man
  Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key
  sectors of the economy. The government offers incentives to
  high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on
  the island; this has paid off in expanding employment opportunities
  in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing,
  once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of
  GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access
  to EU markets.

Israel
  Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with
  substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude
  oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited
  natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural
  and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports
  substantial quantities of grain, but is largely self-sufficient in
  other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology
  equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the
  leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account
  deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad
  and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt
  is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and
  military aid. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties
  in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and
  fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small
  declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy rebounded in 2003 and
  2004, growing at a 4% rate each year, as the government tightened
  fiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boost
  competition and efficiency in the markets. In 2005, rising consumer
  confidence, tourism, and foreign direct investment - as well as
  higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 4.7%.

Italy
  Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the
  same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This
  capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial
  north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed,
  welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with 20% unemployment. Most
  raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy
  requirements are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a
  tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the
  Economic and Monetary Unions and has benefited from lower interest
  and inflation rates. The current government has enacted numerous
  short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term
  growth. Italy has moved slowly, however, on implementing needed
  structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and
  overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension
  system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from
  labor unions. But the leadership faces a severe economic constraint:
  the budget deficit has breached the 3% EU ceiling. The economy
  experienced almost no growth in 2005, and unemployment remained at a
  high level.

Jamaica
  The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which
  now account for 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of
  its foreign exchange from remittances, tourism, and bauxite/alumina.
  The global economic slowdown, particularly after the terrorist
  attacks in the US on 11 September 2001, stunted economic growth; the
  economy rebounded moderately in 2003-04, with brisk tourist seasons.
  But the economy faces serious long-term problems: high interest
  rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a
  sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and
  underemployment, and a growing stock of internal debt - the result
  of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most
  notably the financial sector in the mid-1990s. The ratio of debt to
  GDP is 135%. Inflation, previously a bright spot, is expected to
  remain in the double digits. Uncertain economic conditions have led
  to increased civil unrest, including gang violence fueled by the
  drug trade. In 2004, the government faced the difficult prospect of
  having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt
  payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime
  problem that is hampering economic growth. Attempts at deficit
  control were derailed by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, which
  required substantial government spending to repair the damage.
  Despite the hurricane, tourism looks set to enjoy solid growth for
  the foreseeable future.

Jan Mayen
  Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural
  resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for
  employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the
  island.

Japan
  Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery
  of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1%
  of GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank
  of second most technologically powerful economy in the world after
  the US and the third-largest economy in the world after the US and
  China, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. One
  notable characteristic of the economy is how manufacturers,
  suppliers, and distributors work together in closely-knit groups
  called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
  lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
  force. Both features are now eroding. Japan's industrial sector is
  heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The tiny
  agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop
  yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in
  rice, Japan must import about 60% of its food on a caloric basis.
  Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and
  accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades,
  overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in
  the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s.
  Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely
  because of the after effects of overinvestment during the late 1980s
  and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative
  excesses from the stock and real estate markets and to force a
  restructuring of the economy. From 2000 to 2003, government efforts
  to revive economic growth met with little success and were further
  hampered by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. In
  2004 and 2005, growth improved and the lingering fears of deflation
  in prices and economic activity lessened. Japan's huge government
  debt, which totals 170% of GDP, and the aging of the population are
  two major long-run problems. Some fear that a rise in taxes could
  endanger the current economic recovery. Internal conflict over the
  proper way to reform the financial system will continue as Japan
  Post's banking, insurance, and delivery services undergo
  privatization between 2007 and 2017.

Jersey
  Jersey's economy is based on international financial
  services, agriculture, and tourism. In 1996, the finance sector
  accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Potatoes,
  cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export
  crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is
  known worldwide and represents an important export income earner.
  Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts
  for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light
  industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics
  industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of
  knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as
  well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death
  duties make the island a popular tax haven. Living standards come
  close to those of the UK.

Jordan
  Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of
  water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and
  unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since
  assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic
  reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in
  the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced
  careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with
  privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime
  sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTO (2000), a free
  trade accord with the US (2001), and an association agreement with
  the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and
  have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Jordan imported most
  of its oil from Iraq, but the US-led war in Iraq in 2003 made Jordan
  more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations, forcing the Jordanian
  Government to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales
  tax base. Jordan's export market, which is heavily dependent on
  exports to Iraq, was also affected by the war but recovered quickly
  while contributing to the Iraq recovery effort. The main challenges
  facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants, reducing
  the budget deficit, and creating investment incentives to promote
  job creation.

Kazakhstan
  Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in
  territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves
  and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has a
  large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain.
  Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and
  processing of these natural resources and also on a growing
  machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment,
  tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The
  breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for
  Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a
  short-term contraction of the economy, with the steepest annual
  decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97, the pace of the government
  program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in
  a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan
  enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - 9% or more per year in
  2002-05 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to
  economic reform, good harvests, and foreign investment. The opening
  of the Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western
  Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised
  export capacity. Kazakhstan also has begun work on an ambitious
  cooperative construction effort with China to build an oil pipeline
  that will extend from the country's Caspian coast eastward to the
  Chinese border. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy
  designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the
  oil sector by developing light industry. The policy aims to reduce
  the influence of foreign investment and foreign personnel. The
  government has engaged in several disputes with foreign oil
  companies over the terms of production agreements; tensions
  continue. Upward pressure on the local currency continued in 2005
  due to massive oil-related foreign-exchange inflows.

Kenya
  The regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, Kenya
  has been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary
  goods whose prices have remained low. In 1997, the IMF suspended
  Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the
  government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A
  severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems,
  causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output.
  As a result, GDP contracted by 0.2% in 2000. The IMF, which had
  resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again
  halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute
  several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains
  in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low
  investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1.2%. Growth lagged at
  1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence,
  meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections.
  In the key December 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old
  reign ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable
  economic problems facing the nation. In 2003, progress was made in
  rooting out corruption and encouraging donor support. GDP grew more
  than 5% in 2005.

Kiribati
  A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has
  few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were
  exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and
  fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy
  has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is
  constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure,
  and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more
  than one-fifth of GDP. The financial sector is at an early stage of
  development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives.
  Foreign financial aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and
  China equals about 20% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant
  ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati
  receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from
  an Australian trust fund.

Korea, North
  North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned
  and isolated economies, faces desperate economic conditions.
  Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of
  years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial
  and power output have declined in parallel. Despite an increased
  harvest in 2005 because of more stable weather conditions,
  fertilizer assistance from South Korea, and an extraordinary
  mobilization of the population to help with agricultural production,
  the nation has suffered its 11th year of food shortages because of
  on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land,
  collective farming practices, and chronic shortages of tractors and
  fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the
  people of North Korea to escape mass starvation since famine
  threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from
  prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale
  military spending eats up resources needed for investment and
  civilian consumption. In 2004, the regime formalized an arrangement
  whereby private "farmers markets" were allowed to begin selling a
  wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming on an
  experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In
  October 2005, the regime reversed some of these policies by
  forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized
  food rationing system. In December 2005, the regime confirmed that
  it intended to carry out earlier threats to terminate all
  international humanitarian assistance operations in the DPRK
  (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and to restrict
  the activities of international and non-governmental aid
  organizations such as the World Food Program. Firm political control
  remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will
  likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.

Korea, South
  Since the early 1960s, South Korea has achieved an
  incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech
  modern world economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was
  comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia.
  In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world
  economies. Today its GDP per capita is equal to the lesser economies
  of the EU. This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a
  system of close government/business ties, including directed credit,
  import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a
  strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw
  materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and
  encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian
  financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South
  Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios,
  massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector.
  GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then recovered 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in
  2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global
  economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed
  corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer
  spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%, despite
  anemic global growth. Between 2003 and 2005, growth moderated to
  about 4%. A downturn in consumer spending was offset by rapid export
  growth. In 2005, the government proposed labor reform legislation
  and a corporate pension scheme to help make the labor market more
  flexible, and new real estate policies to cool property speculation.
  Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly
  equal distribution of income characterize this solid economy.

Kuwait
  Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with
  self-reported crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels - 10%
  of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of
  export revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate
  limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of
  fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable
  water must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its
  discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the
  northern part of the country.

Kyrgyzstan
  Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a
  predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat
  are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton
  are exported in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold,
  mercury, uranium, natural gas, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been
  progressive in carrying out market reforms, such as an improved
  regulatory system and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS
  country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. Much of
  the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in
  production had been severe after the breakup of the Soviet Union in
  December 1991, but by mid-1995, production began to recover and
  exports began to increase. Kyrgyzstan has distinguished itself by
  adopting relatively liberal economic policies. The drop in output at
  the Kumtor gold mine sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002, but GDP
  growth bounced back in 2003-05. The government has made steady
  strides in controlling its substantial fiscal deficit and reduced
  the deficit to 1% of GDP in 2005. The government and international
  financial institutions have been engaged in a comprehensive
  medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth strategy, and in
  2005 agreed to pursue much-needed tax reform. Progress fighting
  corruption, further restructuring of domestic industry, and success
  in attracting foreign investment are keys to future growth.

Laos
  The government of Laos, one of the few remaining official
  Communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging
  private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely
  low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% in 1988-2004 except
  during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis
  beginning in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a
  country with a primitive infrastructure. It has no railroads, a
  rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal
  telecommunications, though the government is sponsoring major
  improvements in the road system with possible support from Japan.
  Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence
  agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about half of GDP and
  provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to
  benefit from aid by the IMF and other international sources and from
  new foreign investment in food processing and mining. Construction
  will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric
  dam and road projects gain steam. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal
  Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to
  face lower tariffs on exports. This new status may help spur growth.
  In addition, the European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to
  the Lao Government for technical assistance in preparations for WTO
  membership. If the avian flu worsens and spreads in the region,
  however, prospects for tourism could dim.

Latvia
  Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian
  financial crisis, largely due to the government's budget stringency
  and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries,
  lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of
  companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the
  state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia
  officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU
  membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004. The current
  account deficit - 11.5% of GDP in 2005 - remains a major concern. A
  growing perception that many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit
  activity could damage the country's vibrant financial sector.

Lebanon
  The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic
  infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended
  Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In
  the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical
  and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from
  domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national
  debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government began an austerity program,
  reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection,
  and privatizing state enterprises. In November 2002, the government
  met with international donors at the Paris II conference to seek
  bilateral assistance in restructuring its massive domestic debt at
  lower interest rates. Substantial receipts from donor nations
  stabilized government finances in 2003, but did little to reduce the
  debt, which stands at nearly 170% of GDP. In 2004 the HARIRI
  government issued Eurobonds in an effort to manage maturing debt.
  The downturn in economic activity that followed the assassination of
  Rafiq al-HARIRI has eased, but has yet to be reversed. Tourism
  remains below the level of 2004. The new Prime Minister, Fuad
  SINIORA, has pledged to push ahead with economic reform, including
  privatization and more efficient government. The Core Group of
  nations has announced plans to hold a Donor's Conference in early
  2006 to assist the government of Lebanon in restructuring its debt
  and increasing foreign investment.

Lesotho
  Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on
  remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties
  from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of
  government revenue. However, the government has recently
  strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties.
  Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now
  permits the sale of water to South Africa, also generating royalties
  for Lesotho. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over
  the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed
  based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather,
  and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly
  sector. The latter has grown significantly, mainly due to Lesotho
  qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and
  Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence
  agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased
  agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of
  income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim
  Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF.

Liberia
  Civil war and government mismanagement have destroyed much
  of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around
  Monrovia, while continued international sanctions on diamonds and
  timber exports will limit growth prospects for the foreseeable
  future. Many businessmen have fled the country, taking capital and
  expertise with them. Some have returned, but many will not. Richly
  endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate
  favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter
  of basic products - primarily raw timber and rubber. Local
  manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. The
  departure of the former president, Charles TAYLOR, to Nigeria in
  August 2003, the establishment of the all-inclusive Transitional
  Government, and the arrival of a UN mission have helped defuse the
  political crisis, but have done little to encourage economic
  development. Wealthy international donors, who are ready to assist
  reconstruction efforts, are withholding funding until Liberia's
  National Assembly signs onto a Governance and Economic Management
  Action Plan (GEMAP). The Plan was created in October 2005 by the
  International Contact Group for Liberia to help ensure transparent
  revenue collection and allocation - something that was lacking under
  the Transitional Government and that has limited Liberia's economic
  recovery. The reconstruction of infrastructure and the raising of
  incomes in this ravaged economy will largely depend on generous
  financial support and technical assistance from donor countries.

Libya
  The Libyan economy depends primarily upon revenues from the
  oil sector, which contribute about 95% of export earnings, about
  one-quarter of GDP, and 60% of public sector wages. Substantial
  revenues from the energy sector coupled with a small population give
  Libya one of the highest per capita GDPs in Africa, but little of
  this income flows down to the lower orders of society. Libyan
  officials in the past four years have made progress on economic
  reforms as part of a broader campaign to reintegrate the country
  into the international fold. This effort picked up steam after UN
  sanctions were lifted in September 2003 and as Libya announced that
  it would abandon programs to build weapons of mass destruction in
  December 2003. Almost all US unilateral sanctions against Libya were
  removed in April 2004, helping Libya attract more foreign direct
  investment, mostly in the energy sector. Libya faces a long road
  ahead in liberalizing the socialist-oriented economy, but initial
  steps - including applying for WTO membership, reducing some
  subsidies, and announcing plans for privatization - are laying the
  groundwork for a transition to a more market-based economy. The
  non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for
  about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural
  products to include the production of petrochemicals, iron, steel,
  and aluminum. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit
  agricultural output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food.

Liechtenstein
  Despite its small size and limited natural resources,
  Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly
  industrialized, free-enterprise economy with a vital financial
  service sector and living standards on a par with its large European
  neighbors. The Liechtenstein economy is widely diversified with a
  large number of small businesses. Low business taxes - the maximum
  tax rate is 20% - and easy incorporation rules have induced many
  holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal
  offices in Liechtenstein, providing 30% of state revenues. The
  country participates in a customs union with Switzerland and uses
  the Swiss franc as its national currency. It imports more than 90%
  of its energy requirements. Liechtenstein has been a member of the
  European Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between
  the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the EU) since May
  1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies
  with those of an integrated Europe.

Lithuania
  Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most
  trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian
  financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to about 8%
  in 2005. Growing domestic consumption and increased investment have
  furthered recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the
  West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade
  Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the
  large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is
  nearing completion. Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been
  privatized. Foreign government and business support have helped in
  the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.

Luxembourg
  This stable, high-income economy - benefitting from its
  proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - features solid growth,
  low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector,
  initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to
  include chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the
  financial sector, which now accounts for about 28% of GDP, has more
  than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are
  foreign-owned and have extensive foreign dealings. Agriculture is
  based on small family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign
  and cross-border workers for more than 30% of its labor force.
  Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, has suffered from the
  global economic slump, the country enjoys an extraordinarily high
  standard of living - GDP per capita ranks first in the world.

Macau
  Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open
  in the world since its reversion to China in 1999. Apparel exports
  and tourism are mainstays of the economy. Although the territory was
  hit hard by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the global
  downturn in 2001, its economy grew 10.1% in 2002, 14.2% in 2003, and
  28.6% in 2004. During the first three quarters of 2005, Macau
  registered year-on-year GDP increases of 6.2%. A rapid rise in the
  number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of travel
  restrictions, increased public works expenditures, and significant
  investment inflows associated with the liberalization of Macau's
  gaming industry drove the four-year recovery. The budget also
  returned to surplus since 2002 because of the surge in visitors from
  China and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about
  70% of government revenue. The three companies awarded gambling
  licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory, which
  will boost GDP growth. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to
  the mainland as the Multi-Fiber Agreement is phased out. The
  territory may have to rely more on gambling and trade-related
  services to generate growth. Two new casinos were opened by new
  foreign gambling licensees in 2004; development of new
  infrastructure and facilities in preparation for Macau's hosting of
  the 2005 East Asian Games led the construction sector. The Closer
  Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland
  China that came into effect on 1 January 2004 offers many Macau-made
  products tariff-free access to the mainland, and the range of
  products covered by CEPA was expanded on 1 January 2005.

Macedonia
  At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least
  developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the
  total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of
  Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the central government and
  eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area.
  An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the downsized
  Yugoslavia, one of its largest markets, and a Greek economic embargo
  over a dispute about the country's constitutional name and flag
  hindered economic growth until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year
  through 2000. However, the leadership's commitment to economic
  reform, free trade, and regional integration was undermined by the
  ethnic Albanian insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because
  of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit
  spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely
  recovered in 2002 to 0.9%, then rose by 3.4% in 2003, 4.1% in 2004,
  and 3.7% in 2005. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability
  with low inflation, but it has lagged the region in attracting
  foreign investment and job growth has been anemic. Macedonia has an
  extensive grey market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP,
  that falls outside official statistics.

Madagascar
  Having discarded past socialist economic policies,
  Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and
  IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization. This strategy
  placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an
  extremely low level. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is
  a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of
  GDP and employing 80% of the population. Exports of apparel have
  boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the
  United States. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of
  firewood as the primary source of fuel, are serious concerns.
  President RAVALOMANANA has worked aggressively to revive the economy
  following the 2002 political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in
  GDP that year. Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be
  the centerpieces of economic policy for the next few years.

Malawi
  Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed
  countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90%
  of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for
  nearly 36% of GDP and 80% of export revenues in 2005. The
  performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as
  tobacco accounts for over 60% of exports. The economy depends on
  substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World
  Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was
  approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
  program. The government faces strong challenges, including
  developing a market economy, improving educational facilities,
  facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly
  growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that
  fiscal discipline is being tightened. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA
  championed an anticorruption campaign. Malawi's recent fiscal policy
  performance has been very strong, but a serious drought in 2005 and
  2006 will heighten pressure on the government to increase spending.

Malaysia
  Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from
  1971 through the late 1990s from a producer of raw materials into an
  emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost exclusively driven
  by exports - particularly of electronics. As a result, Malaysia was
  hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the
  information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002. GDP in 2001
  grew only 0.5% because of an estimated 11% contraction in exports,
  but a substantial fiscal stimulus package equal to US $1.9 billion
  mitigated the worst of the recession, and the economy rebounded in
  2002 with a 4.1% increase. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003,
  notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external pressures from
  Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Iraq War led to
  caution in the business community. Growth topped 7% in 2004 and 5%
  in 2005. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from
  higher world energy prices, although the cost of government
  subsidies for domestic gasoline and diesel fuel has risen and offset
  some of the benefit. Malaysia "unpegged" the ringgit from the US
  dollar in 2005, but so far there has been little movement in the
  exchange rate. Healthy foreign exchange reserves, low inflation, and
  a small external debt are all strengths that make it unlikely that
  Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term
  similar to the one in 1997. The economy remains dependent on
  continued growth in the US, China, and Japan - top export
  destinations and key sources of foreign investment.

Maldives
  Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 20% of
  GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts.
  Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and
  tourism-related taxes. Fishing is a second leading sector. The
  Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989
  initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the
  private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to
  allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing
  continue to play a lesser role in the economy, constrained by the
  limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic
  labor. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists
  mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts,
  accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the
  impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying
  country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level. In
  late December 2004, a major tsunami left more than 100 dead, 12,000
  displaced, and property damage exceeding $300 million. Over the past
  decade, real GDP growth averaged over 7.5% per year. As a result of
  the tsunami, the GDP contracted by about 5.5% in 2005.

Mali
  Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of
  its land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal
  distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the
  riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is
  nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and
  fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm
  commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable
  to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along
  with gold. The government has continued its successful
  implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program
  that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign
  investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50%
  devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic
  growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2005. Worker remittances and
  external trade routes for the landlocked country have been
  jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

Malta
  Major resources are limestone, a favorable geographic
  location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about
  20% of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few
  domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade,
  manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism.
  Continued sluggishness in the European economy is holding back
  exports, tourism, and overall growth.

Marshall Islands
  US Government assistance is the mainstay of this
  tiny island economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence,
  is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops
  are coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to
  handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a
  small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the
  labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The
  islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports.
  Under the terms of the Amended Compact of Free Association, the US
  will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands
  (RMI) through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI
  contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. Government
  downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, the decline in tourism
  and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties, and
  less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held
  GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.

Martinique
  The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and
  light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the
  small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with
  most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana
  exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat,
  vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to
  a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid
  from France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has
  become more important than agricultural exports as a source of
  foreign exchange.

Mauritania
  Half the population still depends on agriculture and
  livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and
  subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent
  droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits
  of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The
  decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks
  in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest
  fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners
  threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater
  port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and
  economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt which
  now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. In
  February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the
  Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December
  2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a
  triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment code approved
  in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign
  investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of
  economic reforms and fiscal discipline. In 2001, exploratory oil
  wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at
  current world oil prices. Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion
  barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and exports
  are scheduled to begin in early 2006 and may average 75,000 barrels
  per day for that year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction
  of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting
  privatization of the economy.

Mauritius
  Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a
  low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income
  diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist
  sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order
  of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more
  equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered
  infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is
  grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25%
  of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on
  expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic
  information telecommunications industry. Mauritius has attracted
  more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India
  and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has
  reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector,
  has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and
  Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Mayotte
  Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural
  sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not
  self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food
  requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development
  of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance,
  an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an
  obstacle to the development of tourism.

Mexico
  Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the
  trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded
  industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private
  sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in
  seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation,
  natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is
  one-fourth that of the US; income distribution remains highly
  unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled since the
  implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements
  with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador,
  the European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of
  trade under free trade agreements. The FOX administration is
  cognizant of the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax
  system and labor laws, and allow private investment in the energy
  sector, but has been unable to win the support of the opposition-led
  Congress. The next government that takes office in December 2006
  will confront the same challenges of boosting economic growth,
  improving Mexico's international competitiveness, and reducing
  poverty.

Micronesia, Federated States of Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remote location, a lack of adequate facilities, and limited air connections hinder development. The Amended Compact of Free Association with the US guarantees the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) millions of dollars in annual aid through 2023, and establishes a Trust Fund into which the US and the FSM make annual contributions in order to provide annual payouts to the FSM in perpetuity after 2023. The country's medium-term economic outlook appears fragile due not only to the reduction in US assistance but also to the slow growth of the private sector.

Midway Islands
  The economy is based on providing support services
  for the national wildlife refuge activities located on the islands.
  All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Moldova
  Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe
  despite recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a
  favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral
  deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture,
  featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import
  almost all of its energy supplies. Energy shortages contributed to
  sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in
  December 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort after
  independence, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed
  prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises,
  backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed
  interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the
  World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The
  economy returned to positive growth in 2000, and has remained at or
  above 6% every year since. Further reforms will come slowly because
  of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy
  remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather,
  and the skepticism of foreign investors.

Monaco
  Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a
  popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant
  climate. In 2001, a major construction project extended the pier
  used by cruise ships in the main harbor. The principality has
  successfully sought to diversify into services and small,
  high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income
  tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for
  individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies
  that have set up businesses and offices. The state retains
  monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone
  network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly
  comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas.

Mongolia
  Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based
  on herding and agriculture. Mongolia has extensive mineral deposits.
  Copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and gold account for a large
  part of industrial production. Soviet assistance, at its height
  one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at
  the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw
  Mongolia endure both deep recession due to political inaction and
  natural disasters, as well as economic growth because of
  reform-embracing, free-market economics and extensive privatization
  of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer
  droughts in 2000-2002 resulted in massive livestock die-off and zero
  or negative GDP growth. This was compounded by falling prices for
  Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to
  privatization. Growth was 10.6% in 2004 and 5.5% in 2005, largely
  because of high copper prices and new gold production. Mongolia's
  economy continues to be heavily influenced by its neighbors. For
  example, Mongolia purchases 80% of its petroleum products and a
  substantial amount of electric power from Russia, leaving it
  vulnerable to price increases. China is Mongolia's chief export
  partner and a main source of the "shadow" or "grey" economy. The
  World Bank and other international financial institutions estimate
  the grey economy to be at least equal to that of the official
  economy, but the former's actual size is difficult to calculate
  since the money does not pass through the hands of tax authorities
  or the banking sector. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad
  both legally and illegally are sizeable, and money laundering is a
  growing concern. Mongolia settled its $11 billion debt with Russia
  at the end of 2003 on favorable terms. Mongolia, which joined the
  World Trade Organization in 1997, seeks to expand its participation
  and integration into Asian regional economic and trade regimes.

Montenegro
  The republic of Montenegro severed its economy from
  federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and
  continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro instead of
  the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects customs tariffs,
  and manages its own budget. The dissolution of the loose political
  union between Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 led to separate
  membership in several international financial institutions, such as
  the IMF, World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and
  Development. Montenegro is pursuing its own membership in the World
  Trade Organization as well as negotiating a Stabilization and
  Association agreement with the European Union in anticipation of
  eventual membership. Severe unemployment remains a key political and
  economic problem for this entire region. Montenegro has privatized
  its large aluminum complex - the dominant industry - as well as most
  of its financial sector, and has begun to attract foreign direct
  investment in the tourism sector.

Montserrat
  Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has
  put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in
  June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic
  and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled
  the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing
  limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected
  by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of
  crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in
  relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction
  activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid
  program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is
  expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade.

Morocco
  Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability
  to the country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth
  sufficient to reduce unemployment that nears 20% in urban areas.
  Poverty has actually increased due to the volatile nature of GDP,
  Morocco's continued dependence on foreign energy, and its inability
  to promote the growth of small and medium size enterprises. Despite
  structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank,
  and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current
  account transactions and Morocco's financial sector is rudimentary.
  Moroccan authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing
  jobs is key to domestic security and development. In 2004, Moroccan
  authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment
  and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US and selling
  government shares in the state telecommunications company and in the
  largest state-owned bank. The Free Trade agreement went into effect
  in January 2006. In 2005, GDP growth slipped to 1.2% and the budget
  deficit rose sharply - to 7.5% of GDP - because of substantial
  increases in wages and oil subsidies. Long-term challenges include
  preparing the economy for freer trade with the US and European
  Union, improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth,
  and raising living standards, which the government hopes to achieve
  by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in
  textiles.

Mozambique
  At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the
  world's poorest countries. Socialist mismanagement and a brutal
  civil war from 1977-92 exacerbated the situation. In 1987, the
  government embarked on a series of macroeconomic reforms designed to
  stabilize the economy. These steps, combined with donor assistance
  and with political stability since the multi-party elections in
  1994, have led to dramatic improvements in the country's growth
  rate. Inflation was reduced to single digits during the late 1990s
  although it returned to double digits in 2000-03. Fiscal reforms,
  including the introduction of a value-added tax and reform of the
  customs service, have improved the government's revenue collection
  abilities. In spite of these gains, Mozambique remains dependent
  upon foreign assistance for much of its annual budget, and the
  majority of the population remains below the poverty line.
  Subsistence agriculture continues to employ the vast majority of the
  country's work force. A substantial trade imbalance persists
  although the opening of the Mozal aluminum smelter, the country's
  largest foreign investment project to date, has increased export
  earnings. In late 2005, and after years of negotiations, the
  government signed an agreement to gain Portugal's majority share of
  the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity (HCB) company, a dam that was not
  transferred to Mozambique at independence because of the ensuing
  civil war and unpaid debts. More power is needed for additional
  investment projects in titanium extraction and processing and
  garment manufacturing that could further close the import/export
  gap. Mozambique's once substantial foreign debt has been reduced
  through forgiveness and rescheduling under the IMF's Heavily
  Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Enhanced HIPC initiatives, and is
  now at a manageable level.

Namibia
  The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and
  processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 20% of GDP.
  Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for
  gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of
  nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of
  uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin,
  silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the
  population while about half of the population depends on subsistence
  agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50%
  of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a
  major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the
  region, hides the world's worst inequality of income distribution.
  The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the
  Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand.
  Privatization of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate
  long-run foreign investment. Increased fish production and mining of
  zinc, copper, uranium, and silver spurred growth in 2003-05.

Nauru
  Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from
  exports of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian
  company in 2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit
  remaining supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities
  being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later
  major source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the
  replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term
  problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate
  deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in
  trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's
  economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds,
  the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government
  has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments.
  In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital
  plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government
  and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics
  on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying
  widely.

Navassa Island
Subsistence fishing and commercial trawling occur
within refuge waters.

Nepal
  Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in
  the world with almost one-third of its population living below the
  poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing
  a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for
  38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of
  agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
  Security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a
  decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has
  considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and
  tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for
  foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor,
  however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological
  backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location,
  its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.

Netherlands
  The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which
  depends heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable
  industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable
  current account surplus, and an important role as a European
  transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food
  processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery.
  A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 2% of
  the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing
  industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU
  partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The
  country continues to be one of the leading European nations for
  attracting foreign direct investment. Economic growth slowed
  considerably in 2001-05, as part of the global economic slowdown,
  but for the four years before that, annual growth averaged nearly
  4%, well above the EU average.

Netherlands Antilles
  Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore
  finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely
  tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown
  slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands enjoy a high
  per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with
  other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods
  are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor
  soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of
  agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and
  pension systems of an aging population.

New Caledonia
  New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known
  nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for
  cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition
  to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more
  than one-fourth of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the
  economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined
  with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic
  outlook for the next several years.

New Zealand
  Over the past 20 years the government has transformed
  New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary
  British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy
  that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real
  incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder),
  broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the
  industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita
  income has risen for six consecutive years and was more than $24,000
  in 2005 in purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily
  dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to
  drive growth. Exports are equal to about 22% of GDP. Thus far the
  economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that
  expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase
  proportionately to output.

Nicaragua
  Nicaragua, one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest
  countries, has low per capita income, widespread underemployment,
  and a heavy external debt burden. Distribution of income is one of
  the most unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed
  toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual
  growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the
  country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal
  and debt financing obligations. Nicaragua qualified in early 2004
  for some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily
  Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative because of its earlier
  successful performances under its International Monetary Fund policy
  program and other efforts. In October 2005, Nicaragua ratified the
  US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide
  an opportunity for Nicaragua to attract investment, create jobs, and
  deepen economic development. High oil prices helped drive inflation
  to 9.6% in 2005, leading to a fall in real GDP growth to 4% from
  over 5% in 2004.

Niger
  Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking
  last on the United Nations Development Fund index of human
  development. It is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy
  centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's
  largest uranium deposits. Drought cycles, desertification, a 2.9%
  population growth rate, and the drop in world demand for uranium
  have undercut the economy. Niger shares a common currency, the CFA
  franc, and a common central bank, the Central Bank of West African
  States (BCEAO), with seven other members of the West African
  Monetary Union. In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt
  relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly
  Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the
  Fund on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Debt relief
  provided under the enhanced HIPC initiative significantly reduces
  Niger's annual debt service obligations, freeing funds for
  expenditures on basic health care, primary education, HIV/AIDS
  prevention, rural infrastructure, and other programs geared at
  poverty reduction. In December 2005, it was announced that Niger had
  received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which
  translates into the forgiveness of approximately $86 million USD in
  debts to the IMF, excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC.
  Nearly half of the government's budget is derived from foreign donor
  resources. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil,
  gold, coal, and other mineral resources. Uranium prices have
  recovered somewhat in the last few years. A drought and locust
  infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million
  Nigerians.

Nigeria
  Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability,
  corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic
  management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded
  administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify
  the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive
  oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange
  earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely
  subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid
  population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and
  the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import
  food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August
  2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club
  and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic
  reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after
  failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it
  ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In
  the last year the government has begun showing the political will to
  implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to
  modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking
  excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the
  distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the
  government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the
  privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted
  the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a
  domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty
  Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management.
  GDP rose strongly in 2005, based largely on increased oil exports
  and high global crude prices. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club
  approval for a historic debt-relief deal that by March 2006 should
  eliminate $30 billion worth of Nigeria's total $37 billion external
  debt. The deal first requires that Nigeria repay roughly $12 billion
  in arrears to its bilateral creditors. Nigeria would then be allowed
  to buy back its remaining debt stock at a discount. The deal also
  commits Nigeria to more intensified IMF reviews.

Niue
  The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of
  geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population.
  Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall
  is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are
  used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government
  expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The
  agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening,
  although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists
  primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil,
  honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign
  collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent
  years has suffered a serious loss of population because of
  emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the
  promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the
  International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination
  of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in
  2002 was about US$2 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in
  January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in
  the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.

Norfolk Island
  Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily
  increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity
  unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural
  sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef,
  poultry, and eggs.

Northern Mariana Islands
  The economy benefits substantially from
  financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined
  as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist
  industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for
  roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual
  tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but
  financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown.
  The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms
  producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment
  production is by far the most important industry with the employment
  of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US
  under duty and quota exemptions.

Norway
  The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare
  capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and
  government intervention. The government controls key areas such as
  the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises).
  The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum,
  hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on
  its oil production and international oil prices, with oil and gas
  accounting for one-third of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia
  export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU
  during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, it contributes
  sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with
  privatization. Although Norwegian oil production peaked in 2000,
  natural gas production is still rising. Norwegians realize that once
  their gas production peaks they will eventually face declining oil
  and gas revenues; accordingly, Norway has been saving its
  oil-and-gas-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund,
  which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $250
  billion. After lackluster growth of 1% in 2002 and 0.5% in 2003, GDP
  growth picked up to 3.3% in 2004 and to 3.7% in 2005.

Oman
  Oman is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable
  oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low
  inflation. Work on a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility
  progressed in 2005 and will contribute to slightly higher oil and
  gas exports in 2006. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and
  joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. To
  reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign labor, the
  government is encouraging the replacement of foreign expatriate
  workers with local workers. Training in information technology,
  business management, and English support this objective. Industrial
  development plans focus on gas resources, metal manufacturing,
  petrochemicals, and international transshipment ports. In 2005, Oman
  signed agreements with several foreign investors to boost oil
  reserves, build and operate a power plant, and develop a second
  mobile phone network in the country.

Pacific Ocean
  The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world
  economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch.
  It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West,
  extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals,
  and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60%
  of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation
  of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role
  in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru.
  The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the
  wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to
  fluctuations in new drillings.

Pakistan
  Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has
  suffered from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of
  foreign investment, and a costly, ongoing confrontation with
  neighboring India. However, IMF-approved government policies,
  bolstered by generous foreign assistance and renewed access to
  global markets since 2001, have generated solid macroeconomic
  recovery the last four years. The government has made substantial
  macroeconomic reforms since 2000, although progress on more
  politically sensitive reforms has slowed. For example, in the budget
  for fiscal year 2006, Islamabad did not impose taxes on the
  agriculture or real estate sectors, despite Pakistan's chronically
  low tax-to-GDP ratio. While long-term prospects remain uncertain,
  given Pakistan's low level of development, medium-term prospects for
  job creation and poverty reduction are the best in more than a
  decade. Islamabad has raised development spending from about 2% of
  GDP in the 1990s to 4% in 2003, a necessary step towards reversing
  the broad underdevelopment of its social sector. GDP growth, spurred
  by double-digit gains in industrial production over the past year,
  has become less dependent on agriculture, and remained above 7% in
  2004 and 2005. Inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy,
  jumping to more than 9% in 2005. The World Bank and Asian
  Development Bank announced that they would provide US $1 billion
  each in aid to help Pakistan rebuild areas hit by the October 2005
  earthquake in Kashmir. Foreign exchange reserves continued to reach
  new levels in 2005, supported by steady worker remittances. In the
  near term, growth probably cannot be sustained at the 7% level;
  however, massive international aid, increased government spending,
  lower taxes, and pay increases for government workers will help
  Pakistan maintain strong GDP growth over the longer term.

Palau
  The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence
  agriculture, and fishing. The government is the major employer of
  the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
  Business and tourist arrivals numbered 63,000 in 2003. The
  population enjoys a per capita income twice that of the Philippines
  and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist
  sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in
  the Pacific, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries,
  and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure
  development.

Panama
  Panama's dollarised economy rests primarily on a
  well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of
  GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon
  Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and
  tourism. A slump in the Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports,
  the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held
  back economic growth in 2000-03; growth picked up in 2004 and 2005
  led by export-oriented services and a construction boom stimulated
  by tax incentives. The government has implemented tax reforms, as
  well as social security reforms, and backs regional trade agreements
  and development of tourism. Unemployment remains high.

Papua New Guinea
  Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural
  resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain and
  the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides a
  subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits,
  including oil, copper, and gold, account for nearly two-thirds of
  export earnings. The economy has improved over the past three years
  because of high commodity prices following a prolonged period of
  instability. The government of Prime Minister SOMARE has expended
  much of its energy remaining in power and should be the first
  government in decades to serve a full five-year term. The government
  has also brought stability to the national budget thus far, largely
  through expenditure control. Numerous challenges still face the
  government including regaining investor confidence, restoring
  integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by
  privatizing moribund state institutions, and balancing relations
  with Australia, the former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural
  challenges include the HIV/Aids epidemic, law and order, and land
  tenure issues. Australia annually supplies $240 million in aid,
  which accounts for nearly 20% of the national budget.

Paraguay
  Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large
  informal sector. This sector features both reexport of imported
  consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities
  of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because
  of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures
  are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population
  derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a
  subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3%
  annually in 1995-97, but averaged near-zero growth in 1998-2001 and
  contracted by 2.3 percent in 2002, in response to regional contagion
  and an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease. On a per capita basis,
  real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute
  Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty,
  corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial
  internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure. Aided by a
  firmer exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the
  economic policy of the DUARTE FRUTOS administration, the economy
  rebounded between 2003 and 2005, posting modest growth each year.

Peru
  Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal
  region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering
  Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the
  mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent
  fishing grounds. However, overdependence on minerals and metals
  subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of
  infrastructure deters trade and investment. After several years of
  inconsistent economic performance, the Peruvian economy grew by more
  than 4 percent per year during the period 2002-2005, with a stable
  exchange rate and low inflation. Risk premiums on Peruvian bonds on
  secondary markets reached historically low levels in late 2004,
  reflecting investor optimism regarding the government's prudent
  fiscal policies and openness to trade and investment. Despite the
  strong macroeconomic performance, the TOLEDO administration remained
  unpopular in 2005, and unemployment and poverty have stayed
  persistently high. Economic growth will be driven by the Camisea
  natural gas megaproject and by exports of minerals, textiles, and
  agricultural products. Peru is expected to sign a free-trade
  agreement with the United States in early 2006.

Philippines
  The Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian
  financial crisis of 1998 than its neighbors, aided in part by its
  high level of annual remittances from overseas workers, and no
  sustained runup in asset prices or foreign borrowing prior to the
  crisis. From a 0.6% decline in 1998, GDP expanded by 2.4% in 1999,
  and 4.4% in 2000, but slowed to 3.2% in 2001 in the context of a
  global economic slowdown, an export slump, and political and
  security concerns. GDP growth accelerated to about 5% between 2002
  and 2005 reflecting the continued resilience of the service sector,
  and improved exports and agricultural output. Nonetheless, it will
  take a higher, sustained growth path to make appreciable progress in
  the alleviation of poverty given the Philippines' high annual
  population growth rate and unequal distribution of income. The
  Philippines also faces higher oil prices, higher interest rates on
  its dollar borrowings, and higher inflation. Fiscal constraints
  limit Manila's ability to finance infrastructure and social
  spending. The Philippines' consistently large budget deficit has
  produced a high debt level, and this situation has forced Manila to
  spend a large portion of the national government budget on debt
  service. Large unprofitable public enterprises, especially in the
  energy sector, contribute to the government's debt because of slow
  progress on privatization. Credit rating agencies have at times
  expressed concern about the Philippines' ability to service the
  debt, though central bank reserves appear adequate and large
  remittance inflows appear stable. The implementation of the expanded
  Value Added Tax (VAT) in November 2005 boosted confidence in the
  government's fiscal capacity and helped to strengthen the peso,
  which gained 5.7 percent year-on-year, making it East Asia's best
  performing currency in 2005. Investors and credit rating
  institutions will continue to look for effective implementation of
  the new VAT and continued improvement in the government's overall
  fiscal capacity in the coming year.

Pitcairn Islands
  The inhabitants of this tiny isolated economy exist
  on fishing, subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps.
  The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits
  and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas,
  yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The
  major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to
  collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships. In October
  2004, more than one-quarter of Pitcairn's small labor force was
  arrested, putting the economy in a bind, since their services were
  required as lighter crew to load or unload passing ships.

Poland
  Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic
  liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a
  success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to
  be done, especially in bringing down the unemployment rate -
  currently the highest in the EU. The privatization of small- and
  medium-sized state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing
  new firms has encouraged the development of the private business
  sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent
  corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's
  agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor,
  inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and
  privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads,
  and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled. Reforms in
  health care, education, the pension system, and state administration
  have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further
  progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in
  Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling
  the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers,
  most of whom pay no tax. The previous Socialist-led government
  introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to
  reduce public spending by about $17 billion through 2007, but full
  implementation of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in
  2005. The right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentary
  elections in September, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidential
  election in October 2005, running on a state-interventionist fiscal
  and monetary platform. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging
  exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004,
  though its competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's
  appreciation. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic
  states. Poland stands to benefit from nearly $23.2 billion in EU
  funds, available through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap
  the rewards of membership via booming exports, higher food prices,
  and EU agricultural subsidies.

Portugal
  Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly
  service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986.
  Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many
  state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy,
  including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country
  qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began
  circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member
  economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of
  the past decade, but fell back in 2001-05. GDP per capita stands at
  two-thirds that of the Big Four EU economies. A poor educational
  system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity
  and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by
  lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for
  foreign direct investment. The government faces tough choices in its
  attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness while keeping
  the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.

Puerto Rico
  Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the
  Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed
  agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income.
  Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US
  firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US
  minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy
  production and other livestock products as the main source of income
  in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an
  important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5
  million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to
  the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004-2005.

Qatar
  Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of
  export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have
  given Qatar a per capita GDP about 80% of that of the leading West
  European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 16 billion
  barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23
  years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion
  cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in
  the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the
  development of its gas fields during the last decade and is expected
  to become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter by
  2007. In recent years, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses
  largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas
  exports, becoming one of the world's fastest growing and highest
  per-capita income countries.

Reunion
  The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but
  services now dominate. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more
  than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports.
  The government has been pushing the development of a tourist
  industry to relieve high unemployment, which amounts to one-third of
  the labor force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the
  poor is extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social
  tensions. The white and Indian communities are substantially better
  off than other segments of the population, often approaching
  European standards, whereas minority groups suffer the poverty and
  unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the African continent.
  The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991 illustrated the
  seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic well-being of
  Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from
  France.

Romania
  Romania began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a
  largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to
  the country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing
  three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets.
  Despite the global slowdown in 2001-02, strong domestic activity in
  construction, agriculture, and consumption have kept GDP growth
  above 4%. An IMF standby agreement, signed in 2001, has been
  accompanied by slow but palpable gains in privatization, deficit
  reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The IMF Board approved
  Romania's completion of the standby agreement in October 2003, the
  first time Romania has successfully concluded an IMF agreement since
  the 1989 revolution. In July 2004, the executive board of the IMF
  approved a 24-month standby agreement for $367 million. IMF concerns
  about Romania's tax policy and budget deficit led to a breakdown of
  this agreement in 2005. In the past, the IMF has criticized the
  government's fiscal, wage, and monetary policies. Meanwhile,
  macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a
  middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty, while
  corruption and red tape continue to handicap the business
  environment. Romanian government confidence in continuing
  disinflation was underscored by its currency revaluation in 2005,
  making 10,000 "old" lei equal 1 "new" leu.

Russia
  Russia ended 2005 with its seventh straight year of growth,
  averaging 6.4% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although
  high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers
  of this economic rebound, since 2000 investment and consumer-driven
  demand have played a noticeably increasing role. Real fixed capital
  investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last five
  years, and real personal incomes have realized average increases
  over 12%. During this time, poverty has declined steadily and the
  middle class has continued to expand. Russia has also improved its
  international financial position since the 1998 financial crisis,
  with its foreign debt declining from 90% of GDP to around 31%.
  Strong oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its
  foreign reserves from only $12 billion to some $180 billion at
  yearend 2005. These achievements, along with a renewed government
  effort to advance structural reforms, have raised business and
  investor confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Nevertheless,
  serious problems persist. Economic growth slowed to 5.9% for 2005
  while inflation remains high. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber
  account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable
  to swings in world prices. Russia's manufacturing base is
  dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to
  achieve broad-based economic growth. Other problems include a weak
  banking system, a poor business climate that discourages both
  domestic and foreign investors, corruption, and widespread lack of
  trust in institutions. In addition, a string of investigations
  launched against a major Russian oil company, culminating with the
  arrest of its CEO in the fall of 2003 and the acquisition of the
  company by a state owned firm, have raised concerns by some
  observers that President PUTIN is granting more influence to forces
  within his government that desire to reassert state control over the
  economy. State control has increased in the past year with a number
  of large acquisitions. Most fundamentally, Russia has made little
  progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market
  economy.

Rwanda
  Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the
  population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the
  most densely populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few
  natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange
  earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's
  fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population,
  particularly women, and eroded the country's ability to attract
  private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made
  substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy
  to pre-1994 levels, although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has
  rebounded and inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile
  ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population
  growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive
  substantial aid money and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted
  Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005. Kigali's high
  defense expenditures have caused tension between the government and
  international donors and lending agencies. An energy shortage and
  instability in neighboring states may slow growth in 2006, while the
  lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries
  continues to handicap export growth.

Saint Helena
  The economy depends largely on financial assistance
  from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost
  one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns
  income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts.
  Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek
  employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the
  Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Although the crop still
  dominates the agricultural sector, activities such as tourism,
  export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed
  larger roles in the economy. Tourism revenues are now the chief
  source of the islands' foreign exchange; about 40,000 tourist
  visited Nevis during the 2003-2004 season. Additional tourist
  facilities, including a second cruise ship pier, hotels, and golf
  courses are under construction.

Saint Lucia
  Changes in the EU import preference regime and the
  increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic
  diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island
  nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment,
  especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The
  manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean
  area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana
  industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though
  unemployment needs to be cut.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  The inhabitants have traditionally earned
  their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets
  operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been
  declining, however, because of disputes with Canada over fishing
  quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint
  Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an
  exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding
  territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of
  what France had sought. The islands are heavily subsidized by France
  to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an
  expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Recent test
  drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy
  sector.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  Economic growth in this
  lower-middle-income country hinges upon seasonal variations in the
  agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out
  substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism
  in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11
  September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking
  sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards.
  Saint Vincent is also a producer of marijuana and is being used as a
  transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.

Samoa
  The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on
  development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and
  fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms.
  Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90%
  of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The
  manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The
  decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism
  is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000
  tourists visited the islands in 2001. One factory in the Foreign
  Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical
  harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. The Samoan Government
  has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement
  of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same
  time protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility
  of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic
  advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the
  external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

San Marino
  The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 2000
  more than 3 million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries
  are banking, wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main
  agricultural products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of
  output and standard of living are comparable to those of the most
  prosperous regions of Italy, which supplies much of its food.

Sao Tome and Principe
  This small, poor island economy has become
  increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa
  production has substantially declined in recent years because of
  drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices helped boost
  export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most
  manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of
  food. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external
  debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt
  rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in
  December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
  program, and is expected to benefit from an additional round of HIPC
  debt relief in early 2006, to help bring down the country's $300
  million debt burden. In August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new
  3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program
  worth $4.3 million. Considerable potential exists for development of
  a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand
  facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to
  reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about
  the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in
  the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a
  60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in
  2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao
  Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for
  almost a year. Real GDP growth reached 6% in 2004, and also probably
  in 2005, as a result of increases in public expenditures and
  oil-related capital investment.

Saudi Arabia
  This is an oil-based economy with strong government
  controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25%
  of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest
  exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The
  petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of
  GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the
  private sector. Roughly 5.5 million foreign workers play an
  important role in the Saudi economy, particularly, in the oil and
  service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth
  to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment
  opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government has
  begun to permit private sector and foreign investor participation in
  the power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to
  attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia
  acceded to the WTO in 2005 after many years of negotiations. With
  high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget
  surpluses, Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on
  job training and education, infrastructure development, and
  government salaries.

Senegal
  In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious
  economic reform program with the support of the international donor
  community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's
  currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the
  French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been
  steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in
  1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform
  program, with real growth in GDP averaging over 5% annually during
  1995-2004. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single
  digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union
  (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with
  a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy.
  However, Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance.
  Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief
  program, Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its
  bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt.

Serbia
  MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended
  period of economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's
  infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left
  the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of
  former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the
  Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government
  implemented stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform
  program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000,
  a down-sized Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the
  international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the
  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World
  Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June
  2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. In November
  2001, the Paris Club agreed to reschedule the country's $4.5 billion
  public debt and wrote off 66% of the debt. In July 2004, the London
  Club of private creditors forgave $1.7 billion of debt, just over
  half the total owed. Belgrade has made only minimal progress in
  restructuring and privatizing its holdings in major sectors of the
  economy, including energy and telecommunications. It has made
  halting progress towards EU membership and is currently pursuing a
  Stabilization and Association Agreement with Brussels. Serbia is
  also pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization.
  Unemployment remains an ongoing political and economic problem. The
  Republic of Montenegro severed its economy from Serbia during the
  MILOSEVIC era; therefore, the formal separation of Serbia and
  Montenegro in June 2006 had little real impact on either economy.
  Kosovo's economy continues to transition to a market-based system
  and is largely dependent on the international community and the
  diaspora for financial and technical assistance. The euro and the
  Yugoslav dinar are both accepted currencies in Kosovo. While
  maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU
  and Kosovo's local provisional government to accelerate economic
  growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment to help
  Kosovo integrate into regional economic structures. The complexity
  of Serbia and Kosovo's political and legal relationships has created
  uncertainty over property rights and hindered the privatization of
  state-owned assets in Kosovo. Most of Kosovo's population lives in
  rural towns outside of the largest city, Pristina. Inefficient,
  near-subsistence farming is common.
  note: economic data for Serbia currently reflects information for
  the former Serbia and Montenegro, unless otherwise noted; data for
  Serbia alone will be added when available

Seychelles
  Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this
  Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old
  near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector,
  which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than
  70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years
  the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade
  hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has
  moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the
  development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
  Sharp drops illustrated the vulnerability of the tourist sector in
  1991-92 due largely to the Gulf War, and once again following the 11
  September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. Growth slowed in
  1998-2002, and fell in 2003, due to sluggish tourist and tuna
  sectors, but resumed in 2004, erasing a persistent budget deficit.
  Growth turned negative again in 2005. Tight controls on exchange
  rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have impaired short-term
  economic prospects. The black-market value of the Seychelles rupee
  is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the
  currency, the tourist sector may remain sluggish as vacationers seek
  cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar.

Sierra Leone
  Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with
  tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses
  substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its
  economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and
  serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development.
  About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in
  subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the
  processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the
  domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of
  hard currency earnings, accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's
  exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of
  domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from
  abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and
  supplement government revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty
  Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic
  growth and reduce inflation. A recent increase in political
  stability has led to a revival of economic activity, such as the
  rehabilitation of bauxite mining.

Singapore
  Singapore, a highly-developed and successful free-market
  economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment,
  stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the four
  largest West European countries. The economy depends heavily on
  exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard
  hit in 2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the
  technology sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory
  Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending.
  The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be
  less vulnerable to the external business cycle and will continue
  efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and
  high-tech hub. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in
  exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004,
  with real GDP rising by 8% - by far the economy's best performance
  since 2000 - but growth slowed to 5.7% in 2005.

Slovakia
  Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from
  a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA
  government made excellent progress during 2001-04 in macroeconomic
  stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly
  complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands,
  and the government has helped facilitate a foreign investment boom
  with business-friendly policies, such as labor market liberalization
  and a 19% flat tax. Foreign investment in the automotive sector has
  been strong. Slovakia's economic growth exceeded expectations in
  2001-05, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an
  unacceptable 18% in 2003-04, dropped to 16.4% in 2005, but remains
  the economy's Achilles heel. Slovakia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

Slovenia
  With its small transition economy and population of
  approximately two million, Slovenia is a model of economic success
  and stability for its neighbors in the former Yugoslavia. The
  country, which joined the EU in 2004, has excellent infrastructure,
  a well-educated work force, and an excellent central location. It
  enjoys a GDP per capita substantially higher than any of the other
  transitioning economies of Central Europe. In March 2004, Slovenia
  became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status
  to donor partner at the World Bank. Slovenia plans to adopt the euro
  by 2007 and has met the EU's Maastricht criteria for inflation.
  Despite its economic success, Slovenia faces growing challenges.
  Much of the economy remains in state hands and foreign direct
  investment (FDI) in Slovenia is one of the lowest in the EU on a per
  capita basis. Taxes are relatively high, the labor market is often
  seen as inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more
  competitive firms in China, India, and elsewhere. The current
  center-right government, elected in October 2004, has pledged to
  accelerate privatization of a number of large state holdings and is
  interested in increasing FDI in Slovenia. In late 2005, the
  government's new Committee for Economic Reforms was elevated to
  cabinet-level status. The Committee's program includes plans for
  lowering the tax burden, privatizing state-controlled firms,
  improving the flexibility of the labor market, and increasing the
  government's efficiency.

Solomon Islands
  The bulk of the population depends on agriculture,
  fishing, and forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most
  manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The
  islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead,
  zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional
  Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic
  violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government
  treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return
  to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest
  growth as the economy rebuilds.

Somalia
  Somalia's economic fortunes are driven by its deep political
  divisions. The northwestern area has declared its independence as
  the "Republic of Somaliland"; the northeastern region of Puntland is
  a semi-autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is
  riddled with the struggles of rival factions. Economic life
  continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively
  easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with
  livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of
  export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's ban on Somali livestock, due to
  Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads
  and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their
  livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock,
  hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports,
  while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the
  principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the
  processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and
  sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service
  sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms
  provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest
  international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a
  formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted
  throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion
  in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of
  goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to
  operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing civil
  disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any
  broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements.
  Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to grow in 2005. Statistics
  on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be
  viewed skeptically. In late December 2004, a major tsunami caused an
  estimated 150 deaths and resulted in destruction of property in
  coastal areas.

South Africa
  South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with
  an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial,
  legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock
  exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern
  infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to
  major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not
  been strong enough to lower South Africa's high unemployment rate,
  and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era -
  especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the
  disadvantaged groups. South African economic policy is fiscally
  conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and
  liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household
  income.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  Some fishing takes
  place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from
  harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from
  postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and
  harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from
  specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.

Southern Ocean
  Fisheries in 2003-04 landed 136,262 metric tons, of
  which 87% (118,166 tons) was krill and 8% (11,182 tons) Patagonian
  toothfish, compared to 142,555 tons in 2002-03 of which 83% (117,728
  tons) was krill and 12% (16,479 tons) Patagonian toothfish
  (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention of the
  Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which
  extends slightly beyond the Southern Ocean area). International
  agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported,
  and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one
  estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish.
  In the 2004-05 Antarctic summer 28,202 tourists, most of them
  seaborne (approximately 97%), visited the Southern Ocean and
  Antarctica, compared to 14,762 in 1999-2000.

Spain
  The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging five
  percent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early
  1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994.
  Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita
  basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The
  center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully
  worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching
  the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR
  administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization,
  and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to
  that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration
  but remains high at 10.1%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003, 2.6% in 2004, and
  3.4% in 2005 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering
  European economy. The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has
  initiated economic and social reforms that are generally popular
  among the masses of people, but that are anathema to religious and
  other conservative elements. Adjusting to the monetary and other
  economic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment,
  and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges to
  Spain over the next few years.

Spratly Islands
  Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing.
  The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins
  suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is
  largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential
  reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Sri Lanka
  In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and
  its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies
  and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are
  food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages,
  telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2003, plantation
  crops made up only 15% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while
  textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average
  annual rate of about 5.5% in the 1990s, but 2001 saw the first
  contraction in the country's history, by 1.4%, due to a combination
  of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown,
  and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to 5% between 2002 and
  2005. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East.
  They send home about $1 billion a year. The struggle by the Tamil
  Tigers of the north and east for a largely independent homeland
  continues to cast a shadow over the economy. In late December 2004,
  a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300
  missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5
  billion worth of property.

Sudan
  Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound
  economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces
  formidable economic problems, starting from its low level of per
  capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF
  macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and
  in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which,
  along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate.
  Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded
  export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at 8.6% in 2004.
  Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important sector,
  employing 80% of the work force, contributing 39% of GDP, and
  accounting for most of GDP growth, but most farms remain rain-fed
  and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - resulting from the
  long-standing civil war between the Muslim north and the
  Christian/pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural
  prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below
  the poverty line for years.

Suriname
  The economy is dominated by the mining industry, which
  accounts for more than a third of GDP and subjects government
  revenues to mineral price volatility. The short-term economic
  outlook depends on the government's ability to control inflation and
  on the development of projects in the bauxite and gold mining
  sectors. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will
  depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal
  policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize
  markets and promote competition. The government of Ronald VENETIAAN,
  in his first term, implemented an austerity program, raised taxes,
  and attempted to control spending. Economic policies are likely to
  remain the same during VENETIAAN's second term. Prospects for local
  onshore oil production are good, as a drilling program is underway.
  Offshore oil drilling was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil
  Company (Staatsolie) signed exploration agreements with Repsol,
  Mearsk, and Occidental.

Svalbard
  Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The
  treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to
  exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although
  US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past,
  the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The
  settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian
  state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian
  population on the island, runs many of the local services, and
  provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some
  hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox.

Swaziland
  In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture
  occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector
  has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain
  important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in
  importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines
  remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short
  border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South
  Africa from which it receives about nine-tenths of its imports and
  to which it sends nearly two-thirds of its exports. Customs duties
  from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from
  South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income.
  The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign
  investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes
  floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of
  the population needed emergency food aid in 2004-05 because of
  drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been
  infected by HIV/AIDS.

Sweden
  Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th
  century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a
  mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits.
  It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external
  communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and
  iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented
  toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of
  industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50%
  of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and
  of jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted
  in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more
  than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, declining
  revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the
  Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of
  2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003, but picked up in 2004 and
  2005. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish
  workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September
  2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system,
  concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty.

Switzerland
  Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern
  market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force,
  and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European
  economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic
  practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their
  international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safehaven for
  investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and
  has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the
  anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to
  about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise
  to 1.8% in 2004-05. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than
  half the EU average.

Syria
  The Syrian Government estimates the economy grew by 4.5
  percent in real terms in 2005, led by the petroleum and agricultural
  sectors, which together account for about half of GDP. Economic
  performance and the exchange rate on the informal market were hit by
  international political developments following the assassination in
  February of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI and the
  specter of international sanctions. Higher crude oil prices
  countered declining oil production and exports and helped to narrow
  the budget deficit and widen the current account surplus. The
  Government of Syria has implemented modest economic reforms in the
  last few years, including cutting interest rates, opening private
  banks, consolidating some of the multiple exchange rates, and
  raising prices on some subsidized foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the
  economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run
  economic constraints include declining oil production and exports,
  increasing pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population
  growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.

Taiwan
  Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually
  decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government
  authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large,
  government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized.
  Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The
  trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's
  third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down
  from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast
  Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export
  market and, in 2005, Taiwan's third-largest source of imports after
  Japan and the US. Taiwan has benefited from cross-Strait economic
  integration and a sharp increase in world demand to achieve
  substantial growth in its export sector and a seven-year-high real
  GDP growth of 6.1% in 2004. However, excess inventory, higher
  international oil prices, and rising interest rates dampened
  consumption in developed markets, and GDP growth dropped to 3.8% in
  2005. The service sector, which accounts for 69% of Taiwan's GDP,
  has continued to expand, while unemployment and inflation rates have
  declined.

Tajikistan
  Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among
  the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 6% of the land area is arable;
  cotton is the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but
  limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten.
  Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower
  facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry
  and food processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the
  already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in
  industrial and agricultural production. Even though 64% of its
  people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has
  experienced steady economic growth since 1997, but experienced a
  slight drop in its growth rate to 8% in 2005 from 10.6% in 2004.
  Continued privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises
  would further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic
  situation, however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of
  structural reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and
  the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached
  with Russia in December 2002, including a $250 million write-off of
  Tajikistan's $300 million debt to Russia. Tajikistan ranks third in
  the world in terms of water resources per head. A proposed
  investment to finish the hydropower dams Rogun and Sangtuda would
  substantially add to electricity production. If finished, Rogun will
  be the world's tallest dam.

Tanzania
  Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The
  economy depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for almost
  half of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work
  force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated
  crops to only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured
  the processing of agricultural products and light consumer goods.
  The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral
  donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date
  economic infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Long-term growth
  through 2005 featured a pickup in industrial production and a
  substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Recent
  banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and
  investment. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic
  policies supported real GDP growth of more than 6% in 2005.

Thailand
  With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise
  economy, and pro-investment policies, Thailand appears to have fully
  recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis. The country was
  one of East Asia's best performers in 2002-04. Boosted by increased
  consumption and strong export growth, the Thai economy grew 6.9% in
  2003 and 6.1% in 2004 despite a sluggish global economy. Bangkok has
  pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in
  an effort to boost exports and to maintain high growth. In 2004,
  Thailand and the US began negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement. In
  late December 2004, a major tsunami took 8,500 lives in Thailand and
  caused massive destruction of property in the southern provinces of
  Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket. Growth slowed to 4.4% in 2005. The
  downturn can be attributed to high oil prices, weaker demand from
  Western markets, severe drought in rural regions, tsunami-related
  declines in tourism, and lower consumer confidence. Moreover, the
  THAKSIN administration's expansionist economic policies, including
  plans for multi-billion-dollar mega-projects in infrastructure and
  social development, has raised concerns about fiscal discipline and
  the health of financial institutions. On the positive side, the Thai
  economy performed well beginning in the third quarter of 2005.
  Export-oriented manufacturing - in particular automobile production
  - and farm output are driving these gains. In 2006, the economy
  should benefit from an influx of investment and a revived tourism
  sector; however, a possible avian flu epidemic could significantly
  harm economic prospects throughout the region.

Togo
  This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both
  commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment
  for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be
  imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export
  earnings, with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is
  the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate. The government's
  decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to
  implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment,
  and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly.
  Progress depends on follow-through on privatization, increased
  openness in government financial operations, progress toward
  legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors.
  Togo is working with donors to write a PRGF that could eventually
  lead to a debt reduction plan.

Tokelau
  Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack
  of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine
  agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid
  from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public
  services, with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The
  principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage
  stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to
  families from relatives in New Zealand.

Tonga
  Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a
  narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas,
  and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make
  up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high
  proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains
  dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities
  overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest
  source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The
  government is emphasizing the development of the private sector,
  especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing
  increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably
  sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High
  unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation,
  pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service
  expenditures are major issues facing the government.

Trinidad and Tobago
  Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean
  producer of oil and gas, has earned a reputation as an excellent
  investment site for international businesses. Tourism is a growing
  sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other
  Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a
  growing trade surplus. Prospects for growth in 2006 are good as
  prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas are
  expected to remain high, and foreign direct investment continues to
  grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The
  government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

Tunisia
  Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural,
  mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental
  control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened
  over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification
  of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive
  social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia
  relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9%
  in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism.
  Better rains in 2003 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth
  to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of
  combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to
  trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of
  the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in
  government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among
  the challenges ahead.

Turkey
  Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry
  and commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that still
  accounts for more than 35% of employment. It has a strong and
  rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major
  role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The
  largest industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts
  for one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition
  in international markets with the end of the global quota system.
  However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electronics
  industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix.
  Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong
  expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994,
  1999, and 2001. The economy is turning around with the
  implementation of economic reforms, and 2004 GDP growth reached 9%.
  Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low. Despite the strong
  economic gains in 2002-05, which were largely due to renewed
  investor interest in emerging markets, IMF backing, and tighter
  fiscal policy, the economy is still burdened by a high current
  account deficit and high debt. The public sector fiscal deficit
  exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large part to high interest payments,
  which accounted for about 37% of central government spending in
  2004. Prior to 2005, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey
  averaged less than $1 billion annually, but further economic and
  judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost
  FDI. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21 billion.

Turkmenistan
  Turkmenistan is a largely desert country with intensive
  agriculture in irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources.
  One-half of its irrigated land is planted in cotton; formerly it was
  the world's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years
  have led to an almost 50% decline in cotton exports. With an
  authoritarian ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally based
  social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to
  economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its
  inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain limited. In
  1998-2005, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate
  export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive
  short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports
  rose by 20% to 30% per year in 2003-2005, largely because of higher
  international oil and gas prices. In 2005, Ashgabat sought to raise
  natural gas export prices to its main customers, Russia and Ukraine,
  from $44 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $66 per tcm. Overall
  prospects in the near future are discouraging because of widespread
  internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, the government's
  irrational use of oil and gas revenues, and its unwillingness to
  adopt market-oriented reforms. Turkmenistan's economic statistics
  are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide
  margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain.

Turks and Caicos Islands
  The Turks and Caicos economy is based on
  tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital
  goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the
  leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the
  annual 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of
  government revenue also include fees from offshore financial
  activities and customs receipts.

Tuvalu
  Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of
  nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral
  resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the
  primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average,
  visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the
  sale of stamps and coins and remittances from seamen on merchant
  ships abroad. About 1,000 Tuvaluans are being repatriated from
  Nauru, with the decline of phosphate resources there. Substantial
  income is received annually from an international trust fund
  established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also
  by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and
  conservative withdrawals, this fund has grown from an initial $17
  million to over $35 million in 1999. The US Government is also a
  major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988
  treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence on
  foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms,
  including privatization of some government functions and personnel
  cuts of up to 7%. Tuvalu derives around $1.5 million per year from
  the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. With merchandise
  exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance
  must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees,
  remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income
  from overseas investments.

Uganda
  Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile
  soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and
  cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy,
  employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk
  of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of
  foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to
  rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency
  reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices
  of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy
  changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting
  production and export earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned
  in a solid performance based on continued investment in the
  rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production
  and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic
  security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. In
  2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries
  (HIPC) debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief
  worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC
  debt relief added up to about $2 billion. Growth for 2001-02 was
  solid despite continued decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's
  principal export. Growth in 2003-05 reflected an upturn in Uganda's
  export markets.

Ukraine
  After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the
  most important economic component of the former Soviet Union,
  producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic.
  Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet
  agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities
  of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise,
  its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for
  example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and
  mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the
  former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially
  natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements.
  Shortly after independence was ratified in December 1991, the
  Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal
  framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform
  within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform
  efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to
  less than 40% of the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed
  inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's
  dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant
  structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to
  external shocks. A dispute with Russia over pricing led to a
  temporary gas cut-off; Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in
  January 2006, which almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for
  Russian gas, and could cost the Ukrainian economy $1.4-2.2 billion
  and cause GDP growth to fall 3-4%. Ukrainian government officials
  eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget
  law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow
  economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting
  corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the
  legislative framework for businesses. Reforms in the more
  politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land
  privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly
  the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of
  reforms. GDP growth was 2.4% in 2005, down from 12.4% in 2004. The
  current account surplus reached $2.2 billion in 2005. The
  privatization of the Kryvoryzhstal steelworks in late 2005 produced
  $4.8 billion in windfall revenue for the government. Some of the
  proceeds were used to finance the budget deficit, some to
  recapitalize two state banks, some to retire public debt, and the
  rest may be used to finance future deficits.

United Arab Emirates
  The UAE has an open economy with a high per
  capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is
  based on oil and gas output (about 30% of GDP), and the fortunes of
  the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since
  the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has
  undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of
  small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard
  of living. At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves
  should last for more than 100 years. The government has increased
  spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening
  up its utilities to greater private sector involvement. Higher oil
  revenue, strong liquidity, and cheap credit in 2005 led to a surge
  in asset prices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. Any
  sharp correction to the UAE's equity markets could damage investor
  and consumer sentiment and affect bank asset quality. In April 2004,
  the UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA)
  with Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake
  negotiations toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.

United Kingdom
  The UK, a leading trading power and financial center,
  is one of the quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western
  Europe. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly
  reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare
  programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient
  by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less
  than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and
  oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one
  of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services,
  particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by
  far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to
  decline in importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-03 as the global
  downturn, the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the "new
  economy" bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Output recovered in
  2004, to 3.2% growth, but fell in 2005, to 1.7%. Despite slower
  growth, the economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation,
  interest rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good
  economic performance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts
  to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and
  Monetary Union (EMU). Critics point out that the economy is doing
  well outside of EMU, and public opinion polls show a majority of
  Britons are opposed to the euro. Meantime, the government has been
  speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health
  services, at a cost in higher taxes and a widening public deficit.

United States
  The US has the largest and most technologically
  powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $42,000. In
  this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms
  make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments
  buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private
  marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their
  counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand
  capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new
  products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their
  rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US
  firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances,
  especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military
  equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War
  II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual
  development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the
  bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of
  those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay
  raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975,
  practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top
  20% of households. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11
  September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. The
  war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the
  subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in national
  resources to the military. The rise in GDP in 2004 and 2005 was
  undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity. Hurricane
  Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August
  2005, but had a small impact on overall GDP growth for the year.
  Soaring oil prices in 2005 and 2006 threatened inflation and
  unemployment, yet the economy continued to grow through mid-2006.
  Imported oil accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption.
  Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic
  infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging
  population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of
  family income in the lower economic groups.

Uruguay
  Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an
  export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and
  high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5%
  annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major
  downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the
  economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For
  instance, in 2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars
  deposited in Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan
  peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four
  years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the
  banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002,
  inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled.
  Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. A debt swap with
  private-sector creditors in 2003 extended the maturity dates on
  nearly half of Uruguay's then $11.3 billion of public debt and
  helped restore public confidence. The economy grew about 10% in 2004
  as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a
  competitive peso, growth in the region, and low international
  interest rates, but slowed to 6.1% in 2005.

Uzbekistan
  Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 11%
  consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than
  60% of its population lives in densely populated rural communities.
  Uzbekistan is now the world's second-largest cotton exporter and
  fifth largest producer; it relies heavily on cotton production as
  the major source of export earnings. Other major export earners
  include gold, natural gas, and oil. Following independence in
  September 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style
  command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and
  prices. While aware of the need to improve the investment climate,
  the government still sponsors measures that often increase, not
  decrease, its control over business decisions. A sharp increase in
  the inequality of income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of
  society since independence. In 2003, the government accepted the
  obligations of Article VIII under the International Monetary Fund
  (IMF), providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict
  currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the
  effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that
  have further stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often
  delays or restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods.
  Potential investment by Russia and China in Uzbekistan's gas and oil
  industry would increase economic growth prospects. In November 2005,
  Russian President Vladimir PUTIN and Uzbekistan President KARIMOV
  signed an "alliance" treaty, which included provisions for economic
  and business cooperation. Russian businesses have shown increased
  interest in Uzbekistan, especially in mining, telecom, and oil and
  gas. In December 2005, the Russians opened a "Trade House" to
  support and develop Russian-Uzbek business and economic ties.

Vanuatu
  This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on
  small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the
  population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with
  about 50,000 visitors in 2004, are other mainstays of the economy.
  Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum
  deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market.
  Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is
  hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports,
  vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main
  markets and between constituent islands. GDP growth rose less than
  3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the
  government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore
  financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to
  boost tourism. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a
  second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main
  suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.

Venezuela
  Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the
  petroleum sector, accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around
  80% of export earnings, and over half of government operating
  revenues. Government revenue also has been bolstered by increased
  tax collection, which has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by
  almost 50%. Tax revenue is the primary source of non-oil revenue,
  which accounts for 53% of the 2006 budget. A disastrous two-month
  national oil strike, from December 2002 to February 2003,
  temporarily halted economic activity. The economy remained in
  depression in 2003, declining by 9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002.
  Output recovered strongly in 2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and
  strong consumption growth. Venezuela continues to be an important
  source of crude oil for the US market. Both inflation and
  unemployment remain fundamental problems.

Vietnam
  Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in
  the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the
  loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the
  rigidities of a centrally-planned economy. Substantial progress was
  achieved from 1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low
  level of development and significantly reducing poverty. Growth
  averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian
  financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy
  and temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress toward
  a market-oriented economy. GDP growth averaged 6.8% per year from
  1997 to 2004 even against the background of the Asian financial
  crisis and a global recession, and growth hit 8% in 2005. Since
  2001, however, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their
  commitment to economic liberalization and international integration.
  They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to
  modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven
  industries. Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
  and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in
  December 2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade
  and economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US doubled in 2002 and
  again in 2003. Vietnam hopes to become a member of the WTO in 2006.
  Among other benefits, accession would allow Vietnam to take
  advantage of the phase out of the Agreement on Textiles and
  Clothing, which eliminated quotas on textiles and clothing for WTO
  partners on 1 January 2005. Agriculture's share of economic output
  has continued to shrink, from about 25% in 2000 to 21% in 2005. Deep
  poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per
  day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of
  China, India, and the Philippines. Vietnam is working to promote job
  creation to keep up with the country's high population growth rate.
  However, high levels of inflation have prompted Vietnamese
  authorities to tighten monetary and fiscal policies.

Virgin Islands
  Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting
  for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million
  visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum
  refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch
  assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being
  imported. International business and financial services are small
  but growing components of the economy. One of the world's largest
  petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to
  substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve
  fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private
  sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to
  protect the environment.

Wake Island
  Economic activity is limited to providing services to
  military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food
  and manufactured goods must be imported.

Wallis and Futuna
  The economy is limited to traditional subsistence
  agriculture, with about 80% labor force earnings from agriculture
  (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing.
  About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come
  from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to
  Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate
  workers in New Caledonia.

West Bank
  The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the
  Palestinian Authority (PA)- has experienced a general decline in
  economic growth and a degradation in economic conditions made worse
  since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has
  been largely the result of the Israeli closure policies - the
  imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in
  Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships.
  In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures
  in PA areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant, the
  disruption of administrative structure, and widespread business
  closures. Including the Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than
  100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israeli
  settlements, or in joint industrial zones, have lost their jobs.
  International aid of $2 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in
  2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some
  reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high
  unemployment and limited trade opportunities, due to continued
  closures both within the West Bank and externally, stymied growth.

Western Sahara
  Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing,
  and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the
  population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable
  agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban
  population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities
  are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests
  in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western
  Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of
  living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.

World
  Global output rose by 4.4% in 2005, led by China (9.3%), India
  (7.6%), and Russia (5.9%). The other 14 successor nations of the
  USSR and the other old Warsaw Pact nations again experienced widely
  divergent growth rates; the three Baltic nations continued as strong
  performers, in the 7% range of growth. Growth results posted by the
  major industrial countries varied from no gain for Italy to a strong
  gain by the United States (3.5%). The developing nations also varied
  in their growth results, with many countries facing population
  increases that erode gains in output. Externally, the nation-state,
  as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing
  control over international flows of people, goods, funds, and
  technology. Internally, the central government often finds its
  control over resources slipping as separatist regional movements -
  typically based on ethnicity - gain momentum, e.g., in many of the
  successor states of the former Soviet Union, in the former
  Yugoslavia, in India, in Iraq, in Indonesia, and in Canada.
  Externally, the central government is losing decisionmaking powers
  to international bodies, notably the EU. In Western Europe,
  governments face the difficult political problem of channeling
  resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment
  and strengthen incentives to seek employment. The addition of 80
  million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is
  exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification,
  underemployment, epidemics, and famine. Because of their own
  internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries
  devote insufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer
  areas of the world, which, at least from an economic point of view,
  are becoming further marginalized. The introduction of the euro as
  the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while
  paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, poses economic
  risks because of varying levels of income and cultural and political
  differences among the participating nations. The terrorist attacks
  on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuated a further growing risk to
  global prosperity, illustrated, for example, by the reallocation of
  resources away from investment to anti-terrorist programs. The
  opening of war in March 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq
  added new uncertainties to global economic prospects. After the
  coalition victory, the complex political difficulties and the high
  economic cost of establishing domestic order in Iraq became major
  global problems that continued into 2006.

Yemen
  Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, has
  reported meager growth since 2000. Its economic fortunes depend
  mostly on oil. Oil revenues increased in 2005 due to higher prices.
  Yemen was on an IMF-supported structural adjustment program designed
  to modernize and streamline the economy, which led to substantial
  foreign debt relief and restructuring. However, government
  dedication to the program waned in 2001 for political reasons. Yemen
  is struggling to control excessive spending and rampant corruption.
  The people have grown increasingly upset over the economic
  situation. In July 2005, a reduction in fuel subsidies sparked
  riots; over 20 Yemenis were killed and hundreds were injured.

Zambia
  Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform,
  Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 6%-7% needed to
  reduce poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned
  copper mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses
  generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for
  copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth.
  Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher
  copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was
  again good in 2005, helping boost GDP and agricultural exports.
  Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to
  reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in
  the second quarter of 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut
  inflation, but Zambia still has a serious problem with high public
  debt.

Zimbabwe
  The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of
  difficult economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable
  fiscal deficit, an overvalued exchange rate, soaring inflation, and
  bare shelves. Its 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic
  Republic of the Congo, for example, drained hundreds of millions of
  dollars from the economy. Badly needed support from the IMF has been
  suspended because of the government's arrears on past loans, which
  it began repaying in 2005. The official annual inflation rate rose
  from 32% in 1998, to 133% at the end of 2004, and 585% at the end of
  2005, although private sector estimates put the figure much higher.
  Meanwhile, the official exchange rate fell from 24 Zimbabwean
  dollars per US dollar in 1998 to 96,000 in mid-January 2006. The
  government's land reform program, characterized by chaos and
  violence, has badly damaged the commercial farming sector, the
  traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider
  of 400,000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food
  products.

Algeria
condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas
2,213 km; oil 6,496 km (2005)

Angola
gas 235 km; liquid petroleum gas 122 km; oil 867 km;
oil/gas/water 5 km (2006)

Argentina
gas 29,804 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 10,373 km;
refined products 8,540 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2006)

Australia
condensate/gas 546 km; gas 31,323 km; liquid petroleum gas
240 km; oil 4,808 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2006)

Bolivia
gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km;
refined products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2006)

Brazil
condensate/gas 244 km; gas 11,669 km; liquid petroleum gas
341 km; oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2006)

Chile
gas 2,567 km; gas/lpg 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil
1,003 km; refined products 757 km; unknown (oil/water) 97 km (2006)

Ecuador
extra heavy crude 578 km; gas 71 km; oil 1,386 km; refined
products 1,185 km (2006)

Egypt
  condensate 464 km; condensate/gas 94 km; gas 6,021 km; liquid
  petroleum gas 897 km; oil 5,120 km; oil/gas/water 36 km; refined
  products 897 km (2006)

Equatorial Guinea condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006)

Germany
condensate 37 km; gas 25,035 km; oil 3,546 km; refined
products 3,827 km (2006)

India
condensate/gas 8 km; gas 5,184 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,993
km; oil 6,500 km; refined products 6,152 km (2006)

Indonesia
condensate 944 km; condensate/gas 135 km; gas 9,175 km;
oil 7,684 km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)

Iran
condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 17,099 km; liquid
petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006)

Iraq
gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km;
refined products 1,637 km (2006)

Kazakhstan
condensate 658 km; gas 11,019 km; oil 10,338 km; refined
products 1,095 km (2006)

Malaysia
condensate 282 km; gas 5,372 km; oil 1,715 km;
oil/gas/water 19 km; refined products 114 km (2006)

Mexico
gas 22,705 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,875 km; oil 8,688 km;
oil/gas/water 228 km; refined products 6,520 km (2006)

Netherlands
condensate 81 km; gas 7,229 km; oil 578 km; refined
products 716 km (2006)

New Zealand
condensate 224 km; gas 1,693 km; liquid petroleum gas 45
km; oil 280 km; refined products 288 km (2006)

Nigeria
condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas 125
km; oil 4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)

Norway
condensate 508 km; gas 5,910 km; oil 2,557 km; oil/gas/water
746 km (2006)

Peru
gas 983 km; gas/lpg 61 km; liquid natural gas 106 km; liquid
petroleum gas 517 km; oil 1,754 km; refined products 13 km (2006)

Qatar
condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid
petroleum gas 87 km; oil 844 km (2006)

Russia
condensate 122 km; gas 156,285 km; oil 72,283 km; refined
products 13,658 km (2006)

Saudi Arabia
condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas
1,183 km; oil 4,531 km; refined products 1,150 km (2006)

South Africa
condensate 100 km; gas 1,062 km; oil 966 km; refined
products 1,354 km (2006)

United Arab Emirates
  condensate 520 km; gas 2,580 km; liquid
  petroleum gas 300 km; oil 2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined
  products 156 km (2006)

United Kingdom
  condensate 565 km; condensate/gas 6 km; gas 21,575
  km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,094 km; oil/gas/water 161 km;
  refined products 4,444 km (2006)

Venezuela
extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,369 km; oil 7,607 km;
refined products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2006)

Vietnam
condensate/gas 432 km; gas 163 km; oil 50 km; refined
products 206 km (2006)

Afghanistan
  note - includes only political parties approved by the
  Ministry of Justice: Afghan Millat [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; De
  Afghanistan De Solay Ghorzang Gond [Shahnawaz TANAI]; De Afghanistan
  De Solay Mili Islami Gond [Shah Mahmood Polal ZAI]; Harakat-e-Islami
  Afghanistan [Mohammad Asif MOHSINEE];
  Hezb-e-Aarman-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Iihaj Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE];
  Hezb-e-Aazadee Afghanistan [Abdul MALIK]; Hezb-e-Adalat-e-Islami
  Afghanistan [Mohammad Kabeer MARZBAN]; Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Wahid
  [Mohammad Wasil RAHEEMEE]; Hezb-e-Afghan Watan Islami Gond;
  Hezb-e-Congra-e-Mili Afghanistan [Latif PEDRAM];
  Hezb-e-Falah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad ZAREEF];
  Hezb-e-Hambastagee Mili Jawanan-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Jamil
  KARZAI]; Hezb-e-Hamnbatagee-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Khaleq NEMAT];
  Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Nadir AATASH];
  Hezb-e-Harak-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ilhaj Said Hssain
  ANWARY]; Hezb-e-Ifazat Az Uqoq-e-Bashar Wa Inkishaf-e-Afghanistan
  [Baryalai NASRATEE]; Hezb-e-Istiqlal-e-Afghanistan [Dr. Gh. Farooq
  NIJZRABEE]; Hezb-e-Jamhoree Khwahan [Sibghatullah SANJAR];
  Hezb-e-Kar Wa Tawsiha-e-Afghanistan [Zulfiar OMID];
  Hezb-e-Libral-e-Aazadee Khwa-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ajmal SOHAIL];
  Hezb-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed AARYAN]; Hezb-e-Mili
  Wahdat-e-Aqwam-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANEE];
  Hezb-e-Nuhzhat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Ahmad Wali MASOUD];
  Hezb-e-Paiwand-e-Mili Afghanistan [Said Mansoor NADIRI];
  Hezb-e-Rastakhaiz-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Said ZAHIR];
  Hezb-e-Refah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASEEQ];
  Hezb-e-Risalat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Noor Aqa ROEEN];
  Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ];
  Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mili Wa Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Usman
  SALIGZADA]; Hezb-e-Sulh-e-Mili Islami Aqwam-e-Afghanistan [Abdul
  Qahir SHARYATEE]; Hezb-e-Sulh Wa Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul
  Qadir IMAMEE]; Hezb-e-Tafahum-e-Wa Democracy Afghanistan [Ahamad
  SHAHEEN]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim
  KHALILI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ustad
  Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed
  JALILI]; Jamahat-ul-Dahwat ilal Qurhan-wa-Sunat-ul-Afghanistan
  [Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Jombesh-e Milli [Abdul Rashid
  DOSTAM]; Mahaz-e-Mili Islami Afghanistan [Said Ahmad GAILANEE];
  Majmah-e-Mili Fahaleen-e-Sulh-e-Afghanistan [Shams ul Haq Noor
  SHAMS]; Nuhzat-e-Aazadee Wa Democracy Afghanistan [Abdul Raqeeb
  Jawid KUHISTANEE]; Nuhzat-e-Hambastagee Mili Afghanistan [Peer Said
  Ishaq GAILANEE]; Sazman-e-Islami Afghanistan-e-Jawan [Siad Jawad
  HUSSAINEE]; Tahreek Wahdat-e-Mili [Sultan Mahmood DHAZI] (30 Sep
  2004)

Albania
  Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI];
  Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI]; Communist Party of
  Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or DAP
  [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality
  Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or PBL
  [Arjan STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or BNK
  [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party
  of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party
  or PDRN [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU];
  Social Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party
  or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI
  [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]; Union for Human
  Rights Party or PBDNj [Vangjel DULE]

Algeria
  Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National
  Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed
  OUYAHIA, secretary general]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS
  (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR];
  National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National
  Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general];
  National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah
  DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE];
  Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and
  Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda
  Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait
  AHMED, secretary general]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed
  KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI];
  Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN]
  note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted
  in March 1997

American Samoa
Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party
[Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO]

Andorra
  Andorran Democratic Center Party or CDA (formerly Democratic
  Party or PD); Century 21 or S21 [Enric TARRADO]; Liberal Party of
  Andorra or PLA (formerly Liberal Union or UL) [Albert PINTAT];
  Social Democratic Party or PS (formerly part of National Democratic
  Group or AND) [Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY]

Angola
  Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA];
  National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [disputed
  leadership: Lucas NGONDA, Holden ROBERTO]; National Union for the
  Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Isaias SAMAKUVA] (largest
  opposition party); Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or
  MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS] (ruling party in power since 1975);
  Social Renewal Party or PRS [disputed leadership: Eduardo KUANGANA,
  Antonio MUACHICUNGO]
  note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections
  but only won a few seats; they and the other 115 smaller parties
  have little influence in the National Assembly

Anguilla
  Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The
  Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a
  coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla
  National Alliance or ANA; Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy
  ROGERS]; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD]

Antigua and Barbuda
  Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD];
  Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; National
  Democratic Congress [Tillman THOMAS]; United Progressive Party or
  UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties -
  Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor
  Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP)

Argentina
  Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa
  CARRIO]; Front for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque
  Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties
  including RECREAR); Justicialist Front or FJ [Eduardo DUHALDE];
  Justicialist Party or PJ (Peronist umbrella political organization);
  Radical Civic Union or UCR [Roberto IGLESIAS]; Republican Initiative
  Alliance or PRO (including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR
  [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY] and Commitment for Change or CPC [Mauricio
  MACRI]); Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All
  [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial parties

Armenia
  Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALYAN]; Armenia Party
  [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex
  ARZUMANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK
  [Harutyun MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation
  ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Levon MKRTCHYAN]; Democratic Party [Aram
  SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party,
  National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, the People's
  Party, and the Republic Party) [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; National
  Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or
  NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Revival Party [Albert BAZEYAN];
  National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN, chairman]; People's Party
  of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN,
  chairman]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARGARYAN]; Rule of Law
  Party [Samvel BALASANYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant
  KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN]

Aruba
  Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban
  Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic
  Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA
  [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's
  Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy
  or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform
  or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]

Australia
  Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob
  BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party
  [Jodeen CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party
  [John Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [Mark VAILE]

Austria
  Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Joerg HAIDER];
  Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party
  of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic
  Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander
  VAN DER BELLEN]

Azerbaijan
  Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF [Ali KARIMLI, leader of
  "Reform" faction; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU, leader of "Classic"
  faction]; Civic Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Civic
  Union Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA
  [Ramiz AHMADOV]; Compatriot Party [Mais SAFARLI]; Democratic Party
  for Azerbaijan or DPA [Rasul QULIYEV, chairman]; Justice Party
  [Ilyas ISMAILOV]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat
  HACIYEVA]; Motherland Party; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Yeni
  Azerbaijan Party; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or
  PNIA [Etibar MAMMADLI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of
  Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE and Ayaz MUTALIBOV]
  note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties

Bahamas, The
Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM];
Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

Bahrain
political parties prohibited but political societies were
legalized per a July 2005 law

Bangladesh
  Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist
  Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party
  or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq
  AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI];
  Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD];
  Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal
  Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED]

Barbados
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor
Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]

Belarus
  pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail
  SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic
  Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolai ULAKHOVICH,
  chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH];
  Party of Labor and Justice [Viktor SOKOLOV]; Social-Sports Party
  [Vladimir ALEXANDROVICH]
  opposition parties: 10 Plus Coalition [Alyaksandr MILINKEVICH],
  includes: Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Syarhey KALYAKIN];
  Belarusian Party of Labor (unregistered) [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV,
  Leonid LEMESHONAK]; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Vintsyuk
  VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada [Stanislav
  SHUSHKEVICH]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO]; Party of Freedom and
  Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or
  UCP [Anatol LYABEDKA]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina
  MATUSEVICH, chairperson]
  other opposition includes: Belarusian Social-Democratic Party
  Nardonaya Hromada or BSDP NH [Alyaksandr KOZULIN, chairman];
  Christian Conservative BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; Ecological Party of
  Greens [Mikhail KARTASH]; Party of Popular Accord [Sergei YERMAKK];
  Republican Party [Vladimir BELAZOR]

Belgium
  Flemish parties: Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V
  [Jo VANDEURZEN]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS];
  GROEN! (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; New Flemish
  Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Social Progressive Alternative or
  SP.A [Johan Vande LANOTTE]; Spirit [Geert LAMBERT] (new party now
  associated with SP.A); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Frank
  VANHECKE]
  Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX,
  Isabelle DURANT, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist and Democratic Center of
  CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Reform
  Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI
  RUPO]; other minor parties

Belize
  People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic
  Party or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party
  chairman]

Benin
  Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for
  Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic
  Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and
  Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and
  Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute
  Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance
  MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or
  RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star
  Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin
  or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
  note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

Bermuda
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda
Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT]

Bolivia
  Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic
  Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or
  MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or
  VIMA [Freddy ZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR
  [Jaime PAZ Zamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo
  MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO];
  National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA];
  New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti
  Indigenous Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico
  Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist
  Party or PS [Jeres JUSTINIANO]

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or
  SNSD [Milorad DODIK]; Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic
  Democratic Party or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic
  Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party
  of Rights or HSP [Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS
  [Marko TADIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  or HDZ-BH [Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 100 or HDZ100;
  Croatian Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or
  DNZ [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC];
  Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative
  or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH
  [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman
  TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb
  Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan CAVIC]; Serb Radical Party of the
  Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical
  Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social
  Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social
  Democratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party of
  Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Botswana
  Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu
  SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE];
  Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana
  National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or
  BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF
  note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the
  BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the
  United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence
  Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union
  [D. K. KWELE]

Brazil
  Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy
  Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Flavio de CASTRO
  MARTINEZ]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy Fidelix
  DA CRUZ]; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS
  SANTOS]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso
  JEREISSATI]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy
  Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB
  [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto
  LUPI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES];
  Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of
  Solidarity or PHS [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy
  Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA
  [Federal Deputy Dr. Eneas Ferreira CARNEIRO]; Partido Municipalista
  Renovador or PMR [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Popular
  Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive
  Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or
  PSC [Vitor Jorge ABDALA NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose
  Ribeiro BERZOINI]

British Virgin Islands
  Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn
  SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United
  Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T.
  O'NEAL]

Brunei
  Brunei Solidarity National Party (PPKB) [Haji Mohd HATTA bin
  Haji Zainal Abidin]; National Development Party (NDP) [YASSIN
  Affendi]; People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin
  Haji Ahmad]
  note: parties are small and have limited activity (2005)

Bulgaria
  ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by
  the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen Siderov];
  Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia
  MOZER]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and
  BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV];
  Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by
  BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB
  [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or
  IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or
  MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon
  SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic
  Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD
  [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition
  of center-right parties dominated by UDF)

Burkina Faso
  African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and
  Federation or RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation for Federation
  and Democracy or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for
  Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement
  for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE];
  Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party
  for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Socialist Party
  or PS; Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB
  [Ram OVEDRAGO]

Burma
  National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman,
  AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP
  (pro-regime) [THA KYAW] (at last report); Shan Nationalities League
  for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties

Burundi
  the three national, mainstream, governing parties are:
  Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA,
  president]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Front for
  the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Hussein RADJABU, president];
  Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA, president]
  note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are:
  National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD; National
  Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or
  MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National
  Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]

Cambodia
  Cambodian Pracheachon Party (Cambodian People's Party) or
  CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral,
  Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI];
  Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI]

Cameroon
  Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA];
  Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA];
  Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA];
  Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC
  [Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne
  TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari
  BELLO BOUBA]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union
  of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Canada
  Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada
  (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative
  Party) [Stephen HARPER]; Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party
  [Stephane DION]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON]

Cape Verde
  African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV
  [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change
  or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID);
  Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman];
  Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO, president];
  Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio
  MONTEIRO]; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES,
  president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico
  MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias
  RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM,
  president]

Cayman Islands
  no national teams (loose groupings of political
  organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections; United Democratic
  Party or UDP [leader McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or
  PPM [leader Kurt TIBBETTS]

Central African Republic
  Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP
  [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC
  [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA];
  Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal
  Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for
  Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the
  Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix
  PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or
  KNK; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's
  Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity
  Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
  [Enoch LAKOUE]

Chad
  Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR];
  National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Delwa Kassire
  COUMAKOYE]; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh
  KEBZABO]; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ibni Oumar
  Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh
  AHMAT, chairman]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol
  Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [Jean
  ALINGUE]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal
  Abdelkader KAMOUGUE]

Chile
  Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National
  Renewal or RN [Sergio DIEZ Urzia] and Independent Democratic Union
  or UDI [Jovino NOVOA Vasquez]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy
  ("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC
  [Adolfo ZALDIVAR Larrain], Socialist Party or PS [Ricardo NUNEZ],
  Party for Democracy or PPD [Victor BARRUETO], Radical Social
  Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist
  Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]

China
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered
small parties controlled by CCP

Colombia
  Clandestine Communist Party of Colombia or PCC [Jaime
  CAICEDO]; Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Carlos HOLGUIN Sardi];
  Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Samuel MORENO Rojas]; Liberal
  Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA]; Social National Unity Party or PSUN
  [Juan Manuel SANTOS]
  note: Colombia has about 60 formally recognized political parties,
  most of which do not have a presence in either house of Congress

Comoros
  Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI Assowmani];
  Camp of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition of parties organized by
  the island Presidents in opposition to the Union President); Front
  National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in
  opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC
  [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress
  or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development
  or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  Democratic Social Christian Party
  or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and
  Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese
  Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of
  the Revolution or MPR (three factions: MPR-Fait Prive [Catherine
  NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga
  [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]); Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine
  GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne
  TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent
  Republicans or UFERI (two factions: UFERI [Lokambo OMOKOKO];
  UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA])

Congo, Republic of the
  the most important of the many parties are
  the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO,
  president] (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy,
  Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National
  Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National
  Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal); Congolese
  Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel
  MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin
  MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre
  Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic
  or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or
  UDR; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]

Cook Islands
Cook Islands Party or CIP [Henry PUNA]; Democratic
Party or Demo [Dr. Terepai MAOATE]

Costa Rica
  Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen
  Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or
  PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD
  [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto
  FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas];
  Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona];
  Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National
  Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National
  Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National
  Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National
  Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National
  Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic
  Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or
  UP [Humberto ARCE Salas]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC
  [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio
  ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS
  Carbonel]

Cote d'Ivoire
  Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Eg Theodore MEL];
  Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or
  PDCI-RDA [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent
  GBAGBO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the
  Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and
  Peace or UDPCI [Paul Akoto YAO]; over 20 smaller parties

Croatia
  Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian
  Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union
  or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC];
  Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner
  Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS
  [Vesna PUSIC] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian
  People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [Vesna PUSIC]); Croatian
  Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Djurdja ADLESIC]; Croatian True
  Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC
  [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS
  [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan
  JAKOVCIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]

Cuba
only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz,
first secretary]

Cyprus
  Republic of Cyprus: Democratic Party or DIKO [Tassos
  PAPADOPOULOS]; Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS];
  European Democracy or EURO.DE [Prodromos PRODROMOU] (evolved from
  For Europe which merged with New Horizons); European Party or
  EURO.KO [Demetris SYLLOURIS]; Fighting Democratic Movement or ADIK
  [Dinos MIKHAILIDIS]; Green Party of Cyprus [George PERDIKIS];
  Movement for Social Democracy United Democratic Union of Center or
  KISOS [Yannakis OMIROU]; Progressive Party of the Working People or
  AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS]; United Democrats
  Movement or EDE [Michalis PAPAPETROU]; north Cyprus: Democratic
  Party or DP [Serder DENKTASH]; National Birth Party or UDP [Enver
  EMIN]; National Unity Party or UBP [Dervis EROGLU]; Our Party or BP
  [Okyay SADIKOGLU]; Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Alpay DURDURAN];
  Peace and Democratic Movement [Mustafa AKINCI]; Republican Turkish
  Party or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT]

Czech Republic
  Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's
  Party or KDU-CSL [Jan KASAL, chairman]; Civic Democratic Alliance or
  ODA [Jirina NOVAKOVA, chairwoman]; Civic Democratic Party or ODS
  [Mirek TOPOLANEK, chairman]; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
  or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP, chairman]; Czech Social Democratic Party or
  CSSD [Jiri PAROUBEK, chairman]; Freedom Union-Democratic Union or
  US-DEU [Jan HADRAVA, chairman]; Green Party [Martin BURSIK,
  chairman]; Independent Democrats (NEZDEM) [Vladimir ZELEZNY,
  chairman]; Party of Open Society (SOS) [Pavel NOVACEK, chairman];
  Path of Change [Jiri LOBKOWITZ, chairman]; SNK-European Democrats or
  SNK-ED [Jana HYBASKOVA, chairman]

Denmark
  Christian Democrats (was Christian People's Party) [Bodil
  KORNBEK]; Conservative Party (sometimes known as Conservative
  People's Party) [Bendt BENDTSEN]; Danish People's Party [Pia
  KJAERSGAARD]; Liberal Party [Anders Fogh RASMUSSEN]; Red-Green Unity
  List (bloc includes Left Socialist Party, Communist Party of
  Denmark, Socialist Workers' Party) [collective leadership]; Social
  Democratic Party [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT]; Social Liberal Party
  (sometimes called the Radical Left) [Marianne JELVED, leader; Soren
  BALD, chairman]; Socialist People's Party [Villy SOEVNDAL]

Djibouti
  Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh];
  Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti
  Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la
  Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD];
  People's Progress Assembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing
  party); Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon
  FARAH]; Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed Dini AHMED];
  Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ

Dominica
  Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica
  Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers
  Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS]

Dominican Republic
  Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel
  FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Ramon
  ALBURQUERQUE]; National Progressive Front [Vincent CASTILLO,
  Pelegrin CASTILLO]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC
  [Enrique ATUN]

East Timor
  Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense or ASDT [Francisco
  Xavier do AMARAL]; Christian Democratic Party of Timor or PDC
  [Antonio XIMENES]; Christian Democratic Union of Timor or UDC
  [Vicente da Silva GUTERRES]; Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de
  ARAUJO]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER];
  Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Francisco
  Guterres Lu OLO]; Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario
  CARRASCALAO]; Socialist Party of Timor or PST [Pedro da COSTA]; Sons
  of the Mountain Warriors (also known as Association of Timorese
  Heroes) or KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL]; Timor Democratic Union
  or UDT [Joao CARRASCALAO]; Timor Labor Party or PTT [Paulo Freitas
  DA SILVA]; Timorese Nationalist Party or PNT [Abilio ARAUJO]

Ecuador
  Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
  Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI]; National Action
  Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik
  Movement [Gilberto TALAHUA]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio
  GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel
  FUERTES]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta];
  Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist
  Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian
  Party or PSC [Leon FEBRES CORDERO]; Socialist Party - Broad Front or
  PS-FA [Victor GRANDA]

Egypt
  National Democratic Party or NDP [Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK
  (governing party)]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or
  Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP [Mahmoud ABAZA];
  Tomorrow Party [Naji AL-GHATRIFI]
  note: formation of political parties must be approved by the
  government

El Salvador
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER,
  secretary general]; Democratic Convergence or CD (formerly United
  Democratic Center or CDU) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general];
  Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ,
  coordinator general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ
  ZEPEDA, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias
  Antonio SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene
  AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar
  HERNANDEZ Carcamo, coordinator general]

Equatorial Guinea
  Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS
  [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE
  [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Party for Progress
  of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of
  Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP
  [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP
  [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI
  [Daniel OYONO]

Eritrea
  People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only
  party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a
  National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in
  January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or
  voted on it

Estonia
  Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR,
  chairman]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN,
  chairman]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP];
  Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG,
  chairman]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad
  or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR, chairman]; Social Liberals (group of
  eight parliamentarians, former Center Party members) [Peeter
  KREITZBERG]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res
  Publica Liit) [Tonis LUKAS and Taavi VESKIMAGI, co-chairman]

Ethiopia
  Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz
  People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE];
  Coalition for Unity and Democracy or CUD [HAILU Shawel]; Ethiopian
  People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an
  alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo
  People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopean
  People's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and TigrAyan Peoples' Liberation
  Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM;
  Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa];
  Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethopian Democratic
  Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; dozens of small parties

European Union
  Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic
  Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's
  Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Group of
  the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R.
  WATSON]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA
  [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT];
  Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel
  FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin
  SCHULZ]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY
  and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]

Faroe Islands
  Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari
  P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party
  [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union
  Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN]

Fiji
  Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or CAMV [Ratu Josefa
  DIMURI]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji
  Democratic Party or FDP [Filipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian
  Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association
  Party or FAP, Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian)
  [Sitiveni RABUKA], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Ofa SWANN]);
  Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY]; General Voters Party or
  GVP (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or
  GHP; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or
  LFR; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond
  RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA];
  Party of National Unity or PANU [Ponipate LESAVUA]; Party of the
  Truth or POTT; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or
  SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick
  BEDDOES]

Finland
  Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats
  or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left
  Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and
  Democratic Alternative [Martti KORHONEN]; National Coalition
  (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic
  Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP
  [Stefan WALLIN]

France
  Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre
  CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly
  Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG) [Jacques
  PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET];
  Greens [Yan WEHRLING, national secretary]; Left Radical Party or PRG
  (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical
  Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF
  [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN];
  Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS
  [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois
  BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY]

French Guiana
  Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY];
  Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese
  Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National
  Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix
  LABBE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY];
  Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis
  DUBOC]; Walwari Committee (aligned with the PRG in France)
  [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]

French Polynesia
  Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU
  and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This
  Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia
  (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api)
  [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or
  RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy or
  UPD [Oscar TEMARU]

Gabon
  Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface
  ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide
  Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE
  [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG
  [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA] (former sole party); Gabonese Party for
  Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of
  Woodcutters or RNB; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or
  RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party
  or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or
  RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver
  MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or
  UDIS; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]

Gambia, The
  Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or
  APRC [Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH] (the ruling party); Gambian People's
  Party-Progressive People's Party-United Democratic Party or
  GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE]; National Convention Party
  or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat
  N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and
  Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]
  note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed
  the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned
  since 1996

Georgia
  Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's
  Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG
  [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry
  Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor
  Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP
  [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [Mikheil
  SAAKASHVILI] bloc composed of National Movement and
  Burjanadze-Democrats; National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New
  Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI];
  Rightist Opposition [David GAMKRELIDZE] bloc composed of
  Industrialists and New Right Party; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli
  MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of National
  Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI]

Germany
  Alliance '90/Greens [Claudia ROTH and Reinhard BUETIKOFER];
  Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social
  Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or
  FDP [Guido WESTERWELLE, chairman]; Left Party (Linkspartei. was
  Party of Democratic Socialism) or PDS [Lothar BISKY]; Social
  Democratic Party or SPD [Kurt BECK]

Ghana
  Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general
  secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA,
  chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY];
  National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National
  Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary];
  New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's
  Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman];
  People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE];
  People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party
  [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary]

Gibraltar
  Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social
  Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or
  GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]

Greece
  Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Alekos
  ALAVANOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; New
  Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS];
  Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Yiorgos PAPANDREOU];
  Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Yeoryios KARATZAFERIS]

Greenland
  Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring
  continuing close relations with Denmark) [Finn KARLSEN]; Demokratiit
  [Per BERTHELSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood, a
  leftist party favoring complete independence from Denmark rather
  than home rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Issituup (Polar Party) [Nicolai
  HEINRICH]; Kattusseqatigiit (Candidate List, an independent
  right-of-center party with no official platform; Siumut (Forward
  Party, a social democratic party advocating more distinct
  Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark) [Hans
  ENOKSEN]

Grenada
  Good Old Democracy or GOD [Justin MCBURNIE]; Grenada United
  Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD]; National Democratic
  Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National Party or NNP [Keith
  MITCHELL]; People Labor Movement or PLM [Dr. Francis ALEXIS]

Guadeloupe
  Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS
  [Dominique LARIFLA]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Flavien FERRANT];
  Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Socialist Party
  or PS [Jules OTTO]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Claudine
  LACAVE]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including
  Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR) [Gabrielle LOUIS-CARABIN]

Guam
Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican Party
(controls the legislature) [leader Philip J. FLORES]

Guatemala
  Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER];
  Grand National Alliance or GANA (an alliance of smaller parties)
  [Alfredo VILA Giron, secretary general]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo
  ROSALES Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG
  [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or
  URNG [Alba ESTELA Maldonado, secretary general]; Guatemalan
  Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan
  Unity or MGU [Jacobo ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principals and
  Values or MPV [Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN
  [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas, secretary general]; National Unity for Hope or
  UNE [Alvarado COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN (formed
  by an alliance of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of
  whom subsequently defected) [led by three co-equal partners - Nineth
  Varenca MONTENEGRO Cottom, Rodolfo BAUER Paiz, and Jorge Antonio
  BALSELLS TUT]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina];
  Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina];
  Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general];
  Unionista Party

Guinea
  Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or
  PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for
  Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress
  or PUP [Lansana CONTE] (the governing party); People's Party of
  Guinea or PPG [Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG
  [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou
  BA]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for
  Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general];
  Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]

Guinea-Bissau
  African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau
  and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Democratic Social
  Front or FDS; Electoral Union or UE; Party for Democratic
  Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS
  [Alberto NAMBEIA]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA,
  president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Platform or UP
  (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular
  Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco
  Jose FADUL]

Guyana
  Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj
  RAMJATTAN]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All
  Party [C.N. SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R
  [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or
  PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi
  DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey
  JAGAN]; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance
  or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

Haiti
  Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly of
  Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention
  for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action to
  Build Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance or
  ALYANS (coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL]; Effort and
  Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph
  JASME]; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]; Front for Hope or
  L'ESPWA (alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations
  Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central Plateau Peasants'
  Group, and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL]; Grand Center Right Front
  coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY];
  Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and
  Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic and Reform Movement or
  MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together or
  Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent Movement for National
  Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]; Justice for Peace and
  National Development or JPDN [Rigaud DUPLAN]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL
  [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL];
  Merging of Haitian Social Democratic Parties or FUSION or FPSDH
  (merged Ayiti Capable, Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and
  National Congress of Democratic Movements) [Serge GILLES];
  Mobilization for Haiti's Development or MPH [Samir MOURRA];
  Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY];
  Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean Henold BUTEAU];
  Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc
  BAZIN]; National Christian Union for the Reconstruction of Haiti or
  UNCRH [Marie Claude GERMAIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction
  of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; New Christian Movement for a New
  Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Anes
  LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude
  ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL
  [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition of MIDH and FL)
  [Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE
  [Edouard FRANCISQUE]

Honduras
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Saul ESCOBAR Andrade];
  Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Matias FUNES]; Liberal Party or
  PL [Patricia RODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU
  [Olban F. VALLADARES]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Gilberto
  GOLDSTEIN]

Hong Kong
  Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL
  [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung];
  Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or
  DAB [MA Lik]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat]; Frontier Party [Emily
  LAU Wai-hing]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun]
  note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic
  Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party

Hungary
  Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE];
  Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN];
  Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman];
  Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian
  Socialist Party or MSzP [Istvan HILLER, chairman]

Iceland
  Independence Party or IP [Geir HAARDE]; Left-Green Movement
  or LGM [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon
  KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON - will
  step down in August 2006]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes
  People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's
  List) or SDA [Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR]

India
  note - India has dozens of national and regional political
  parties; only parties with four or more seats in the People's
  Assembly are listed; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI];
  Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or
  BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu
  Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M)
  [Prakash KARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI];
  Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United)
  or JD(U) [Sharad YADEV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu
  SOREN]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN];
  Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKU]; Nationalist
  Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK
  [S. RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV];
  Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or
  SAD [Prakash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];
  Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrasekhar RAO]; Telugu
  Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]

Indonesia
  Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza
  MAHENDRA]; Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO]; Functional
  Groups Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic
  Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening
  Party or PKB [Alwi SHIHAB]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno
  BACHIR]; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United
  Development Party or PPP [Hamzah HAZ]

Iran
  formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in
  Iran and most conservatives still prefer to work through political
  pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalition
  called the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties as
  well as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achieved
  considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000;
  groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front
  (IIPF), Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran), Solidarity
  Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic
  Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society
  (Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles
  elections in early 2004; following his defeat in the 2005
  presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBI
  formed the National Trust Party; a new apparently conservative
  group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the
  new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004

Iraq
  Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Assyrian Democratic
  Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan
  al-DULAYMI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin
  al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Independent Iraqi
  Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid
  al-MUSA]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi
  Independent Democrats or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi
  Islamic Party or IIP [Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi
  National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC
  [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf
  Ulayan al-Khalifawi al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or
  INUM [Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or
  IAO [Ayatollah Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF
  [Ayatollah Muhammad Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or
  KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman
  al-DARI, secretary general]; National Iraqi Front [Salih al-MUTLAQ];
  National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
  Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Supreme
  Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz
  al-HAKIM]
  note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Iraqi Consensus
  Front, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and United Iraqi Alliance
  were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from
  the various Iraqi political parties

Ireland
  Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green
  Party [Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive
  Democrats [Michael McDOWELL]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist
  Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]

Isle of Man
  Alliance for Progressive Government; Man Labor Party;
  Man Nationalist Party (branch of the British National Party)
  note: most members sit as independents

Israel
  Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad
  BARAKA]; GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT];
  Labor Party [Amir PERETZ]; Likud Party [Binyamin NETANYAHU];
  Meretz-YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad)
  [Azmi BISHARA]; National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP)
  [Binyamin ELON]; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism
  [Yaakov LITZMAN]; United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSOUR]; Yisrael
  Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]; Yisrael Ba'Aliya (merged with Likud)

Italy
  Center-Left Union Coalition [Romano PRODI]: Ulivo Alliance
  (including Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO];
  Daisy-Democracy is Freedom or DL [Francesco RUTELLI]); Rose in the
  Fist (including Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI];
  Italian Radical Party [Emma BONINO]); Italian Communist Party or
  PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Green Federation [Alfonso PECORARO
  SCANIO]; Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Italy of
  Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]; Union of Democrats for Europe or
  UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; Republican European Movement or MRE
  [Luciana SBARBATI]
  Center-Right Freedom House Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]: Forza
  Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National Alliance or AN
  [Gianfranco FINI]; Union of Christian Democrats of the Center or UDC
  [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]; Northern League or LEGA [Umberto BOSSI];
  Christian Democracy (Per la Autonomie) [Publio FIORI]
  other non-allied parties: New Italian Socialist Party or New PSI
  [Gianni DE MICHELIS]; Italian Republican Party or PRI [Giorgio LA
  MALFA]; Social Alternative [Alessandra MUSSOLINI]; Social
  Movement-Tricolor Flame or MSI-Fiamma [Luca ROMAGNOLI]; Social Idea
  Movement with Rauti or MIS [Pino RAUTI]; South Tyrol People's Party
  or SVP (German speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE]; Union of Valley
  Aosta Region or UV [Guido CESAL]

Jamaica
  Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; National
  Democratic Movement or NDM [Hyacinth BENNETT]; People's National
  Party or PNP [Percival James PATTERSON]

Japan
  Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan
  Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihoro OTA]; Liberal
  Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]; Social Democratic Party or SDP
  [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]

Jordan
  al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU
  BAKR, president]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN,
  secretary general]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI,
  secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR,
  secretary general]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action
  Front or IAF [Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID, secretary general]; Islamic
  Center Party [Marwan al-FAURI, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab
  Ansar Party; Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party;
  Jordanian Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party
  [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Jordanian Communist Workers
  Party; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary
  general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali
  MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad
  KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad
  BATAYNEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin
  Sulayman Jiryis HANNA, secretary general]; Jordanian Peace Party;
  Jordanian People's Committees Movement; Jordanian People's
  Democratic Party (Hashd) [Ahmad YUSUF, secretary general]; Jordanian
  Rafah Party; Jordanian Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation
  Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; National Action Party
  (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI, secretary general]; National
  Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general];
  National Popular Democratic Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary
  general]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]

Kazakhstan
  Adilet (Justice) [Maksut NARIKBAYEV, co-chair, Zeynulla
  ALSHIMBAYEV, co-chair, Bakhytbek AKHMETZHAN, co-chair, Yerkin
  ONGARBAYEV, co-chair, Tolegan SYDYKOV, co-chair] (formerly
  Democratic Party of Kazakhstan); Aq Zhol Party (Bright Path)
  [Alikhan BAIMENOV, chairman]; AUL (Village) [Gani KALIYEV,
  chairman]; Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn
  ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan
  [Vladislav KOSAREV, first secretary]; Otan [Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV,
  acting chairman] (the Agrarian, Asar, and Civic parties merged with
  Otan); Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV, chairman]; Rukhaniyat
  (Spirituality) [Altynshash ZHAGANOVA, chairwoman]

Kenya
  Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People
  [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU
  [Uhuru KENYATTA]; National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Mwai KIBAKI]
  (the governing party)

Kiribati
  Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON];
  Maneaban Te Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati
  or MKP; National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG]
  note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties
  in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
  because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
  structures

Korea, North
  major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong
  Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP
  control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)

Korea, South
  Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun];
  Democratic Party or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP
  [KANG Jae-sup]; People-Centered Party or PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri
  Party [KIM Geun-tae]

Kyrgyzstan
  Adilet (Justice) Party [Toychubek KASYMOV]; Agrarian
  Labor Party of Kyrgyzstan [Uson SYDYKOV]; Agrarian Party of
  Kyrgyzstan [Erkin ALIYEV]; Alga, Kyrgyzstan (Forward, Kyrgyzstan)
  [Bolot BEGALIYEV]; Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Emil ALIYEV]; Asaba
  (Banner National Revival Party) [Azimbek BEKNAZAROV]; Ata-Meken
  (Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAYEV]; Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan
  [Klara ADZHIBEKOVA]; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar
  JEKSHEYEV]; Erkin Kyrgyzstan Progressive and Democratic Party
  [Bektur ASANOV]; Erkindik (Freedom) Party [Topchubek TURGUNALIYEV];
  Future of Kyrgyzstan [Balbak TULEBAYEV]; Jany Kyrgyzstan (New
  Kyrgyzstan) [Dosbol NUR UULU]; Kairan El [Dooronbek SADYKOV]; Kyrgyz
  National Party [Bakyt BESHIMOV]; Kyrgyzstan Kelechegi [Ruslan
  CHYNYBAYEV]; Manas El (Party of Spiritual Restoration) [Chingiz
  AITMATOV]; Moya Strana (My Country Party of Action) [Joomart
  OTORBAYEV]; Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Bakytbek
  BEKBOYEV]; Party of Justice and Progress [Muratbek IMANALIEV]; Party
  of Peasants [Esengul ISAKOV]

Laos
Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone];
other parties proscribed

Latvia
  First Party of Latvia or LPP [Juris LUJANS]; For Human Rights
  in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Tatjana ZDANOKA, Jakovs PLINERS]; For
  the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or
  TB/LNNK [Janis STRAUME]; Harmony Center or SC [Sergejs DOLGOPOLOVS];
  Latvian Green Party or ZZS [Indulis EMSIS, Viesturs SILENIEKS,
  Raimonds VEJONIS]; Latvian Farmer's Union or LZS [Augusts
  BRIGMANIS]; Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Social
  Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP
  [Alfreds RUBIKS]; Latvia's Way or LC [Ivars GODMANIS]; New Democrats
  or JD [Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE]; People's
  Harmony Party or TSP [Aivars DATAVS]; People's Party or TP [Atis
  SLAKTERIS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]

Lebanon
  Ba'th Party; Democratic Gathering [Walid JUMBLATT];
  Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib
  LAHUD]; Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, Amal Movement
  leader/Speaker of the National Assembly]; Free Patriotic Movement
  [Michel AWN]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Party
  [Karim PAKRADONI]; Kataeb Reform Movement [Amine GEMAYAL]; Lebanese
  Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Loyalty to the Resistance [Mohammad RA'AD];
  Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD];
  National Bloc [Carlos EDDE]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Qornet
  Shewan Gathering [a grouping with no individual leader]; Syrian
  National Socialist Party [Ali QANSU]; Tachnaq Party; Tripoli
  Independent Bloc [a grouping with no individual leader]

Lesotho
  Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE];
  Basotholand Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho
  National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang
  Basotho Party or KPB [MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD
  [Pakalitha MOSISILI] (the governing party); Lesotho Education Party
  or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Kelebone
  MAOPE]; Lesotho Workers Party of LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou
  Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or
  NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Chief
  Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho
  RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social
  Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO]; United Democratic Party
  or UDP [C.D. MOFELI]; United Party or UP [Makara SEKAUTU]

Liberia
  Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Togba-na TIPOTEH];
  Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia or COTOL; Congress for
  Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH]; Liberian Action Party or LAP
  [H. Varney SHERMAN]; Liberty Party or LP [Charles BRUMSKINE];
  National Patriotic Party or NPP [Cyril ALLEN]; Unity Party or UP
  [Charles CLARKE]

Liechtenstein
  Patriotic Union (was Fatherland Union) or VU [Adolf
  HEEB]; Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Otmar HASLER]; The Free
  List or FL

Lithuania
  Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman];
  Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI,
  chairman]; National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman];
  Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS,
  chairman]; Labor Party; Liberal and Center Political Group [Arturas
  ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Valentinas MAZURONIS,
  chairman]; Liberal Movement; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD
  [Valentinas STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair
  Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas
  BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor
  Party or LDDP and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP;
  Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Social
  Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS, chairman];
  Young Lithuania and New Nationalists

Luxembourg
  Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast
  GIBERYEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (also known as
  Christian Social Party or PCS) [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party
  or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg
  Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed
  Communist Party dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left) [no formal
  leadership]; other minor parties

Macau
  Civil Service Union [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Development
  Union [KWAN Tsui-hang]; Macau Development Alliance [Angela LEONG
  On-kei]; Macau United Citizens' Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New
  Democratic Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; United Forces

Macedonia
  Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic
  Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI]; Democratic League of the
  Bosniaks [Rafet MUMINOVIC]; Democratic Party of Albanians or
  PDSH/DPA [Arben XHAFERI]; Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan
  STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic
  Renewal of Macedonia [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic Republican Union
  of Macedonia or DRUM [Goran RAFAJLOVSKI]; Democratic Union of Vlachs
  for Macedonia [Mitko KOSTOV]; Democratic Union for Integration or
  DUI [Ali AHMETI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
  Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or
  VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
  Organization-Macedonian [Boris STOJMENOV]; Internal Macedonian
  Revolutionary Organization-People's Party or VMRO-Narodna [Vesna
  JANEVSKA, acting]; League for Democracy [Gjorgi MARJANOVIC]; Liberal
  Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV]; Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV];
  National Alternative [Harun ALIU]; National Democratic Party or PDK
  [Basri HALITI]; National Farmers' Party [Vejljo TANTAROV]; New
  Democratic Forces [Hysni SHAQIRI]; New Social Democratic Party or
  NSDP [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Future [Alajdin DEMIRI];
  Party for Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP [Abduljhadi VEJSELI];
  Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM [Vlado BUCKOVSKI];
  Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV-ZINGO]; United
  Party for Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Madagascar
  Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA
  [Pierrot RAJAONARIVO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for
  National Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana
  Party or FP [Guy-Willy RAZANAMASY]; I Love Madagascar or TIM [Marc
  RAVALOMANANA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD
  [Evariste MARSON]

Malawi
  Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Congress
  for National Unity or CONU; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP
  [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO];
  Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for
  Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano
  Coalition or MC [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP,
  MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP); Movement for Genuine Democratic Change
  or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA
  [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME];
  People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's
  Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party
  or RP [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF

Malaysia
  ruling-coalition National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN,
  consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party
  or PGRM [LIM Keng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal
  Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese
  Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting];
  Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy
  VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti
  Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka
  Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti
  Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti
  Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's
  Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam];
  United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad
  Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization
  (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard
  DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk
  Malaysia) or PPP [M.Keyveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party
  or SPDP [William MAWANI]; opposition parties: Democratic Action
  Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic
  Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI
  Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN
  AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG];
  opposition coalition Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA -
  consists of PAS and PKR

Maldives
  political parties were allowed to register in June 2005;
  the first entrants are: Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Abdul
  Majeed Abdul BARI]; Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's
  Party) or DRP [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM]; Islamic Democratic Party or
  IDP [Omar NASEER]; Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed
  NASHEED]

Mali
  Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE, party
  chairman]; Hope 2002 (a coalition of CNID, MPR, RDT, and RPM);
  National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL,
  chairman]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa
  TRAORE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME,
  secretary general]; Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel
  MAIGA]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT; Rally for Mali or RPM
  [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, chairman]; Sudanese Union/African
  Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE, secretary general];
  Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY];
  Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]

Malta
  Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD
  [Harry VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP [Alfred SANT];
  Nationalist Party or PN [Lawrence GONZI]

Marshall Islands
  traditionally there have been no formally organized
  political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions
  or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters,
  formal platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings"
  have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Aelon Kein
  Ad Party [Michael KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa
  TOMEING]

Martinique
  Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Georges ERICHOT];
  Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE];
  Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Pierre SUEDILE]; Martinique
  Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats
  and Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA];
  Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist
  Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French
  Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]

Mauritania
  Action for Change or AC (no longer active) [Messoud Ould
  BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Cisse Amadou
  CHEIKHOU]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD
  [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice or PLEJ
  [Ba Mamdou ALASSANE]; Party of Democratic Convergence or PCD [Cheikh
  Ould HORMA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE];
  Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR];
  Progress Force Union or UFP (no longer active) [Mohamed Ould
  MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH];
  Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA];
  Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR (formerly ruling
  Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS) [Boullah Ould
  MOGUEYA]; Right Way or SAWAB [Cheikh Ould Sidi Ould HANANA]; Union
  for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of
  Forces of Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]
  note: the Party of Democratic Convergence was banned in October 2005
  because it was regarded as Islamist and therefore in breach of
  Mauritanian law

Mauritius
  Alliance Sociale or AS; Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed
  FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM];
  Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] (in coalition
  with MSM); Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles
  Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind
  JUGNAUTH] (the governing party); Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph
  (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge
  CLAIR]

Mayotte
  Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular
  Movement or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR (UMP)
  [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally and the Alliance for
  Democracy or FRAP; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM
  [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar
  SIMBA]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti
  Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF
  [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]

Mexico
  Convergence for Democracy or CD [Dante DELGADO Ranauro];
  Institutional Revolutionary Party (Institutional Revolutionary
  Party) or PRI [leader NA]; Mexican Green Ecological Party or PVEM
  [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Martinez]; National Action Party (Partido
  Accion Nacional) or PAN [Manuel ESPINO Barrientos]; New Alliance
  Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA [Miguel Angel JIMENEZ Godines];
  Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion
  Democratica) or PRD [Leonel COTA Montano]; Workers Party or PT
  [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez]

Moldova
  Braghis Faction [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Christian Democratic
  People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the
  Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman];
  Democratic Moldova Bloc (comprised of the AMN, Democratic Party, and
  PSL); Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN
  [Serafim URECHEANU]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]

Monaco
  National and Democratic Union or UND [Guy MAGNAN]; Union for
  Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or
  UNAM)

Mongolia
  Citizens' Will Republican Party or CWRP (also called Civil
  Courage Republican Party or CCRP) [Sanjaasurengiin OYUN]; Democratic
  Party or DP [Tsakhiagiyn ELBEGDORJ]; Motherland-Mongolian New
  Socialist Democratic Party or M-MNSDP [Badarchyn ERDENEBAT];
  Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Miegombyn ENKHBOLD];
  Mongolian Republican Party or MRP [Bazarsadyn JARGALSAIKHAN];
  People's Party or PP [Lamjav GUNDALAI]
  note: DP and M-MNSDP formed Motherland-Democracy Coalition (MDC) in
  2003 and with CWRP contested June 2004 elections as single party;
  MDC's leadership dissolved coalition in December 2004

Montenegro
  Albanian Alternative or AA; Bosniak Party or BS [Rafet
  HUSOVIC]; Coalition for a European Montenegro (Democratic Party of
  Socialists or DPS and Social Democratic Party or SDP) [Milo
  DJUKANOVIC]; Coalition SPP/NS/DSS; Democratic League-Party of
  Democratic Prosperity [Mehmet BARHDI]; Democratic Serbian Party of
  Montenegro or DSS; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Ferhat
  DINOSA]; Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC];
  Movement for Changes or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]; People's Party of
  Montenegro or NS [Predrag POPOVIC]; Serbian People's Party of
  Montenegro or SNS [Andrija MANDIC]; Social Democratic Party or SDP
  [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]; Social Democratic Party of Montenegro or DPS
  [Milo DJUKANOVIC]; Socialist People's Party or SNP [Predrag
  BULATOVIC]

Montserrat
  Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS];
  Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY];
  New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]

Morocco
  Action Party or PA [Muhammad EL IDRISSI]; Alliance of
  Liberties or ADL [Ali BELHAJ]; Annahj Addimocrati or Annahj
  [Abdellah EL HARIF]; Avant Garde Social Democratic Party or PADS
  [Ahmed BENJELLOUN]; Citizen Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI];
  Citizen's Initiatives for Development [Mohamed BENHAMOU];
  Constitutional Union or UC [Mohamed ABIED (interim)]; Democratic and
  Independence Party or PDI [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social
  Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD
  [Aissa OUARDIGHI]; Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN];
  Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Front of
  Democratic Forces or FFD [Thami EL KHYARI]; Istiqlal Party
  (Independence Party) or PI [Abbas El FASSI]; Justice and Development
  Party or PJD [Saad Eddine OTHMANI]; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML
  [Mohamed ZIANE]; National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI];
  National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA];
  National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]; National Rally
  of Independents or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; National Union of Popular
  Forces or UNFP [Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Parti Al Ahd or Al Ahd [Najib EL
  OUAZZANI, chairman]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Ismail
  ALAOUI]; Party of Renewal and Equity or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]; Party
  of the Unified Socialist Left or GSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER];
  Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Reform and Development
  Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Social Center Party or PSC
  [Lahcen MADIH]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Mohammed
  El-YAZGHI]

Mozambique
  Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de
  Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA,
  president]; Mozambique National Resistance-Electoral Union
  (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana-Uniao Eleitoral) or RENAMO-UE
  [Afonso DHLAKAMA, president]

Namibia
  Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic
  Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president];
  Monitor Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; South West Africa
  People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA]; United
  Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]; Republican Party or RP
  [Henk MUDGE]; National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima
  RIRUAKO]

Nauru
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG];
Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party

Nepal
  Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML
  [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party
  or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Pashupati
  Shumsher RANA, chairman]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur
  DEUBA, president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA,
  party president, Sushil KOIRALA, vice president]; Nepal Sadbhavana
  (Goodwill) Party or NSP - Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, party
  president]; Nepal Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI,
  president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man
  BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; People's Front Nepal (Rastriya Jana
  Morcha) [Amik SHERCHAN, chairman]; Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP
  [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; note - split from RPP in March
  2005; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]; note - merged with
  People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002

Netherlands
  Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Ernst Hirsch
  BALLIN]; Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66
  [Lousewies VAN DER LAAN]; Green Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party
  or PvdA [Wouter BOS]; List Pim Fortuyn [Ton VAN DILLEN]; Party for
  Freedom [Geert WILDERS]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
  (Liberal) or VVD [Pieter WINSEMIUS]; Socialist Party [Jan
  MARIJNISSEN]; plus a few minor parties

Netherlands Antilles
  Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB
  [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
  Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic
  Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO];
  Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson
  PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles
  Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I
  Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or
  PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily
  de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE
  LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS];
  Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT]
  Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands
  People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]
  Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E
  [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St.
  Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD]
  Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah
  WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party
  [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN];
  People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St.
  Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party
  [Bienvenido RICHARDSON]
  note: political parties are indigenous to each island

New Caledonia
  Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX];
  Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des
  Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy
  GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak
  Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA]
  (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or
  PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in
  the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The
  Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour
  l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist,
  but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de
  Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM
  [Victor TUTUGORO]

New Zealand
  ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette
  FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP
  [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New
  Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James
  (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE]

Nicaragua
  Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Miguel LOPEZ Baldizon];
  Central American Unionist Party or PUCA [Blanca ROJAS]; Christian
  Alternative Party or AC [Orlando TARDENCILLA Espinoza]; Conservative
  Party or PC [Mario Sebastian RAPPACCIOLI]; Independent Liberal Party
  or PLI [Anibal MARTINEZ Nunez, Pedro REYES Vallejos]; Independent
  Liberal Party for National Unity or PLIUN [Carlos GUERRA Gallardo];
  Liberal Constitutional Party or PLC [Jorge CASTILLO Quant]; Liberal
  Salvation Movement or MSL [Eliseo NUNEZ Hernandez]; New Liberal
  Party or PALI [Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel]; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance
  or ALN [Eduardo MONTEALEGRE]; Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path
  or PCCN [Guillermo OSORNO Molina]; Nicaraguan Resistance Party or
  PRN [Salvador TALAVERA]; Sandinista National Liberation Front or
  FSLN [Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra]; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS
  [Dora Maria TELLEZ]; Unity Alliance or AU

Niger
  Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama
  [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing
  Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Hama AMADOU]; Niger Social
  Democratic Party or PSDN; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social
  Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni DJERMAKOYE];
  Nigerien Party for Autonomy or PNA-Alouma'a [Sanousi JACKOU];
  Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou
  MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien Progressive Party or PPN-RDA [Abdoulaye DIORI];
  Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID];
  Social and Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]

Nigeria
  Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All
  Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand
  Alliance or APGA [disputed leadership]; National Democratic Party or
  NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu
  ALI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA];
  Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria
  Peoples Party or UNPP [disputed leadership]

Niue
Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or
NPP [Young VIVIAN]

Northern Mariana Islands
  Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL];
  Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Juan S.
  REYES]

Norway
  Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party
  [Dagfinn HOYBRATEN]; Coastal Party [Roy WAAGE]; Conservative Party
  [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars
  SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Siv JENSEN]; Red Electoral Alliance
  [Torstein DAHLE]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]

Pakistan
  Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN];
  Balochistan National Party/Hayee Group or BNP/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH];
  Baluch National Party/Awami or BNP/Awami [Moheem Khan BALOCH];
  Baluch National Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL];
  Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR];
  Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
  Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat
  Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat
  Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
  Pakistan or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement,
  Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Quami Movement,
  Haqiqi faction or MQM/H [Afaq AHMAD]; National Alliance or NA
  [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP
  [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed Afzal
  KHAN]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan
  Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan
  Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF];
  Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; note - as
  of May 2004, the PML/Q changed its name to PML and absorbed the
  PML/J, PML/Z, and NA; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil
  BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO];
  Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Benazir BHUTTO];
  Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami
  [Allama Sajid NAQVI]
  note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently

Panama
  Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic
  Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hugo GUIRAUD]; National Liberal Party or
  PLN [Anibal GALINDO]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or
  MOLIRENA [Jesus ROSAS]; Panamenista Party or PA (formerly the
  Arnulfista Party) [Marco AMEGLIO]; Popular Party or PP (formerly
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ricardo ARIAS Calderon];
  Solidarity Party or PS [Jose Raul MULINO]

Papua New Guinea
  Christian Democratic Party [Dr. Banare BUN];
  Melanesian Alliance Party or MAP [Sir Moi AVEL]; National Alliance
  Party or NA [Michael SOMARE]; National Party [Melcher PEP]; Papua
  and Niugini Union Party or PANGU [Rabbie NAMALIU]; Papua New Guinea
  First Party [Cecilking DORUBA]; Papua New Guinea Labor Party [Bob
  DANAYA]; Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP (was People's Democratic
  Movement or PDM) [Sir Mekere MORAUTA]; People's Action Party or PAP
  [Moses MALADINA]; People's Labor Party or PLP [Ekis ROPENU];
  People's National Congress or PNC [Peter O'NEILL]; People's Progress
  Party or PPP [Byron CHAN]; Pipol First Party [Luther WENGE]; United
  Party [Bire KIMASOPA]; United Resources Party or URP [Tim NEVILLE]
  (2005)

Paraguay
  Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR
  [Herminio CACERES, interim president]; Movimiento Union Nacional de
  Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana, acting
  chairman]; Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro
  Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis
  TORALES Kennedy]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas
  LLANO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA
  Pallares]
  note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of the Colorado
  Party or ANR while serving as President of Paraguay; Lino Cesar
  OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is currently serving a ten-year
  prison term

Peru
  Alliance For Progress (Alianza Para El Progreso) [Cesar ACUNA
  Peralta]; Alliance For The Future (Alianza Por El Futuro) or AF - a
  coalition of pro-FUJIMORI parties including Cambio 90, Nueva
  Mayoria, and Si Cumple [Martha CHAVEZ Cossio]; Centrist Front
  (Frente Del Centro) or FC - a coalition of Accion Popular, Somos
  Peru, and Coordinadora Nacional de Independientes [Valentin PANIAGUA
  Corazoa]; Independent Moralizing Front (Frente Independiente
  Moralizador) or FIM [Fernando OLIVERA Vega]; Nationalist Party
  Uniting Peru (Partido Nacionalista Uniendo al Peru) or UPP - a
  coalition of Union for Peru (UPP) and Peruvian Nationalist Party
  (PNP) [Ollanta HUMALA Tasso]; National Restoration (Restauracion
  Nacional) or RN [Humberto LAY Sun]; National Unity (Unidad Nacional)
  or UN [Lourdes FLORES Nano]; Peru Possible (Peru Posible) or PP
  [David WAISMAN]; Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or
  PAP - also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular
  Revolucionaria Americana or APRA [Alan GARCIA]

Philippines
  Kabalikat Ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) [Ronaldo PUNO];
  Laban Ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or
  LDP [Edgardo ANGARA]; Lakas Ng Edsa (National Union of Christian
  Democrats) or Lakas [Jose DE VENECIA]; Liberal Party or LP [Franklin
  DRILON/Eli QUINTO]; Nacionalista [Manuel VILLAR]; National People's
  Coalition or NPC [Frisco SAN JUAN]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL];
  People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]; PROMDI [Emilio
  OSMENA]; Pwersa Ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Philippine Masses)
  or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]; Reporma [Renato DE VILLA]

Poland
  Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Civic
  Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL
  [Artur BALASZ]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wojciech
  OLEJNICZAK]; Democratic Party or PD [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; Dom
  Ojczysty (Fatherland Home); German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO
  [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League
  of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Peasant-Democratic
  Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan
  LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK]; Ruch
  Patriotyczny or RP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej
  LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Marek BOROWSKI];
  Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP
  [Andrzej SPYCHALSKI]

Portugal
  Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA]; Popular
  Party or PP [Jose Ribeiro e CASTRO]; Portuguese Communist Party or
  PCP [Jeronimo de SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose
  SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
  [Luis Marques MENDES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto
  LOUCA]; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU (includes PEV and PCP)
  [Jeronimo de SOUSA]

Puerto Rico
  National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National
  Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive
  Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic
  Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican
  Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]

Reunion
  Communist Party of Reunion or PCR [Elie HOARAU]; Rally for
  the Republic or RPR [Andre Maurice PIHOUEE]; Socialist Party or PS
  [Michel VERGOZ]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Gilbert GERARD];
  Union for a Popular Movement or UMP

Romania
  Conservative Party or PC [Dan VOICULESCU], formerly Humanist
  Party or PUR; Democratic Party or PD [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of
  Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party
  or PNL [Calin Popescu-TARICEANU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater
  Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic
  Party or PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA], formerly Party of Social Democracy
  in Romania or PDSR

Russia
  A Just Russia or JR [Sergei MIRONOV] (formed from the merger
  of three small political parties: Motherland Party (Rodina),
  Pensioner's Party, and Party of Life); Communist Party of the
  Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]; Liberal
  Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir Volfovich
  ZHIRINOVSKIY]; People's Party [Gennady RAIKOV]; Union of Right
  Forces or SPS [Nikita BELYKH]; United Russia or UR [Boris
  Vyacheslavovich GRYZLOV]; Yabloko Party [Grigoriy Alekseyevich
  YAVLINSKIY]

Rwanda
  Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA];
  Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA];
  Democratic Republican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA] (officially
  banned); Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal
  Party or PL [Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic Renewal
  (officially banned); Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME];
  Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance
  AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's
  Action Movement or PAM [Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor
  Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]

Saint Lucia
  National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia
  Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or
  SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher
  HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Sir John COMPTON]

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  Left Radical Party or PRG; Rassemblement
  pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP); Socialist Party or PS; Union
  pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim
  EUSTACE]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the
  coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for
  National Unity or MNU)

Samoa
  Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi
  TUILA'EPA]; Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA];
  Samoa Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati]; Samoa Party
  or SP [Su'a Rimoni Ah CHONG]; Samoa Progressive Political Party or
  SPPP [Toeolesulusulu SIUEVA]

San Marino
  Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in
  Movement or IM [Alessandro ROSSI]; National Alliance or AN; New
  Socialist Party; Party of Socialists and Democrats [Claudio FELICI];
  San Marino Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Giovanni LONFERNINI];
  San Marino Popular Alliance of Democrats or APDS [Roberto
  GIORGETTI]; San Marino Socialist Party or PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI];
  Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]; United Left

Sao Tome and Principe
  Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA];
  Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; Independent Democratic
  Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao
  Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto
  Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA];
  Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties

Senegal
  African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also
  known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party
  of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or
  AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP
  (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic
  League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front
  for Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde
  Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party
  or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier
  DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE];
  Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition
  [Abdoulaye WADE] (a coalition led by the PDS); Union for Democratic
  Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties

Serbia
  Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA];
  Democratic Party or DS [Boris TADIC]; G17 Plus [Mladjan DINKIC is
  acting leader]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Vojislav SESELJ, but
  Tomislav NIKOLIC is acting leader]; Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS
  [vacant, but Ivica DACIC is head of the SPS Main Board]; New Serbia
  or NS [Velimir ILIC]; Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO [Vuk DRASKOVIC]

Seychelles
  Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM, Daniel BELLE];
  Mouvement Seychellois pour la Democratie [Jacques HODOUL];
  Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN] (formerly the
  United Opposition or UO); Seychelles People's Progressive Front or
  SPPF [France Albert RENE, James MICHEL] (the governing party)

Sierra Leone
  All People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and
  Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman];
  Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sama BANYA]; numerous others

Singapore
  People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore
  Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic
  Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee
  Lian]
  note: SDA includes National Solidarity Party or NSP, Singapore
  Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS,
  Singapore People's Party or SPP

Slovakia
  Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY];
  Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SD [Robert FICO]; Free Forum
  [Zuzana MARTINAKOVA]; Movement for Democracy or HZD [Jozef GRAPA];
  People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or LS-HZDS
  [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party
  of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; People's Union or LU
  [Gustav KRAJCI]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Vladimir DADO];
  Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA];
  Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA]

Slovenia
  Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of Slovenia or DeSUS
  [Karl ERJAVEC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Jelko KACIN]; New
  Slovenia or NSi [Andrej BAJUK]; Slovenian Democratic Party or SDS
  [Janez JANSA]; Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC];
  Slovene People's Party or SLS [Janez PODOBNIK]; Slovene Youth Party
  or SMS [Darko KRANJC]; Social Democrats or SD [Borut PAHOR]

Solomon Islands
  Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas
  CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA];
  LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's
  Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or
  SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David
  QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon
  Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands
  Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for
  Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir
  Peter KENILOREA]
  note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid
  coalitions

South Africa
  African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth
  MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI,
  president]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Anthony LEON] (formed from
  the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or
  FA); Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president];
  Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; New
  National Party or NNP; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu
  HOLOMISA]

Spain
  Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon IMAZ]; Canarian
  Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO
  Baute]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a
  coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur
  MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep
  Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate
  coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA);
  Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of
  Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular
  Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC
  [Joan Puigcercos BOIXASSA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE
  [Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of
  parties including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar
  LLAMAZARES]

Sri Lanka
  All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon
  Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP
  [D. GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF
  [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP
  [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
  or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna or JVP
  [Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP; Mahajana
  Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D. GUNAWARDENE];
  National Heritage Party or JHU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; National Unity
  Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organization
  of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sihala Urumaya or SU; Sri
  Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA];
  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka
  Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation
  Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA
  [R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V.
  ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil
  WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P.
  CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties,
  represented in either Parliament or provincial councils

Sudan
  political parties in the Government of National Unity include:
  National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed OMAR]; Sudan People's
  Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements of
  the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the
  Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party
  [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]

Suriname
  Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Amazone Party of
  Suriname or APS [Kenneth VAN GENDEREN], Democrats of the 21st
  Century or D-21 [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen
  Nanan PANDAY], Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL],
  Trefpunt 2000 or T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); General Interior
  Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; National Democratic
  Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and
  Development or NF (a coalition which includes A-Combination or A-Com
  [leader NA], Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 which split from
  the A-1 before the elections of May 2005 and are an independent,
  business-oriented party [Winston JESSURUN], National Party Suriname
  or NPS [Ronald VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ram SARDJOE],
  Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party
  or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in
  Unity or DOE [Marten SCHALKWIJK]; People's Alliance for Progress or
  VVV (a coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000
  [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or
  BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the
  Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression,
  Justice, and Perseverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL
  [Raymond SAPOEN]); Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU
  [Jim HOK]; Progressive Political Party or PPP [Surinder MUNGRA];
  Seeka [Paul ABENA]; Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj
  PANDAY]

Swaziland
  political parties are banned by the government under an
  emergency decree that will be revoked when the new constitution
  takes effect (January 2006)- the following are considered political
  associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM; Ngwane National
  Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's
  United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]

Sweden
  Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party
  [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but
  party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left
  Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party
  (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars
  LEIJONBORG]; Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON]

Switzerland
  Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti
  Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I
  Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER];
  Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische
  Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or
  PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
  Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris LEUTHARD,
  president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische
  Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD,
  Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne
  KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party
  (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist
  Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida
  Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR, president];
  Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union
  Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC,
  Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and
  other minor parties

Syria
  Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Ahmed al-AHMED]; National
  Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance
  (Ba'th) Party; the governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD,
  secretary general]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallal
  Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI];
  Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yuusuf
  Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI];
  Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL]

Taiwan
  Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [YU Shyi-kun]; Kuomintang
  or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou]; People First Party or PFP
  [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu)]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [SU
  Chin-chiang]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or
  NP

Tajikistan
  Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir KARAKULOV];
  Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV]; Islamic Revival
  Party [Said Abdullo NURI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimjon
  BOBOYEV]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali
  RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV];
  Socialist Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV]; Tajik Communist Party
  or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Tanzania
  Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and
  Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
  (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE]; Civic United Front or
  CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party [Christopher MTIKLA]
  (unregistered); Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine Lyatonga
  MREME]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]

Thailand
  Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT
  Wetchachiwa]; People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK
  Laothamatas]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN
  SILPA-ARCHA]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT [CHATURON Chaisang]

Togo
  Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace
  and Equality or MOCEP; Rally for the Support for Development and
  Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or
  RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or
  UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]

Trinidad and Tobago
  National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR
  [Lennox SANKERSINGH]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick
  MANNING]; Team Unity or TU [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National
  Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]; Democratic Action Committee or DAC
  [Hochoy CHARLES], note - only active in Tobago

Tunisia
  Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic
  Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD
  [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal
  Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats
  or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed
  BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist
  Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Turkey
  Anavatan Partisi (once was Motherland Party) or ANAVATAN
  [Erkan MUMCU]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER];
  Democratic People's Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Felicity Party
  (sometimes translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin
  ERBAKAN]; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip
  ERDOGAN]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP; Nationalist Action Party
  or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi
  Partisi) or HYP [Yasr Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP
  [Deniz BAYKAL]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat
  KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way
  Party) or DYP [Mehmet AGAR]
  note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
  the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Turkmenistan
  Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat
  NIYAZOV]
  note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
  opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the
  two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been National
  Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT) and the United Democratic
  Party of Turkmenistan (UDPT); NDMT was led by former Foreign
  Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the
  wake of the 25 November 2002 assassination attempt on President
  NIYAZOV; UDPT is led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is
  based out of Moscow

Turks and Caicos Islands
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek
H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]

Tuvalu
there are no political parties but members of Parliament
usually align themselves in informal groupings

Uganda
  Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or
  DP [Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza
  BESIGYE]; Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA];
  National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]; National Resistance
  Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC
  [Miria OBOTE]
  note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's
  transition to a multi-party political system

Ukraine
  Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO];
  Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Lytyvn-led
  People's Bloc group [Ihor SHAROV]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO];
  Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH];
  People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party
  [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; People's Trust group [Anton KISSE]; PORA! (It's
  Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV]; Progressive Socialist Party
  [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Party
  of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Republican Party [Yuriy BOYKO];
  Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Viktor MEDVEDCHUK];
  Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman];
  Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Ukraine [Bohdan
  HUBSKYY]; Vidrodzhennya (Revival) [Anton KISSE]

United Kingdom
  Conservative and Unionist Party [David CAMERON];
  Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY];
  Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Sir Menzies
  CAMPBELL]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish
  National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland)
  [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern
  Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland)
  [Sir Reg EMPEY]

United States
Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party;
Libertarian Party [Steve DAMERELL]; Republican Party [Ken MEHLMAN]

Uruguay
  Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party
  (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular
  Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge
  LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael
  MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro
  Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Socialist
  Party of Uruguay or Socialists [Reinaldo GARGANO]; Uruguayan
  Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI]

Uzbekistan
  Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Dilorom
  TOSHMUHAMMADOVA, chairman]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly
  Tiklanish) or MTP [Xurshid DOSTMUHAMMADOV, chief]; Liberal
  Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Adham SHODMONOV, chairman];
  People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party)
  [Asliddin RUSTAMOV, first secretary]; Self-Sacrificers Party or
  Fidokorlar National Democratic Party [Ahtam TURSUNOV, chief]; note -
  Fatherland Progress Party merged with Self-Sacrificers Party

Vanuatu
  Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive
  Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Hem LINI];
  Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanua'aku Pati (Our
  Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Greens Party or VGP
  [Moana CARCASSES]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot
  KORMAN]

Venezuela
  Christian Democrats or COPEI [Eduardo FERNANDEZ];
  Democratic Action or AD [Jesus MENDEZ Quijada]; Fatherland for All
  or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement or MVR [Hugo
  CHAVEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or
  MAS [Hector MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer];
  We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]

Virgin Islands
  Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent
  Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary
  SPRAUVE]

Wallis and Futuna
  Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux
  de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis
  LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni
  UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la
  Democratie Francaise or UDF

Yemen
  there are more than 12 political parties active in Yemen, some
  of the more prominent are: General People's Congress or GPC
  [President Ali Abdallah SALIH]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah
  [Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR]; Nasserite Unionist Party
  [Abdal Malik al-MAKHLAFI]; National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Dr.
  Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]

Zambia
  Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum
  for Democracy and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage
  Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF
  [Roger CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD
  [Levy MWANAWASA, acting president]; National Leadership for
  Development or NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE]; National Party or NP [Dr.
  Sam CHIPUNGU]; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Social
  Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline KONIE]; United National
  Independence Party or UNIP [Francis NKHOMA, president]; United Party
  for National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA]; Zambian
  Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]

Zimbabwe
  African National Party or ANP; Movement for Democratic
  Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; Peace Action is Freedom for All
  or PAFA; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party
  [Daniel SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or
  ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National
  Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe
  African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]; Zimbabwe Youth in
  Alliance or ZIYA

Akrotiri
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there
  are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military
  personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus
  citizens work on the base, but do not live there

Antarctica
  no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent
  and summer-only staffed research stations
  note: 26 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate
  through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only
  (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its
  nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region
  covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of
  persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management
  and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately
  4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000
  personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard
  research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak
  summer (December-February) population - 3,822 total; Argentina 417,
  Australia 213, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 224, China 70, Ecuador
  22, Finland 20, France 123, Germany 78, India 65, Italy 112, Japan
  150, South Korea 60, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia
  429, South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US
  1,170, Uruguay 60 (2005-2006); winter (June-August) station
  population - 1,028 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12,
  Chile 88, China 29, France 37, Germany 9, India 25, Italy 2, Japan
  40, South Korea 15, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South
  Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 288, Uruguay 9 (2005); research
  stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60
  degrees south latitude) by members of the Council of Managers of
  National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP): year-round stations - 37
  total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, France
  1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1,
  Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay
  1, Italy and France jointly 1 (2005); seasonal-only (summer)
  stations - 15 total; Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, Chile 1, Ecuador 1,
  Finland 1, Germany 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Peru 1, Russia 1,
  Spain 2, Sweden 1, UK 1 (2005-2006); in addition, during the austral
  summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent
  camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in
  support of research

Ashmore and Cartier Islands no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island (July 2006 est.)

Bahamas, The
  303,770
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Baker Island
  uninhabited
  note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and
  naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during
  World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by
  special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and
  generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and
  remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the
  middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife
  Service (2005 est.)

Benin
  7,862,944
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Botswana
  1,639,833
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Brazil
  188,078,227
  note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a
  population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than
  projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied
  underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this
  country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality
  due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
  mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and
  changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
  otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

British Indian Ocean Territory
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in
  the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois,
  were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and
  1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a
  British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in
  November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military
  personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego
  Garcia (July 2006 est.)

Burkina Faso
  13,902,972
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Burma
  47,382,633
  note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
  excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
  expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Burundi
  8,090,068
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Cambodia
  13,881,427
  note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
  excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
  expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Cameroon
  17,340,702
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
45,436
note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2006 est.)

Central African Republic
  4,303,356
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  62,660,551
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  3,702,314
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Coral Sea Islands
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological
  station (2005 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  17,654,843
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Dhekelia
  no indigenous personnel
  note: approximately 2,200 military personnel are on the base; there
  are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military
  personnel or civilian staff on both the bases of Akrotiri and
  Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there

East Timor 1,062,777 note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  74,777,981
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Europa Island
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there is a small French military garrison and a few
  meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2006 est.)

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from
  winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2006 est.)

Gabon
  1,424,906
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Ghana
  22,409,572
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Glorioso Islands
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few
  meteorologists; visited by scientists (July 2006 est.)

Guyana
  767,245
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Haiti
  8,308,504
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Honduras
  7,326,496
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Howland Island
  uninhabited
  note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and
  naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during
  World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by
  special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and
  generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually
  by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2006 est.)

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: uninhabitable
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: a small French
  military garrison and a few meteorologists on each possession;
  visited by scientists
  Tromelin Island: uninhabited, except for visits by scientists

Israel
  6,352,117
  note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
  about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than
  177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2006 est.)

Jan Mayen
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
  the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2006 est.)

Jarvis Island
  uninhabited
  note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally
  used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was
  abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical
  Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use
  permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally
  restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish
  and Wildlife Service (July 2006 est.)

Johnston Atoll
  uninhabited
  note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military
  and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001,
  population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical
  Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of May 2005 all US government
  personnel had left the island (July 2006 est.)

Juan de Nova Island no indigenous inhabitants note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few meteorologists; occasionally visited by scientists (July 2006 est.)

Kenya
  34,707,817
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Lesotho
  2,022,331
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Malawi
  13,013,926
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Midway Islands
  no indigenous inhabitants; approximately 40 people
  make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services
  contractor living at the atoll (July 2006 est.)

Montserrat
  9,439
  note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the
  resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
  (July 2006 est.)

Mozambique
  19,686,505
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected; the 1997
  Mozambican census reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2006
  est.)

Namibia
  2,044,147
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Navassa Island
  uninhabited
  note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
  (July 2006 est.)

Nigeria
  131,859,731
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Palmyra Atoll
no indigenous inhabitants; 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy
staff, US Fish and Wildlife staff (July 2006 est.)

Paracel Islands no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons

Rwanda
  8,648,248
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Saint Helena
  7,502
  note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are
  inhabited (July 2006 est.)

Somalia
  8,863,338
  note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in
  1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is
  complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements
  in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2006 est.)

South Africa
  44,187,637
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  no indigenous
  inhabitants
  note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March
  2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the
  British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on
  Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2006
  est.)

Spratly Islands
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several
  claimant states (2004)

Sri Lanka
  20,222,240
  note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and
  armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand
  Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils
  have sought refuge in the West (July 2006 est.)

Swaziland
  1,136,334
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Syria
  18,881,361
  note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied
  Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and
  about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2006 est.)

Tanzania
  37,445,392
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Thailand
  64,631,595
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Togo
  5,548,702
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Uganda
  28,195,754
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  no indigenous
  inhabitants
  note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and
  Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and
  educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
  Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military
  and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all
  US government personnel had left the island
  Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish
  and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the
  atoll
  Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and
  Wildlife staff

Wake Island
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor
  personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were
  present (July 2006 est.)

West Bank
  2,460,492
  note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the
  West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)

Zambia
  11,502,010
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Zimbabwe
  12,236,805
  note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
  effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
  life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
  population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
  population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
  2006 est.)

Algeria
Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel,
Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

Antarctica
  there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica;
  most coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are
  transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and
  helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal
  stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), and Palmer (64 43 S,
  64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office
  under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection
  in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage
  is sparse and intermittent; relevant legal instruments and
  authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the
  Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, to
  all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south, have to be
  complied with (see "Legal System"); The Hydrographic Committee on
  Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic commission of International
  Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic
  surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it
  coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate
  charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of
  navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member
  State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which
  contributes resources and/or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area;
  members of HCA are Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, France,
  Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway, Russia, South Africa,
  Spain, and the UK (2005)

Argentina
Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La
Plata, Punta Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin, San Nicolas

Atlantic Ocean
  Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp
  (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca
  (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal),
  Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas
  (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal),
  London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal
  (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran
  (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de
  Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg
  (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)

Australia
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point,
Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney

Baker Island
none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one
small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast

Bolivia
  Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the
  Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in
  maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski
Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje

Brazil
Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao,
Santos, Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria

Canada
Fraser River Port, Halifax, Montreal, Port Cartier, Quebec,
Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver

Chile
Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San
Vicente, Valparaiso

Colombia
Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque,
Puerto Bolivar, Santa Marta, Turbo

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma,
Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka

Denmark
  Aalborg, Aarhus, Asnaesvaerkets, Copenhagen, Elsinore,
  Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Frederikshavn, Kalundborg, Odense,
  Roenne

Ethiopia
Ethiopia is landlocked and has used ports of Assab and
Massawa in Eritrea and port of Djibouti

European Union
  Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Bremen
  (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany),
  Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre
  (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples
  (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam
  (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia)

Finland
Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvoo,
Raahe, Rauma, Turku

France
Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Marseille,
Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg

Germany
Bremen, Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Duisburg, Frankfurt,
Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Mainz, Rostock, Wilhemshaven

Howland Island
none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one
small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast

India
Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Indian Ocean
  Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban
  (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India)
  Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South
  Africa)

Indonesia
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang,
Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Italy
Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna,
Taranto, Trieste, Venice

Japan
Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya,
Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama

Jarvis Island
  none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one
  small boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another
  near the southwest corner of the island

Kazakhstan
Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen
(Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Korea, North
  Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong,
  Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang,
  Wonsan

Kuwait
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina'
'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Malaysia
Bintulu, Johor, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, George
Town (Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas

Mexico
Altamira, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, Salina Cruz, Tampico,
Topolobampo, Veracruz

Netherlands
Amsterdam, Groningen, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen,
Vlissingen, Zaanstad

Pacific Ocean
  Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung
  (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South
  Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),
  Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington
  (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)

Paracel Islands
small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and
Duncan Island being expanded

Peru
  Callao, Iquitos, Matarani, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note -
  Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are on the upper reaches of the
  Amazon and its tributaries

Russia
Anapa, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk,
Rostov-na-Donu, Saint Petersburg, Taganrog, Vanino, Vostochnyy

Saint Helena
  Saint Helena: Jamestown
  Ascension Island: Georgetown
  Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor

South Africa
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth,
Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

Southern Ocean
  McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
  note: few ports or harbors exist on southern side of Southern Ocean;
  ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; even
  then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most
  Antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and,
  except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private
  vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject
  to inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers (see Article 7); The
  Hydrographic Committee on Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic
  commission of International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is
  responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters
  in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provision
  of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in
  support of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is open
  to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the
  Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources and/or data to IHO
  Chart coverage of the area; members of HCA are Argentina, Australia,
  Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway,
  Russia, South Africa, Spain, and the UK (2005)

Spain
Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna,
Tarragona, Valencia

Sweden
Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Oxelosund,
Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg

Turkey
Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli
(Izmit), Toros

United Arab Emirates
Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali,
Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Sharjan

United Kingdom
Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool,
London, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport

United States
  Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long
  Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa,
  Texas City
  note: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana Ports) on the
  Mississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons of cargo annually

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Baker, Howland, and
  Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none; offshore anchorage only
  Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island
  Midway Islands: Sand Island
  Palmyra Atoll: West Lagoon

Algeria
  total: 3,973 km
  standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2005)

Angola
total: 2,761 km
narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2005)

Argentina
  total: 31,902 km
  broad gauge: 20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

Armenia
  total: 845 km
  broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
  note: some lines are out of service (2005)

Australia
  total: 47,738 km
  broad gauge: 4,015 km 1.600-m gauge
  standard gauge: 28,662 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 14,831 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2005)

Austria
  total: 6,011 km
  standard gauge: 5,568 km 1.435-m gauge (3,427 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 21 km 1.000-m gauge; 422 km 0.760-m gauge (109 km
  electrified) (2005)

Azerbaijan
total: 2,957 km
broad gauge: 2,957 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2005)

Bangladesh
  total: 2,768 km
  broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Belarus
  total: 5,512 km
  broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2005)

Belgium
total: 3,521 km
standard gauge: 3,521 km 1.435-m gauge (2,927 km electrified) (2005)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
total: 608 km (777 km electrified)
standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Brazil
  total: 29,252 km
  broad gauge: 4,877 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 23,785 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km
  electrified) (2005)

Bulgaria
  total: 4,294 km
  standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Burkina Faso
  total: 622 km
  narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
  note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire
  (2005)

Chile
  total: 6,585 km
  broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

China
  total: 74,408 km
  standard gauge: 74,408 km 1.435-m gauge (19,303 km electrified)
  (2004)

Colombia
  total: 3,304 km
  standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total: 5,138 km
  narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km
  1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2005)

Cote d'Ivoire
  total: 660 km
  narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge
  note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina
  Faso (2005)

Croatia
total: 2,726 km
standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2005)

Cuba
  total: 4,226 km
  standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
  note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations;
  about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge
  (2005)

Czech Republic
  total: 9,572 km
  standard gauge: 9,473 km 1.435-m gauge (2,951 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 99 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Denmark
total: 2,673 km
standard gauge: 2,673 km 1.435-m gauge (601 km electrified) (2005)

Djibouti
  total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti
  railway)
  narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
  note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2005)

Dominican Republic
  total: 517 km
  standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
  note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m,
  0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2005)

Egypt
total: 5,063 km
standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2005)

El Salvador
  total: 283 km
  narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
  note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by
  disuse and lack of maintenance (2005)

Ethiopia
  total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis
  Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
  narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
  note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2005)

European Union total: 222,293 km broad gauge: 28,438 km standard gauge: 186,405 km narrow gauge: 7,427 km other: 23 km (2003)

Fiji
  total: 597 km
  narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge
  note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used
  to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2005)

Finland
total: 5,741 km
broad gauge: 5,741 km 1.524-m gauge (2,619 km electrified) (2005)

France
  total: 29,085 km
  standard gauge: 28,918 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Georgia
  total: 1,612 km
  broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
  narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2005)

Germany
  total: 47,201 km
  standard gauge: 46,948 km 1.435-m gauge (19,674 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 229 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km
  0.750-m gauge (2005)

Greece
  total: 2,571 km
  standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge
  dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail
  system) (2005)

Guinea
  total: 837 km
  standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Guyana
  total: 187 km
  standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
  note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)

Honduras
total: 699 km
narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Hungary
  total: 7,937 km
  broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
  standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

India
  total: 63,230 km
  broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge (16,528 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,106 km
  0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2005)

Indonesia
  total: 6,458 km
  narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
  0.750-m gauge (2005)

Iran
  total: 7,256 km
  broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
  standard gauge: 7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)

Ireland
  total: 3,312 km
  broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
  Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
  (2005)

Isle of Man
  total: 65 km
  standard guage: 7 km 1.067-m guage (7 km electrified)
  narrow guage: 58 km 0.914-m guage (29 km electrified)
  note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)

Italy
  total: 19,459 km
  standard gauge: 18,037 km 1.435-m gauge (11,354 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,299 km
  0.950-m gauge (161 km electrified) (2005)

Jamaica
  total: 272 km
  standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge
  note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation
  had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer
  operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and
  used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)

Japan
  total: 23,556 km
  standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,264 km
  1.067-m gauge (13,280 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km
  electrified) (2005)

Kazakhstan
total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2005)

Korea, North
total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2005)

Korea, South
total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km electrified) (2005)

Latvia
  total: 2,303 km
  broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

Lebanon
  total: 401 km
  standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
  narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
  note: rail system became unusable because of damage done during
  fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)

Liberia
  total: 490 km
  standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
  note: railway is inoperable because of damage suffered during the
  civil war (2005)

Libya
  0 km
  note: Libya is working on seven lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m
  gauge track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2005)

Liechtenstein
  9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
  note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and
  Switzerland (2006)

Lithuania
  total: 1,771 km
  broad gauge: 1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Luxembourg
total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (262 km electrified) (2005)

Macedonia
total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2005)

Malaysia
  total: 1,890 km
  standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2005)

Moldova
  total: 1,138 km
  broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
  standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Montenegro
total: 250 km
standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2005)

Morocco
total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2005)

Mozambique
total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2005)

Netherlands
total: 2,808 km
standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2005)

New Zealand
total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2005)

Norway
total: 4,077 km
standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,680 km electrified) (2005)

Pakistan
  total: 8,163 km
  broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Panama
  total: 355 km
  standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 278 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Peru
  total: 3,462 km
  standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Philippines
total: 897 km
narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2005)

Poland
  total: 23,072 km
  broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge
  standard gauge: 22,443 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational;
  11,910 km electrified) (2005)

Portugal
  total: 2,850 km
  broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Romania
  total: 11,385 km
  standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge (3,888 km electrified)
  broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)

Russia
  total: 87,157 km
  broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
  note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve
  industries (2005)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 50 km
  narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane
  plantations during harvest season and for tourists (2005)

Saudi Arabia
  total: 1,392 km
  standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and
  sidings) (2005)

Serbia
total: 4,135 km
standard guage: 4,135 km 1.435-m guage (electrified 1,195 km) (2005)

Slovakia
  total: 3,662 km
  broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
  standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2005)

Slovenia
total: 1,229 km
standard gauge: 1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (504 km electrified) (2005)

South Africa
  total: 20,872 km
  narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,868 km electrified); 436 km
  0.610-m gauge (2005)

Spain
  total: 14,873 km
  broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km
  0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2005)

Sudan
  total: 5,978 km
  narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for
  cotton plantations (2005)

Sweden
total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2005)

Switzerland
  total: 4,583 km
  standard gauge: 3,234 km 1.435-m gauge (3,223 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 1,339 km 1.000-m gauge (1,338 km electrified); 10 km
  0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2005)

Syria
  total: 2,711 km
  standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)

Taiwan
  total: 2,497 km
  narrow gauge: 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)
  note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar
  Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau) used to carry
  products and limited numbers of passengers (2005)

Tanzania
total: 3,690 km
narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Tunisia
  total: 2,153 km
  standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

Turkey
total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2005)

Ukraine
total: 22,473 km
broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2005)

United Kingdom
  total: 17,156 km
  standard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,384 km electrified)
  broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2005)

Uruguay
  total: 2,073 km
  standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
  note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in
  partial use (2005)

Uzbekistan
total: 3,950 km
broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2005)

Vietnam
  total: 2,600 km
  standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
  dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m
  gauges (2005)

World
  total: 1,115,205 km
  broad gauge: 257,481 km
  standard gauge: 671,413 km
  narrow gauge: 186,311 km (2003)

Zambia
  total: 2,173 km
  narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
  note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
  (TAZARA) (2005)

Zimbabwe total: 3,077 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2005)

Albania
  Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
  note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current
  statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were
  closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November
  1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

American Samoa
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%,
Protestant and other 30%

Anguilla
  Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%,
  Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or
  unspecified 4.3% (2001 Census)

Antigua and Barbuda
Christian (predominantly Anglican with other
Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)

Argentina
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing),
Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Armenia
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi
(monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%

Australia
  Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%,
  Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none
  15.3% (2001 Census)

Austria
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other
3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)

Azerbaijan
  Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox
  2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
  note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan;
  percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower

Bahamas, The
  Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%,
  Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other
  Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)

Barbados
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%,
other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Belarus
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Belize
  Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%,
  Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist
  3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000)

Bermuda
  Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist
  Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%,
  unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)

Botswana
Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%,
none 20.6% (2001 census)

Brazil
  Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%,
  Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%,
  none 7.4% (2000 census)

British Virgin Islands
  Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%,
  Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's
  Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2%
  (1991)

Brunei
Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%,
indigenous beliefs and other 10%

Bulgaria
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian
1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)

Burkina Faso
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly
Roman Catholic) 10%

Burma
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%),
Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Burundi
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%),
indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Canada
  Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United
  Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other
  Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16%
  (2001 census)

Cape Verde
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs);
Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)

Cayman Islands
United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational),
Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Central African Republic
  indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%,
  Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
  note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the
  Christian majority

China
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant
  20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and
  indigenous beliefs 10%

Cook Islands
  Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9%, Roman Catholic
  16.8%, Seventh-Day Adventists 7.9%, Church of Latter Day Saints
  3.8%, other Protestant 5.8%, other 4.2%, unspecified 2.6%, none 3%
  (2001 census)

Costa Rica
Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

Cote d'Ivoire
  Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40%, Christian 20-30%
  (2001)
  note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim
  (70%) and Christian (20%)

Croatia
Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%,
Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

Cuba
  nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
  Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also
  represented

Cyprus
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic,
and other 4%

Czech Republic
Roman Catholic 26.8%, Protestant 2.1%, other 3.3%,
unspecified 8.8%, unaffiliated 59% (2001 census)

Denmark
Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman
Catholic 3%, Muslim 2%

Dominica
  Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%,
  Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%),
  other 6%, none 2%

East Timor
Roman Catholic 90%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%,
Buddhist, Animist (1992 est.)

El Salvador
  Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
  note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout
  the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million
  Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman
Catholic, pagan practices

Estonia
  Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian
  (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic,
  Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%,
  none 6.1% (2000 census)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  primarily Anglican, Roman
  Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's
  Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist

Fiji
  Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%,
  Muslim 8%, other 2%
  note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is
  a Muslim minority

Finland
Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland
1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003)

France
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

Georgia
Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian
3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)

Germany
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%,
unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Gibraltar
  Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other
  Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or
  unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census)

Guernsey
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Congregational, Methodist

Haiti
  Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal
  4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
  note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo

Hungary
  Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek
  Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%,
  unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census)

Iceland
  Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church
  2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%,
  other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4%
  (2004)

India
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other
1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Indonesia
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%,
Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Iran
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish,
Christian, and Baha'i 2%

Ireland
Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian
1.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)

Isle of Man
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Society of Friends

Israel
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other
Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)

Italy
  approximately 90% Roman Catholic (about one-third regularly
  attend services); mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a
  growing Muslim immigrant community

Jamaica
  Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist
  9%, Baptist 8.8%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 5.5%, Methodist 2.7%,
  United Church 2.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Brethren 1.1%, Moravian
  1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Japan
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)

Jersey
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Jordan
  Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but
  some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
  Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
  small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Kenya
  Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%,
  Muslim 10%, other 2%
  note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for
  the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous
  beliefs vary widely

Kiribati
  Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some
  Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of
  God (1999)

Korea, North
  traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian
  and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
  note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;
  government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of
  religious freedom

Korea, South
no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%,
Confucianist 1%, other 1%

Kuwait
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi,
and other 15%

Laos
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various
Christian denominations 1.5%)

Lebanon
  Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or
  Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite
  Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic,
  Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt,
  Protestant), other 1.3%
  note: 17 religious sects recognized

Liechtenstein
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%,
other 6.2% (June 2002)

Lithuania
  Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant
  (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other
  or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)

Macedonia
Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, other Christian 0.37%, Muslim
33.3%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census)

Malaysia
Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in
addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Marshall Islands
  Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman
  Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian
  3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)

Martinique
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu
0.5%, other 3.5% (1997)

Mauritius
Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, other Christian 8.6%,
Muslim 16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)

Mongolia
Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%,
Muslim 4% (2004)

Montserrat
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal,
Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations

Mozambique
Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%,
other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)

Namibia
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous
beliefs 10% to 20%

Nepal
  Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other
  0.9% (2001 census)
  note: only official Hindu state in the world

Netherlands
Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%,
Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5%, none 41% (2002)

Netherlands Antilles
  Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%,
  Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%,
  Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other
  or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

New Zealand
  Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian
  10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other
  Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)

Nicaragua
Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%,
Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5% (1995 census)

Niue
  Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely
  related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints
  8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day
  Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census)

Norfolk Island
  Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church
  in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian
  2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.3%, none
  18.1% (2001 census)

Northern Mariana Islands
Christian (Roman Catholic majority,
although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)

Norway
Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%,
other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)

Palau
  Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8%
  (indigenous to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witness
  0.9%, Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other religion 3.1%, unspecified or
  none 16.4% (2000 census)

Papua New Guinea
  Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%,
  Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%,
  Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant
  10%, indigenous beliefs 34%

Peru
Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian
0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)

Philippines
  Roman Catholic 80.9%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni
  Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 5%, other
  1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

Poland
Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox
1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)

Romania
  Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%,
  Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and
  Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and
  unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)

Russia
  Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2%
  (2006 est.)
  note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large
  populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy
  of over seven decades of Soviet rule

Rwanda
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim
4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)

Saint Helena
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Roman Catholic

Saint Lucia
  Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%,
  Pentecostal 5.7%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%,
  Rastafarian 2.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001
  census)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman
Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant

Samoa
  Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%,
  Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist
  3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%,
  unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Sao Tome and Principe
Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New
Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

Seychelles
  Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh Day
  Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other
  non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6% (2002 census)

Singapore
  Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%,
  Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000
  census)

Slovakia
Roman Catholic 68.9%, Protestant 10.8%, Greek Catholic
4.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%, none 13% (2001 census)

Slovenia
  Catholic 57.8%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim
  2.4%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002
  census)

Solomon Islands
  Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South
  Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church
  10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other
  2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)

South Africa
  Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%,
  Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%,
  other Christian 36%, Islam 1.5%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none
  15.1% (2001 census)

Sri Lanka
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%,
unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Sudan
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian
5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)

Suriname
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian),
Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

Swaziland
  Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous
  ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai,
  Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Sweden
Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim,
Jewish, Buddhist

Switzerland
  Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Orthodox 1.8%,
  other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 4.3%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none
  11.1% (2000 census)

Syria
  Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%,
  Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus,
  Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Taiwan
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian
4.5%, other 2.5%

Tanzania
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs
35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Tokelau
  Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%,
  other 2%
  note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on
  Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
  the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Trinidad and Tobago
  Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%,
  Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%,
  Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9%
  (2000 census)

Turks and Caicos Islands
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%,
Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)

Tuvalu
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Ukraine
  Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 19%, Orthodox (no
  particular jurisdiction) 16%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow
  Patriarchate 9%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian
  Autocephalous Orthodox 1.7%, Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004 est.)

United Kingdom
  Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian,
  Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or
  none 23.1% (2001 census)

United States
Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish
1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)

Uruguay
  Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population
  attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing
  or other 31%

Vanuatu
  Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%,
  Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous
  beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%,
  unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)

Vietnam
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%,
Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

World
  Christians 33.03% (of which Roman Catholics 17.33%,
  Protestants 5.8%, Orthodox 3.42%, Anglicans 1.23%), Muslims 20.12%,
  Hindus 13.34%, Buddhists 5.89%, Sikhs 0.39%, Jews 0.23%, other
  religions 12.61%, non-religious 12.03%, atheists 2.36% (2004 est.)

Yemen
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small
numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

Zimbabwe
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%,
Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Bhutan
each family has one vote in village-level elections; note -
in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law

Bolivia
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Brazil
  voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70;
  compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military
  conscripts do not vote

Dominican Republic 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote

Ecuador
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons
ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Gibraltar
18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens
who have been residents six months or more

Guam
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US
presidential elections

Guatemala
  18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the
  armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on
  election day)

Hong Kong
  direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent
  residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven
  years; indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of
  functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn
  from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central
  government bodies

Italy
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections,
where minimum age is 25)

Kuwait
  adult males who are not in the military forces, and adult
  females (as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for
  20 years

Lebanon
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women at age 21 with elementary education

Macau
  direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent
  residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect
  election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters"
  (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee
  drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and
  central government bodies

Northern Mariana Islands 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Oman
  in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003,
  suffrage was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members
  of the military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura
  elections are scheduled for 2007

Pakistan
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Peru
18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70;
note - members of the military and national police may not vote

Puerto Rico
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US
citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Saudi Arabia
  adult male citizens age 21 or older
  note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial
  municipal council elections held nationwide from February through
  April 2005

Virgin Islands
18 years of age; universal; island residents are US
citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Western Sahara
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign
not yet completed

Afghanistan
  general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph
  service
  domestic: telephone service is improving with the licensing of four
  wireless telephone service providers by 2005; approximately 4 in 100
  Afghans own a wireless telephone; telephone main lines remain
  limited.
  international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul,
  Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international
  and domestic voice and data connectivity

Albania
  general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines,
  the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly
  seven lines per 100 people; however, cellular telephone use is
  widespread and generally effective
  domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile
  phone service has been available since 1996; by 2003 two companies
  were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of
  Albania's Balkan neighbors
  international: country code - 355; inadequate fixed main lines;
  adequate cellular connections; international traffic carried by
  fiber optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from
  the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)

Algeria
  general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very
  low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of
  fixed main lines increased in the last few years to nearly 2.6
  million, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much
  of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient
  domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic
  satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic
  earth stations are planned)
  international: country code - 213; submarine cables - 5; microwave
  radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial
  cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite
  earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005)

American Samoa
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone
  services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
  international: country code - 684; satellite earth station - 1
  (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)

Andorra
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections
  between exchanges
  international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and
  Spain

Angola
  general assessment: telephone service limited mostly to
  government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for
  military links
  domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and
  tropospheric scatter
  international: country code - 244; satellite earth stations - 29;
  fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to
  Europe and Asia (2005)

Anguilla
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: modern internal telephone system
  international: country code - 1-264; microwave radio relay to island
  of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Antarctica
  general assessment: local systems at some research
  stations
  domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number
  of locations
  international: country code - 672; via satellite (including mobile
  Inmarsat and Iridium systems) from all research stations, ships,
  aircraft, and most field parties

Antigua and Barbuda
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: good automatic telephone system
  international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba
  (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Argentina
  general assessment: by opening the telecommunications
  market to competition and foreign investment with the
  "Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina
  encouraged the growth of modern telecommunications technology;
  fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major
  cities; the major networks are entirely digital and the availability
  of telephone service is improving; however, telephone density is
  presently minimal, and making telephone service universally
  available will take time
  domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
  satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
  more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
  use is rapidly expanding
  international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 112;
  Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways
  near Buenos Aires (2005)

Armenia
  general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately
  owned and undergoing modernization and expansion
  domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment
  are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)
  international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the
  Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional
  international service is available by microwave radio relay and
  landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of
  Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and
  by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3
  (2005)

Aruba
  general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications
  system
  domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless
  service providers are now licensed
  international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten
  (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay
  links

Australia
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international
  service
  domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in
  areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular
  telephones
  international: country code - 61; submarine cables to New Zealand,
  Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 19 (10
  Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian
  and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2005)

Austria
  general assessment: highly developed and efficient
  domestic: there are 45 main lines for every 100 persons; the fiber
  optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet
  services are available
  international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in
  addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals)
  (2005)

Azerbaijan
  general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable
  expansion and modernization; teledensity of 14 main lines per 100
  persons is low (2002)
  domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other
  industrial centers - about 700 villages still without public
  telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern
  switch in its exclave of Naxcivan
  international: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable
  and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2
  (2005)

Bahamas, The
  general assessment: modern facilities
  domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed
  international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric scatter and
  submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 2 (2005)

Bahrain
  general assessment: modern system
  domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
  with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
  international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and
  UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to
  Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 (1997)

Bangladesh
  general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern
  country
  domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
  include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
  fiber-optic cable in cities
  international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 6;
  international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
  neighboring countries (2005)

Barbados
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
  international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1
  (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and
  Saint Lucia

Belarus
  general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in
  upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom,
  is the sole provider of fixed line local and long distance service;
  modernization of the network to digital switching progressing slowly
  domestic: fixed line penetration is improving although rural areas
  continue to be underserved; four GSM wireless networks are
  experiencing rapid growth; strict government controls on
  telecommunications technologies
  international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the
  Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line,
  and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic
  segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and
  Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this
  infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat,
  Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

Belgium
  general assessment: highly developed, technologically
  advanced, and completely automated domestic and international
  telephone and telegraph facilities
  domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable
  network; limited microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 32; submarine cables - 5; satellite
  earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2005)

Belize
  general assessment: above-average system
  domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 8
  (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2005)

Benin
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and
  cellular connections
  international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7
  (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
  provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Bermuda
  general assessment: good
  domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic
  trunk lines
  international: country code - 1-441; submarine cables - 3 (fiber
  optic); satellite earth stations - 3 (2005)

Bhutan
  general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor
  domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor
  especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003
  international: country code - 975; international telephone and
  telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
  satellite earth station - 1 (2005)

Bolivia
  general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic
  difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other
  cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly
  domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
  digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
  cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
  international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  general assessment: telephone and telegraph
  network needs modernization and expansion; many urban areas are
  below average as contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav
  republics
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

Botswana
  general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth
  of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development
  domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
  links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile
  cellular service is growing fast
  international: country code - 267; two international exchanges;
  digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
  and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Brazil
  general assessment: good working system
  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
  satellite system with 64 earth stations
  international: country code - 55; 3 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat
  (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to
  Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station

British Indian Ocean Territory general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

British Virgin Islands
  general assessment: worldwide telephone
  service
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda

Brunei
  general assessment: service throughout the country is
  excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and
  the US
  domestic: every service available
  international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine
  cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001)

Bulgaria
  general assessment: extensive but antiquated
  domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
  telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern
  digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of
  the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio
  relay
  international: country code - 359; direct dialing to 58 countries;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Burkina Faso
  general assessment: all services only fair
  domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
  communication stations
  international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Burma
  general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements for
  local and intercity service for business and government;
  international service is fair
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 95; satellite earth station - 2,
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat

Burundi
  general assessment: primitive system
  domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
  and low-capacity microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Cambodia
  general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular
  service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile phone
  coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline
  and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and
  major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
  (Indian Ocean region)

Cameroon
  general assessment: available only to business and
  government
  domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
  international: country code - 237; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
  provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Canada
  general assessment: excellent service provided by modern
  technology
  domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
  international: country code - 1-xxx; 5 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1
  Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Cape Verde
  general assessment: effective system, extensive
  modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
  domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber
  optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet
  access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998
  international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF
  radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station
  - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Cayman Islands
  general assessment: reasonably good system
  domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003 reflected in
  falling prices and improving services
  international: country code - 1-345; 2 submarine fiber optic cables
  (Maya-1, Cayman-Jamaica); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Atlantic Ocean)

Central African Republic
  general assessment: fair system
  domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
  low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
  international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Chad
  general assessment: primitive system
  domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
  international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Chile
  general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave
  radio relay facilities
  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
  system with three earth stations
  international: country code - 56; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

China
  general assessment: domestic and international services are
  increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
  domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
  many towns
  domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
  telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system
  with 55 earth stations is in place
  international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
  regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South
  Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

Christmas Island
  general assessment: service provided by the
  Australian network
  domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system
  in February 2005
  international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - one
  INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  general assessment: connected within
  Australia's telecommunication system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile
  communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1
  INTELSAT satellite earth station

Colombia
  general assessment: modern system in many respects
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic
  satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking
  50 cities
  international: country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6
  Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching
  centers; 8 submarine cables

Comoros
  general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay
  and HF radiotelephone communication stations
  domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications
  to Madagascar and Reunion

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  general assessment: poor
  domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in
  and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth
  stations
  international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Congo, Republic of the
  general assessment: services barely adequate
  for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire,
  and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order
  domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and
  coaxial cable
  international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Cook Islands
  general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers
  international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
  domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of
  satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF
  radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small
  exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and
  fiber-optic cable
  international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Costa Rica
  general assessment: good domestic telephone service in
  terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service
  domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave,
  fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is
  available
  international: country code - 506; connected to Central American
  Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
  Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)

Cote d'Ivoire
  general assessment: well developed by African
  standards but operating well below capacity
  domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized
  international: country code - 225; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 submarine cables
  (June 1999)

Croatia
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog
  circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be
  included in the plan for the main trunk
  international: country code - 385; digital international service is
  provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in
  the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of
  two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic
  trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also
  investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany,
  Albania, and Greece

Cuba
  general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and
  the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and
  Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system;
  wireless service is expensive and remains restricted to foreigners
  and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally
  with the help of foreigners
  domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 85% of
  switches digitized by end of 2004; telephone line density remains
  low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service
  expanding
  international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
  linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
  (Atlantic Ocean region)

Cyprus
  general assessment: excellent in both Republic of Cyprus and
  north Cyprus areas
  domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish
  Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); tropospheric
  scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2
  Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat

Czech Republic
  general assessment: privatization and modernization
  of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is
  advancing steadily; growth in the use of mobile cellular telephones
  is particularly vigorous
  domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber
  systems now being enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
  (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals;
  trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1
  Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar

Denmark
  general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph
  services
  domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form
  trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems
  international: country code - 45; 18 submarine fiber-optic cables
  linking Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland,
  Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth
  stations - 6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat
  (Blaavand-Atlantic-East); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark,
  Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station
  and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (1997)

Djibouti
  general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of
  Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections
  to outlying areas of the country
  domestic: microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 253; submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez,
  Sicily, Marseille, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations
  - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional
  microwave radio relay telephone network

Dominica
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: fully automatic network
  international: country code - 1-767; microwave radio relay and SHF
  radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF
  radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Dominican Republic
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave
  radio relay network
  international: country code - 1-809; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Ecuador
  general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
  domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
  international: country code - 593; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Egypt
  general assessment: large system; underwent extensive
  upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and
  cellular service are available
  domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
  Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
  microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 20; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1
  Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan;
  microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel

El Salvador
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
  international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
  System

Equatorial Guinea
  general assessment: poor system with adequate
  government services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 240; international communications from
  Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
  station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Eritrea
  general assessment: inadequate
  domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is
  seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
  international: country code - 291; note - international connections
  exist

Estonia
  general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint
  business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial
  fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in
  the digital mode; Internet services are available throughout most of
  the country
  domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet
  services is available throughout the country
  international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland,
  Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched
  service; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)

Ethiopia
  general assessment: adequate for government use
  domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
  the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide
  the national trunk service
  international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
  microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth
  stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
  radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
  points on both islands
  international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other
  countries

Faroe Islands
  general assessment: good international communications;
  good domestic facilities
  domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog)
  and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
  international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1
  Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands,
  linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic
  submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

Fiji
  general assessment: modern local, interisland, and
  international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose
  telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio
  communications center
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 679; access to important cable links
  between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; 2
  satellite earth stations - 2 INMARSAT (Pacific Ocean)

Finland
  general assessment: modern system with excellent service
  domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
  cellular network provide domestic needs
  international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland
  Estonia Connection); satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat
  transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1
  Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares
  the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark,
  Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

France
  general assessment: highly developed
  domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
  introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
  international: country code - 33; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for
  Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF
  radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries

French Guiana
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system
  international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

French Polynesia
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Gabon
  general assessment: adequate service by African standards and
  improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
  domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
  tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
  domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
  international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
  provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Gambia, The
  general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data
  network is available
  domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire
  international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to
  Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Atlantic Ocean)

Gaza Strip
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
  are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the
  Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
  international: country code - 970

Georgia
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone
  networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural
  telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities
  include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
  nationwide pager service is available
  international: country code - 995; Georgia and Russia are working on
  a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present
  international service is available by microwave, landline, and
  satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail
  and telex service are available

Germany
  general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
  technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
  intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
  backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to
  World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the
  western part
  domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
  telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
  cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
  satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available,
  expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign
  countries
  international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is
  excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable
  facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat,
  Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2001)

Ghana
  general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible;
  many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is
  underway
  domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has
  been installed
  international: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel
  system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable
  (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Gibraltar
  general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system
  and adequate international facilities
  domestic: automatic exchange facilities
  international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio
  relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Greece
  general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all
  areas; good mobile telephone and international service
  domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire
  connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
  international: country code - 30; tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine
  cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and
  1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Greenland
  general assessment: adequate domestic and international
  service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay;
  totally digitalized in 1995
  domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
  international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 12
  Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Grenada
  general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
  domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
  international: country code - 1-473; new SHF radiotelephone links to
  Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to
  Trinidad

Guadeloupe
  general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 590; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and
  Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

Guam
  general assessment: modern system, integrated with US
  facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
  domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
  and local access to the Internet
  international: country code - 1-671; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is
  a trans-Pacific communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and
  GTE, linking the US and Asia)

Guatemala
  general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the
  city of Guatemala
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 502; connected to Central American
  Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
  Ocean)

Guernsey
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: 1 submarine cable

Guinea
  general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines,
  small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio
  relay system
  domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication
  international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Guinea-Bissau
  general assessment: small system
  domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
  radiotelephone, and cellular communications
  international: country code - 245

Guyana
  general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
  domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
  international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
  satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Haiti
  general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
  international facilities slightly better
  domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
  international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  general assessment: automatic digital
  exchange
  domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
  international: country code - 39; uses Italian system

Honduras
  general assessment: inadequate system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 504; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
  System

Hong Kong
  general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
  domestic and international services
  domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
  network
  international: country code - 852; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to
  Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables
  providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan,
  Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Hungary
  general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized
  and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication
  service
  domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk
  services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave
  radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
  initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones
  international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable
  connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch
  is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
  Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture
  terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Iceland
  general assessment: extensive domestic service
  domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
  cables and microwave radio relay links
  international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
  regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
  other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

India
  general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of
  telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;
  local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of
  the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban
  areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission
  of private and private-public investors, but telephone density
  remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only
  one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of
  over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest
  growth in fixed lines
  domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in
  rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic
  reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile
  cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and
  organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom
  circles each with about three private service providers and one
  state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk
  capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the
  world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National
  Satellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000
  very small aperture terminals (VSAT)
  international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine
  gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata
  (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar,
  Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3
  with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link
  Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South
  Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking
  to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai
  (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),
  provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both
  voice and data traffic (2004)

Indonesia
  general assessment: domestic service fair, international
  service good
  domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
  domestic satellite communications system
  international: country code - 62; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Iran
  general assessment: inadequate, but currently being modernized
  and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
  increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
  telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
  connected
  domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
  since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
  radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
  brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
  has approximately doubled; thousands of mobile cellular subscribers
  are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has
  been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
  international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay
  to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,
  Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to
  UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
  Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
  through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
  to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
  4 Inmarsat

Iraq
  general assessment: the 2003 war severely disrupted
  telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
  connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capability
  and the construction of mobile and satellite communication facilities
  domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during the 2003
  war continue, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching
  capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and
  centered on three regional GSM networks, improving country-wide
  connectivity
  international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable
  and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;
  despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside of
  Baghdad remain problematic

Ireland
  general assessment: modern digital system using cable and
  microwave radio relay
  domestic: microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Isle of Man
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
  international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
  earth station, submarine cable

Israel
  general assessment: most highly developed system in the
  Middle East although not the largest
  domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
  all systems are digital
  international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Italy
  general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully
  automated telephone, telex, and data services
  domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
  international: country code - 39; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2
  for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA
  Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables

Jamaica
  general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone
  network
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-876; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Japan
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international
  service
  domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
  every kind
  international: country code - 81; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
  regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US
  (via Guam) (1999)

Jersey
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: 3 submarine cables

Jordan
  general assessment: service has improved recently with
  increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to
  the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access
  to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
  domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
  fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of
  mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
  international: country code - 962; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals;
  fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link
  with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable
  FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL;
  international links total about 4,000

Kazakhstan
  general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated
  domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile
  cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan
  international: country code - 7; international traffic with other
  former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave
  radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the
  Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations
  - 2 Intelsat

Kenya
  general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize
  except for service to business
  domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data
  commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
  international: country code - 254; satellite earth stations - 4
  Intelsat

Kiribati
  general assessment: generally good quality national and
  international service
  domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati
  (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF
  radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999
  international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the
  Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should
  improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Pacific Ocean)

Korea, North
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other
  international connections through Moscow and Beijing

Korea, South
  general assessment: excellent domestic and
  international services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic submarine cables -
  1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China,
  1 Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1 Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1
  Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan;
  satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian
  Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)

Kuwait
  general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
  domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
  subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
  coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
  telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
  supplied with pay telephones
  international: country code - 965; coaxial cable and microwave radio
  relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the
  Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
  (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and
  2 Arabsat

Kyrgyzstan
  general assessment: development of telecommunications
  infrastructure is slow; fixed line penetration remains low and
  concentrated in Bishkek
  domestic: two wireless telephony service providers, but penetration
  remains low
  international: country code - 996; connections with other CIS
  countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other
  countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway
  switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik
  and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe
  (TAE) fiber-optic line

Laos
  general assessment: service to general public is poor but
  improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
  communicate with remote areas
  domestic: radiotelephone communications
  international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
  Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Latvia
  general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing
  competition to the telecommunications sector, beginning in 2003; the
  number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands
  domestic: two wireless service providers in addition to Lattelekom,
  the incumbent monopoly
  international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
  connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden

Lebanon
  general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
  severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
  domestic: two commercial wireless networks provide good service;
  political instability hampers privatization and deployment of new
  technologies
  international: country code - 961; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations);
  coaxial cable to Syria; 3 submarine coaxial cables

Lesotho
  general assessment: rudimentary system
  domestic: consists of a modest but growing number of landlines, a
  small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone
  communication system; a cellular mobile telephone system is growing
  international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Liberia
  general assessment: the limited services available are found
  almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia
  domestic: fully automatic system with very low density of .23 fixed
  main lines per 100 persons; limited wireless service available
  international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Libya
  general assessment: telecommunications system is being
  modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in
  1996
  domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,
  tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth
  stations
  international: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4
  Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to
  France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt;
  tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (1999)

Liechtenstein
  general assessment: automatic telephone system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable
  and microwave radio relay

Lithuania
  general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to
  provide an improved international capability and better residential
  access
  domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is
  nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded;
  mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet
  is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber
  applications
  international: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia
  and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and
  Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

Luxembourg
  general assessment: highly developed, completely
  automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
  domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable
  international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on TAT-6
  coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)

Macau
  general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
  maintained for domestic and international services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication
  facility; access to international communications carriers provided
  via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Indian Ocean)

Macedonia
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 389

Madagascar
  general assessment: system is above average for the region
  domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay,
  and tropospheric scatter links connect regions
  international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
  Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Malawi
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: system employs open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
  links, and radiotelephone communications stations
  international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Malaysia
  general assessment: modern system; international service
  excellent
  domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
  mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
  relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
  satellite system with 2 earth stations
  international: country code - 60; submarine cables to India, Hong
  Kong, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
  Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2001)

Maldives
  general assessment: minimal domestic and international
  facilities
  domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
  inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
  international: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Mali
  general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
  provides only minimal service
  domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open-wire, and
  radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio
  relay in progress
  international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Malta
  general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal
  requirements
  domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
  international: country code - 356; 2 submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Marshall Islands
  general assessment: digital switching equipment;
  modern services include telex, cellular, internet, international
  calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
  domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
  seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
  high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
  and mini-satellite telephones
  international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
  system on Kwajalein (2001)

Martinique
  general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 596; microwave radio relay to
  Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Mauritania
  general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire
  lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone
  communications stations (improvements being made)
  domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed
  domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with
  regional capitals
  international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Mauritius
  general assessment: small system with good service
  domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
  international: country code - 230; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF
  radiotelephone links to several countries; fiber optic submarine
  cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Mayotte
  general assessment: small system administered by French
  Department of Posts and Telecommunications
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 269; microwave radio relay and HF
  radiotelephone communications to Comoros

Mexico
  general assessment: low telephone density with about 18 main
  lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening to
  competition in January 1997 improved prospects for development, but
  Telmex remains dominant
  domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
  but the population is poorly served; mobile subscribers far
  outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120
  earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network;
  considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
  international: country code - 52; satellite earth stations - 32
  Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South
  America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing
  domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth
  stations; linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk
  connections; high capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable
  with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco,
  Spain, and Italy (2005)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  general assessment: adequate system
  domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
  mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground
  stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service
  available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
  international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)

Moldova
  general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service
  outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
  domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile
  cellular telephone service being introduced
  international: country code - 373; service through Romania and
  Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat,
  and Intersputnik

Monaco
  general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;
  connected by cable into the French communications system

Mongolia
  general assessment: network is improving with international
  direct dialing available in many areas
  domestic: very low density of about 5.5 main lines per 100 persons;
  two wireless providers cover all but two provinces
  international: country code - 976; satellite earth station - 1
  Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Montenegro
  general assessment: modern telecommunications system with
  access to European satellites
  domestic: GSM wireless service, available through two providers with
  national coverage, is growing rapidly
  international: country code - 382 (the old code of 381 used by
  Serbia and Montenegro will also remain in use until Feb 2007); two
  international switches connect the national system

Montserrat
  general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-664

Morocco
  general assessment: modern system with all important
  capabilities; however, density is low with only 4 main lines
  available for each 100 persons
  domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and
  microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive;
  principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national
  network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural
  service employs microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 212; 7 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
  microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;
  coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in
  Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and
  Tunisia (1998)

Mozambique
  general assessment: fair system but not available
  generally (extremely low density with less than 1 main line per 100
  persons)
  domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunk
  connection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
  international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5
  Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

Namibia
  general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for each
  100 persons
  domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio
  relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are
  by open wire; 100% digital
  international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
  Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
  other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South
  African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa;
  satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2002)

Nauru
  general assessment: adequate local and international
  radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Nepal
  general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
  radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone
  network
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;
  microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
  (Indian Ocean)

Netherlands
  general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
  domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular
  telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major
  network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global
  System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
  international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1
  Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)

Netherlands Antilles
  general assessment: generally adequate
  facilities
  domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
  international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite
  earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

New Caledonia
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

New Zealand
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international
  systems
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and
  Fiji; 8 satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7
  other

Nicaragua
  general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by
  foreign investment
  domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being
  expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
  international: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Niger
  general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone
  communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the
  southwestern area of Niger
  domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio
  relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
  international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Nigeria
  general assessment: expansion and modernization of the
  fixed-line telephone network has been slow due to faltering efforts
  at privatization
  domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002
  resulted in faster growth in this service; wireless telephony has
  grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the
  fixed-line network; four wireless (GSM) service providers operate
  nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp increase in
  teledensity reported to be over 18% in March 2006
  international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic
  submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Niue
  domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
  island
  international: country code - 683

Norfolk Island
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: free local calls
  international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
  Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station

Northern Mariana Islands
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Norway
  general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most
  advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
  domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the
  prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile
  systems instead of fixed-wire systems
  international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4
  coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
  regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
  other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)

Oman
  general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,
  microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
  coaxial cable
  domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a
  domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
  international: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Pakistan
  general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but
  improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in
  part because major businesses have established their own private
  systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the
  national telecommunications system on a priority basis,
  significantly increasing network capacity; despite major
  improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services
  are still not readily available to the majority of the rural
  population
  domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
  cellular, and satellite networks
  international: country code - 92; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational
  international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);
  microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)

Palau
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Panama
  general assessment: domestic and international facilities
  well developed
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 507; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
  the Central American Microwave System

Papua New Guinea
  general assessment: services are adequate;
  facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio,
  aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services
  domestic: mostly radiotelephone
  international: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and
  Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
  international radio communication service

Paraguay
  general assessment: meager telephone service; principal
  switching center is in Asuncion
  domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Peru
  general assessment: adequate for most requirements
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic
  satellite system with 12 earth stations
  international: country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable

Philippines
  general assessment: good international radiotelephone
  and submarine cable services; domestic and inter-island service
  adequate
  domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
  international: country code - 63; 9 international gateways;
  satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific
  Ocean); submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and
  Japan

Pitcairn Islands
  general assessment: satellite phone services
  domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
  international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)

Poland
  general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
  network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in
  2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned
  company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony
  domestic: wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service
  available since 1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks,
  has grown rapidly in response to the weak fixed-line coverage; third
  generation UMTS service available in urban areas; cellular coverage
  is generally good with more gaps in the east; fixed-line service is
  growing slowly and still lags in rural areas
  international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with
  automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat,
  Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik)

Portugal
  general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has
  achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed
  capabilities
  domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave
  radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations
  international: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean),
  NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station
  for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Puerto Rico
  general assessment: modern system integrated with that
  of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with
  high-speed data capability
  domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
  international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station -
  1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Qatar
  general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
  microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to
  Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
  Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Reunion
  general assessment: adequate system; principal center is
  Saint-Denis
  domestic: modern open-wire and microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 262; radiotelephone communication to
  Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius;
  satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); fiber optic
  submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe
  and Asia

Romania
  general assessment: rapidly improving domestic and
  international service, especially in wireless telephony
  domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in
  2003 is transforming telecommunications; there has been 20% growth
  in fixed lines with a penetration rate of 58% of households;
  nation-wide wireless service is growing even faster with four major
  providers and a penetration rate of 32%
  international: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 10
  (Intelsat 4); digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate
  in Bucharest (2005)

Russia
  general assessment: the telephone system underwent
  significant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000
  companies licensed to offer communication services; access to
  digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet
  and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward
  building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a
  market economy; however, a large demand for main line service
  remains unsatisfied
  domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint
  Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the
  telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital
  infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are
  available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are
  still outdated, inadequate, and low density
  international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally
  by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several
  cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;
  satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik,
  Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems

Rwanda
  general assessment: telephone system primarily serves
  business and government
  domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the
  provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular
  telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF
  radiotelephone
  international: country code - 250; international connections employ
  microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite
  communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -
  1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax
  service)

Saint Helena
  general assessment: can communicate worldwide
  domestic: automatic digital network
  international: country code - 290; international direct dialing;
  satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations -
  5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  general assessment: good inter-island and
  international connections
  domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic
  cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in
  November 2004
  international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried
  by submarine cable or Intelsat

Saint Lucia
  general assessment: adequate system
  domestic: system is automatically switched
  international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay
  link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
  tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these
  countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with
  most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic
  satellite system

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  general assessment: adequate system
  domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF
  radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the
  Grenadines
  international: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from
  Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to
  Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through
  Saint Lucia

Samoa
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

San Marino
  general assessment: adequate connections
  domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
  Italian system
  international: country code - 378; connected to Italian
  international network

Sao Tome and Principe
  general assessment: adequate facilities
  domestic: minimal system
  international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Saudi Arabia
  general assessment: modern system
  domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
  fiber-optic cable systems
  international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain,
  Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to
  Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;
  satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian
  Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Senegal
  general assessment: good system
  domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial
  cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system
  international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Serbia
  general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
  network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999
  war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was
  only 65% digitalized in 2005
  domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring
  states; GSM wireless service, available through two providers with
  national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications
  service limited to urban centers
  international: country code - 381

Seychelles
  general assessment: effective system
  domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the
  archipelago
  international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone
  communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal
  countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Sierra Leone
  general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph
  service
  domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
  Freetown to Bo and Kenema
  international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Singapore
  general assessment: excellent service
  domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless
  service in February 2005
  international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct
  connection to more than 100 countries; 4 satellite earth stations,
  supplemented by VSAT coverage

Slovakia
  general assessment: a modernization and privatization
  program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing
  the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving
  service quality
  domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
  digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
  especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
  added
  international: country code - 421; three international exchanges
  (one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available;
  Slovakia is participating in several international
  telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of
  external services

Slovenia
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: 100% digital (2000)
  international: country code - 386

Solomon Islands
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Somalia
  general assessment: the public telecommunications system was
  almost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
  private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
  charge the lowest international rates on the continent
  domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
  Mogadishu and in several other population centers
  international: country code - 252; international connections are
  available from Mogadishu by satellite

South Africa
  general assessment: the system is the best developed
  and most modern in Africa
  domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
  cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
  radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
  centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
  Elizabeth, and Pretoria
  international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Spain
  general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;
  teledensity is 45 main lines for each 100 persons
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian
  Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Sri Lanka
  general assessment: very inadequate domestic service,
  particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization
  of national telephone company and encouragement to private
  investment; good international service (1999)
  domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
  microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
  and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition
  is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low
  (1999)
  international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia and
  Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

Sudan
  general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
  standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
  1996 and have expanded substantially
  domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
  communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
  system with 14 earth stations
  international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Suriname
  general assessment: international facilities are good
  domestic: microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Svalbard
  general assessment: probably adequate
  domestic: local telephone service
  international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
  unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Swaziland
  general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced
  system
  domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and
  low-capacity, microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Sweden
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international
  facilities; automatic system
  domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
  traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
  additional telephone channels
  international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat,
  and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden
  shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries
  (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Switzerland
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international
  services
  domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
  international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Syria
  general assessment: fair system currently undergoing
  significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic
  technology
  domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
  1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq,
  Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Taiwan
  general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
  every business and private need
  domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
  international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to
  Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
  Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Tajikistan
  general assessment: poorly developed and not well
  maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network
  domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave
  radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the
  Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to
  international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth
  stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Tanzania
  general assessment: fair system operating below capacity
  and being modernized for better service; very small aperture
  terminal (VSAT) system under construction
  domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
  relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
  made digital
  international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Thailand
  general assessment: high quality system, especially in
  urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of
  telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006
  domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
  commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
  outpacing fixed lines
  international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for
  APCN submarine cable

Togo
  general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave
  radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile
  cellular system
  domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional
  system
  international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Tokelau
  general assessment: modern satellite-based communications
  system;
  domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
  international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
  government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
  earth stations

Tonga
  general assessment: competition between Tonga
  Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications
  Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT
  recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for
  telephone, Internet, and television
  domestic: fully automatic switched network
  international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Trinidad and Tobago
  general assessment: excellent international
  service; good local service
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
  Guyana

Tunisia
  general assessment: above the African average and continuing
  to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
  Internet access available
  domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
  cable, and microwave radio relay
  international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
  earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
  cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
  Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Turkey
  general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
  expansion, especially with cellular telephones
  domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
  increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
  technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
  fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
  communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
  domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
  cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
  international: country code - 90; international service is provided
  by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
  Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
  and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
  satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Turkmenistan
  general assessment: poorly developed
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwave
  radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased
  connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new
  telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new
  exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey
  via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Turks and Caicos Islands
  general assessment: fully digital system
  with international direct dialing
  domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
  available
  international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite
  earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Tuvalu
  general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
  communications
  domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
  international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
  by satellite

Uganda
  general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular
  systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of
  main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available
  domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and
  radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular
  systems for short-range traffic
  international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and
  Tanzania

Ukraine
  general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development
  plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk
  lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system
  domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a
  telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
  more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be
  satisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunk
  system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is
  expanding at a high rate
  international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are
  a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three
  Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic
  Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
  additional international service is provided by the
  Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and
  by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik
  satellite systems

United Arab Emirates
  general assessment: modern fiber-optic
  integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of
  mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
  domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
  international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
  submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
  tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi
  Arabia

United Kingdom
  general assessment: technologically advanced domestic
  and international system
  domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
  fiber-optic systems
  international: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables;
  satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3
  Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;
  at least 8 large international switching centers

United States
  general assessment: a large, technologically advanced,
  multipurpose communications system
  domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
  relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
  telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
  telephone traffic throughout the country
  international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;
  satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16
  Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
  Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Uruguay
  general assessment: fully digitalized
  domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
  nationwide microwave radio relay network
  international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Uzbekistan
  general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious
  need of modernization
  domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and
  technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent (Toshkent) and
  Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in
  industrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks
  had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System
  for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile
  Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)
  international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave
  radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased
  connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the
  completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
  fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian
  facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides
  an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite
  earth stations - NA (1998)

Vanuatu
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1
  Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Venezuela
  general assessment: modern and expanding
  domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
  substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
  substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
  installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
  digital multimedia services
  international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1
  PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in
  the construction of an international fiber-optic network

Vietnam
  general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort
  into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,
  but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern
  neighbors
  domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
  Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
  microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially
  increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
  international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Virgin Islands
  general assessment: modern system with total digital
  switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
  domestic: full range of services available
  international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections
  (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Wake Island
  general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN
  circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
  domestic: NA
  international: NA

Wallis and Futuna
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 681

West Bank
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
  are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the
  Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
  international: country code - 970

Western Sahara
  general assessment: sparse and limited system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by
  microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to
  Rabat, Morocco

Yemen
  general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have
  been made to create a national telecommunications network
  domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
  cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
  systems
  international: country code - 967; satellite earth stations - 3
  Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
  (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to
  Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

Zambia
  general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the
  best in Sub-Saharan Africa
  domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger
  towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;
  Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal
  (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
  international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Zimbabwe
  general assessment: system was once one of the best in
  Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000
  outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number
  of installed but unused main lines
  domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
  radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
  installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet
  connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
  and for some of the smaller ones
  international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
  Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
  Gweru)

Algeria
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain

American Samoa
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited
coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Antarctica
  about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock,
  with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain
  ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include
  parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic
  Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers
  form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice
  shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Antigua and Barbuda
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands,
with some higher volcanic areas

Arctic Ocean
  central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar
  icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure
  ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in
  the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from
  the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between
  Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas
  during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter
  and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about
  50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the
  remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges
  (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

Argentina
  rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to
  rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western
  border

Armenia
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast
flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Atlantic Ocean
  surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea,
  Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October
  to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of
  currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre
  in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the
  Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire
  Atlantic basin

Austria
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the
eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Azerbaijan
  large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much
  of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north,
  Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron
  Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Baker Island
low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow
fringing reef

Belgium
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills,
rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Bolivia
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),
hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Botswana
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari
Desert in southwest

Brazil
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt

British Indian Ocean Territory
flat and low (most areas do not
exceed two meters in elevation)

British Virgin Islands
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic
islands steep, hilly

Burkina Faso
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast

Cameroon
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau
in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Central African Republic
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau;
scattered hills in northeast and southwest

Chad
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south

China
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,
deltas, and hills in east

Colombia
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
vast central basin is a low-lying
plateau; mountains in east

Congo, Republic of the
coastal plain, southern basin, central
plateau, northern basin

Costa Rica
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including
over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

Croatia
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,
low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Cuba
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains
in the southeast

Cyprus
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered
but significant plains along southern coast

Czech Republic
  Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,
  hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east
  consists of very hilly country

Dominican Republic rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

Ecuador
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Eritrea
  dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending
  highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the
  northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling
  plains

European Union
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast;
mountainous in the central and southern areas

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
rocky, hilly, mountainous with
some boggy, undulating plains

Finland
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes
and low hills

France
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;
remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Georgia
  largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
  north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi
  (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
  Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,
  foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Greece
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as
peninsulas or chains of islands

Greenland
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast

Guadeloupe
  Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
  mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the
  seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Guam
  volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
  coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
  coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
  center, mountains in south

Guatemala
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau

Heard Island and McDonald Islands Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky

Howland Island
low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island
surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area

Hungary
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on
the Slovakian border

Iceland
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;
coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15
  m) lagoon
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and
  sandy
  Tromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount

India
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain
along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Indian Ocean
  surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,
  circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique
  reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low
  atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer
  air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
  winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from
  cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and
  northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated
  by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian
  Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Iran
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Iraq
  mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in
  south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
  and Turkey

Ireland
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged
hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Israel
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central
mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

Jordan
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great
Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Kazakhstan
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from
the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Kenya
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
Valley; fertile plateau in west

Korea, North
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow
valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Kyrgyzstan
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation

Lebanon
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Liberia
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast

Luxembourg
  mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow
  valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope
  down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast

Macedonia
  mountainous territory covered with deep basins and
  valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country
  bisected by the Vardar River

Malawi
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,
some mountains

Mali
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna
in south, rugged hills in northeast

Mauritius
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains
encircling central plateau

Micronesia, Federated States of islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Mongolia
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains
in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Montenegro
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain
backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Morocco
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas
of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Mozambique
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus
in northwest, mountains in west

Nauru
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs
with phosphate plateau in center

Navassa Island
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to
undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Nepal
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north

Netherlands
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);
some hills in southeast

Nicaragua
  extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central
  interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by
  volcanoes

Niger
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling
plains in south; hills in north

Nigeria
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;
mountains in southeast, plains in north

Northern Mariana Islands
southern islands are limestone with level
terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Norway
  glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken
  by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply
  indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Pacific Ocean
  surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated
  by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents)
  and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre;
  in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
  Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica
  reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the
  eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the
  western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
  Trench, which is the world's deepest

Pakistan
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west

Palau
  varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
  Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
  reefs

Panama
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Paraguay
  grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran
  Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the
  river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere

Peru
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center
(sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Puerto Rico
  mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north;
  mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most
  coastal areas

Romania
  central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of
  Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from
  the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Russia
  broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous
  forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern
  border regions

Rwanda
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east

Saint Helena
  the islands of this group result from volcanic activity
  associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
  Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
  Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44
  dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
  Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly
  circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply
  dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the
  coastal cliffs

Samoa
  two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands
  and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky,
  rugged mountains in interior

Serbia
  extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the
  east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient
  mountains and hills

Seychelles
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky,
hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Sierra Leone
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country,
upland plateau, mountains in east

Singapore
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water
catchment area and nature preserve

Slovakia
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and
lowlands in the south

Slovenia
  a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain
  region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys
  with numerous rivers to the east

South Africa
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow
coastal plain

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  most of the islands,
  rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South
  Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains;
  the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active
  volcanoes

Southern Ocean
  the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters
  over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water;
  the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually
  deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean
  is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum
  of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million
  square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in
  area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
  perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
  transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
  times the flow of all the world's rivers

Spain
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north

Sri Lanka
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in
south-central interior

Sudan
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Svalbard
  wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west
  coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and
  north coasts

Switzerland
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with
a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Syria
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west

Taiwan
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently
rolling plains in west

Tajikistan
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western
Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Togo
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern
plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Tonga
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Tunisia
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south
merges into the Sahara

Turkey
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain;
several mountain ranges

Turkmenistan
  flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to
  mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran;
  borders Caspian Sea in west

Turks and Caicos Islands low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Ukraine
  most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and
  plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians),
  and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south

United Arab Emirates
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling
sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

United Kingdom
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to
rolling plains in east and southeast

United States
  vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low
  mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in
  Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  low and nearly level
  sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed
  at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise
  steeply from the ocean floor

Uzbekistan
  mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad,
  flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya,
  Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east
  surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral
  Sea in west

Venezuela
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest;
central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Vietnam
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands;
hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Wake Island
  atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and
  Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former
  crater, islands are part of the rim

West Bank
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west,
but barren in east

Western Sahara
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or
sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast

World
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in
the Pacific Ocean

Yemen
  narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged
  mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the
  desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Zimbabwe
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high
veld); mountains in east

Andorra
  parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
  its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the
  president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are
  represented locally by coprinces' representatives

Antarctica Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 28th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2005, there were 45 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 17 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Canada
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary
democracy and a federation

Cyprus
  republic
  note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
  island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
  separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
  July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave
  the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots
  control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
  November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared
  independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern
  Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey

Eritrea
  transitional government
  note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
  Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
  Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
  Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
  Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
  constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
  transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
  did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
  elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December
  2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal
  party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Kazakhstan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch

Libya
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship

Malaysia
  constitutional monarchy
  note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
  consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
  all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka
  and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and
  Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government;
  powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution;
  under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain
  constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own
  immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of
  Representatives; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives

Marshall Islands
  constitutional government in free association with
  the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
  October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Micronesia, Federated States of constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004

Northern Mariana Islands commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature

Palau
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994

Somalia
no permanent national government; transitional,
parliamentary federal government

Sudan
  Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress
  Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a
  power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
  Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in
  1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national
  elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.

Switzerland
formally a confederation, but similar in structure to a
federal republic

Turkmenistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch

United Arab Emirates
  federation with specified powers delegated to
  the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
  emirates

Uzbekistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch

Western Sahara
  legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
  unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front
  (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de
  Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a
  government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),
  led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between
  Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring
  northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario
  guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979;
  Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since
  asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile
  was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984;
  guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored
  cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991

Angola
extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more
than half the population (2001 est.)

Belarus
1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of
underemployed workers (2005)

Bosnia and Herzegovina 45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)

China
  9% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2004;
  substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas; an
  official Chinese journal estimated overall unemployment (including
  rural areas) for 2003 at 20% (2005 est.)

Croatia
18% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment
around 14% (2005 est.)

East Timor
50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached
20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.)

El Salvador
6.5% official rate; but the economy has much
underemployment (2005 est.)

Haiti
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than
two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)

Moldova
8%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed
abroad (2002 est.)

Saudi Arabia
13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some
estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)

Ukraine
  3.1% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
  underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization
  calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is around 9-10%
  (2005 est.)

World
  30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
  non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
  unemployment

Akrotiri
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British
Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit

Antarctica
  the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military
  nature, such as the establishment of military bases and
  fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the
  testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military
  personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other
  peaceful purposes

Argentina
  the Argentine military is a well-organized force
  constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the
  country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military
  is now implementing "Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces
  lighter and more responsive (2005)

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  defense is the responsibility of
  Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal
  Australian Air Force

Baker Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard

Barbados
  the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based
  Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land
  element is to defend the island against external aggression; the
  Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small
  regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it
  increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to
  prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005)

British Indian Ocean Territory
defense is the responsibility of the
UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
defense is the responsibility of Australia;
the territory has a five-person police force

Cook Islands
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in
consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request

Coral Sea Islands
  defense is the responsibility of Australia;
  visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has
  control over the activities of visitors

Cuba
Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of
Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993

Dhekelia
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station
connected by a roadway

European Union
  In November 2004, the European Union heads of
  government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe"
  that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense
  and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take
  some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the
  European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000
  Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members,
  development of a European military planning unit is likely to
  continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a
  humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support.
  France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy
  continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps
  - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg
  - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to
  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of
  Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance
  Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly
  commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational
  Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in
  Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under
  national command - commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at
  the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually
  deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency,
  tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities,
  began operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers
  formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by
  the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating
  basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply
  troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle
  groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden,
  and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly
  to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by
  2007. (2005)

Georgia
  a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in
  the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer
  group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia

Gibraltar
  defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British
  regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the
  Royal Gibraltar Regiment

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
defense is the responsibility of
Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols

Holy See (Vatican City) defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard

Howland Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard

Iceland
  under a 1951 bilateral agreement, Iceland's defense was
  provided by a US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered
  in Keflavik; in October 2006, all US military forces in Iceland were
  withdrawn; nonetheless, the US and Iceland signed a Joint
  Understanding to strengthen their bilateral defense relationship,
  including regular security consultations, military communications in
  the event of national emergencies, annual bilateral exercises on
  Icelandic territory, and future bilateral and NATO support to four
  Iceland Air Defense System (IADS) radar sites

Jarvis Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard

Kiribati
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance
is provided by Australia and NZ

Laos
  Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao
  People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively
  resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding
  to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely
  to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry
  centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics
  transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on
  the Lao-Burma border (2005)

Lesotho
  the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the
  future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially
  considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening
  in political affairs

Mayotte
defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of
French forces stationed on the island

Monaco
defense is the responsibility of France; the Palace Guard
performs ceremonial duties (2003)

Montenegro
Montenegrin plans call for the establishment of a fully
professional armed forces

Nauru
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal
agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia

Netherlands Antilles defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Palau
  defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of
  Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is
  granted access to the islands for 50 years, but it has not stationed
  any military forces there (2005)

Panama
  on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA
  abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by
  creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's
  Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting
  the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the
  temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of
  "external aggression"

Samoa
  Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces;
  informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider
  any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship

Sao Tome and Principe
  Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force
  with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly
  ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered
  simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or
  replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay and
  conditions have been a problem in the past, as has alleged nepotism
  in the promotion of officers, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003
  coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance as
  initial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on
  realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the
  president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the
  Armed Forces staff (2005)

South Africa
  with the end of apartheid and the establishment of
  majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and
  ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National
  Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was
  considered complete

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
defense is the
responsibility of the UK

Spratly Islands
  Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small
  islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by
  China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Turkey
  in the early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large but
  badly equipped infantry force; there were 14 infantry divisions, but
  only one was mechanized, and out of 16 infantry brigades, only six
  were mechanized; the overhaul that has taken place since has
  produced highly mobile forces with greatly enhanced firepower in
  accordance with NATO's new strategic concept (2005)

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges defense is the responsibility of the US

Wake Island
  defense is the responsibility of the US; launch support
  facility is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test
  Site (RTS) administered by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command
  (SMDC)

Afghanistan
  in March 2003, 'af' was established as Afghanistan's
  domain name; Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as
  well as public "telekiosks" in Kabul (2002)

Coral Sea Islands there are automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs relaying data to the mainland

Iles Eparses
  Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island,
  Tromelin Island: 1 meteorological station on each possession; note -
  meteorological station on Tromelin Island is important for
  forecasting cyclones

French Polynesia
  under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has
  acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and
  justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and
  defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are
  fashioned after those of the French prime minister

Solomon Islands
  June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought
  the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament
  approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from
  Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July
  2003; by 2006, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon
  Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 259 police officers and 20
  military, in addition to civilian technical advisers; in response to
  rioting that broke out in mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an
  addtional 220 troops and 70 police officers to help restore order

Somalia
  although an interim government was created in 2004, other
  regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control
  various cities and regions of the country, including the
  self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia, the
  semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia, and
  traditional clan and faction strongholds

Afghanistan
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
  conventional short form: Afghanistan
  local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
  local short form: Afghanestan
  former: Republic of Afghanistan

Akrotiri
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri

Albania
  conventional long form: Republic of Albania
  conventional short form: Albania
  local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
  local short form: Shqiperia
  former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania

Algeria
  conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of
  Algeria
  conventional short form: Algeria
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
  Sha'biyah
  local short form: Al Jaza'ir

American Samoa
  conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
  conventional short form: American Samoa
  abbreviation: AS

Andorra
  conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
  conventional short form: Andorra
  local long form: Principat d'Andorra
  local short form: Andorra

Angola
  conventional long form: Republic of Angola
  conventional short form: Angola
  local long form: Republica de Angola
  local short form: Angola
  former: People's Republic of Angola

Antigua and Barbuda
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina
  conventional long form: Argentine Republic
  conventional short form: Argentina
  local long form: Republica Argentina
  local short form: Argentina

Armenia
  conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
  conventional short form: Armenia
  local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
  local short form: Hayastan
  former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  conventional long form: Territory of
  Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Australia
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia

Austria
  conventional long form: Republic of Austria
  conventional short form: Austria
  local long form: Republik Oesterreich
  local short form: Oesterreich

Azerbaijan
  conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
  conventional short form: Azerbaijan
  local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
  local short form: Azarbaycan
  former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Bahamas, The
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas

Bahrain
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
  conventional short form: Bahrain
  local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
  local short form: Al Bahrayn
  former: Dilmun

Bangladesh
  conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
  conventional short form: Bangladesh
  local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh
  local short form: Banladesh
  former: East Bengal, East Pakistan

Bassas da India
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India

Belarus
  conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
  conventional short form: Belarus
  local long form: Respublika Byelarus'
  local short form: Byelarus'
  former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Belgium
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
  conventional short form: Belgium
  local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
  local short form: Belgique/Belgie

Belize
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Belize
  former: British Honduras

Benin
  conventional long form: Republic of Benin
  conventional short form: Benin
  local long form: Republique du Benin
  local short form: Benin
  former: Dahomey

Bermuda
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Bermuda
  former: Somers Islands

Bhutan
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
  conventional short form: Bhutan
  local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
  local short form: Druk Yul

Bolivia
  conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
  conventional short form: Bolivia
  local long form: Republica de Bolivia
  local short form: Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina local long form: none local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana
  conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
  conventional short form: Botswana
  local long form: Republic of Botswana
  local short form: Botswana
  former: Bechuanaland

Bouvet Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Brazil
  conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
  conventional short form: Brazil
  local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
  local short form: Brasil

British Indian Ocean Territory
  conventional long form: British
  Indian Ocean Territory
  conventional short form: none
  abbreviation: BIOT

British Virgin Islands
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
  abbreviation: BVI

Brunei
  conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
  conventional short form: Brunei
  local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
  local short form: Brunei

Bulgaria
  conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
  conventional short form: Bulgaria
  local long form: Republika Balgariya
  local short form: Balgariya

Burkina Faso
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Burkina Faso
  local long form: none
  local short form: Burkina Faso
  former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Burma
  conventional long form: Union of Burma
  conventional short form: Burma
  local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
  US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of
  Myanmar)
  local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
  former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
  note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the
  name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision
  was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US
  Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the
  Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

Burundi
  conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
  conventional short form: Burundi
  local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi
  local short form: Burundi
  former: Urundi

Cambodia
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
  conventional short form: Cambodia
  local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic
  pronunciation)
  local short form: Kampuchea
  former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea,
  People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

Cameroon
  conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
  conventional short form: Cameroon
  local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon
  local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon
  former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of
  Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

Cape Verde
  conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
  conventional short form: Cape Verde
  local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
  local short form: Cabo Verde

Cayman Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands

Central African Republic
  conventional long form: Central African
  Republic
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
  local short form: none
  former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
  abbreviation: CAR

Chad
  conventional long form: Republic of Chad
  conventional short form: Chad
  local long form: Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad
  local short form: Tchad/Tshad

Chile
  conventional long form: Republic of Chile
  conventional short form: Chile
  local long form: Republica de Chile
  local short form: Chile

China
  conventional long form: People's Republic of China
  conventional short form: China
  local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
  local short form: Zhongguo
  abbreviation: PRC

Christmas Island
  conventional long form: Territory of Christmas
  Island
  conventional short form: Christmas Island

Clipperton Island conventional long form: none conventional short form: Clipperton Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Clipperton former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion

Cocos (Keeling) Islands conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Colombia
  conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
  conventional short form: Colombia
  local long form: Republica de Colombia
  local short form: Colombia

Comoros
  conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
  conventional short form: Comoros
  local long form: Union des Comores
  local short form: Comores

Congo, Democratic Republic of the conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo local short form: none former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire abbreviation: DRC

Congo, Republic of the conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo

Cook Islands
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Cook Islands
  former: Harvey Islands

Coral Sea Islands
conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands

Costa Rica
  conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
  conventional short form: Costa Rica
  local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
  local short form: Costa Rica

Cote d'Ivoire
  conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
  conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
  local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
  local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
  former: Ivory Coast

Croatia
  conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
  conventional short form: Croatia
  local long form: Republika Hrvatska
  local short form: Hrvatska
  former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia

Cuba
  conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
  conventional short form: Cuba
  local long form: Republica de Cuba
  local short form: Cuba

Cyprus
  conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus
  conventional short form: Cyprus
  local long form: Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti
  local short form: Kypros/Kibris
  note: the Turkish Cypriot community (north Cyprus) refers to itself
  as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC)

Czech Republic
  conventional long form: Czech Republic
  conventional short form: Czech Republic
  local long form: Ceska Republika
  local short form: Cesko

Denmark
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
  conventional short form: Denmark
  local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
  local short form: Danmark

Dhekelia
conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia

Djibouti
  conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
  conventional short form: Djibouti
  local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
  local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
  former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Dominica
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica

Dominican Republic conventional long form: Dominican Republic conventional short form: The Dominican local long form: Republica Dominicana local short form: La Dominicana

East Timor
  conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
  conventional short form: East Timor
  local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum];
  Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
  local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
  former: Portuguese Timor

Ecuador
  conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
  conventional short form: Ecuador
  local long form: Republica del Ecuador
  local short form: Ecuador

Egypt
  conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
  conventional short form: Egypt
  local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
  local short form: Misr
  former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

El Salvador
  conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
  conventional short form: El Salvador
  local long form: Republica de El Salvador
  local short form: El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea
  conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial
  Guinea
  conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
  local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee
  equatoriale
  local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale
  former: Spanish Guinea

Eritrea
  conventional long form: State of Eritrea
  conventional short form: Eritrea
  local long form: Hagere Ertra
  local short form: Ertra
  former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Estonia
  conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
  conventional short form: Estonia
  local long form: Eesti Vabariik
  local short form: Eesti
  former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

Ethiopia
  conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of
  Ethiopia
  conventional short form: Ethiopia
  local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
  local short form: Ityop'iya
  former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
  abbreviation: FDRE

Europa Island
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Europa Island
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ile Europa

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Faroe Islands
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Faroe Islands
  local long form: none
  local short form: Foroyar

Fiji
  conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands
  conventional short form: Fiji
  local long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands/Matanitu ko Viti
  local short form: Fiji/Viti

Finland
  conventional long form: Republic of Finland
  conventional short form: Finland
  local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
  local short form: Suomi/Finland

France
  conventional long form: French Republic
  conventional short form: France
  local long form: Republique francaise
  local short form: France

French Guiana
  conventional long form: Department of Guiana
  conventional short form: French Guiana
  local long form: none
  local short form: Guyane

French Polynesia
  conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French
  Polynesia
  conventional short form: French Polynesia
  local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise
  local short form: Polynesie Francaise
  former: French Colony of Oceania

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  conventional long form:
  Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques
  Francaises
  local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
  abbreviation: TAAF

Gabon
  conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
  conventional short form: Gabon
  local long form: Republique gabonaise
  local short form: Gabon

Gambia, The
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia

Gaza Strip
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Gaza Strip
  local long form: none
  local short form: Qita Ghazzah

Georgia
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Georgia
  local long form: none
  local short form: Sak'art'velo
  former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Germany
  conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
  conventional short form: Germany
  local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  local short form: Deutschland
  former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich

Ghana
  conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
  conventional short form: Ghana
  former: Gold Coast

Glorioso Islands conventional long form: none conventional short form: Glorioso Islands local long form: none local short form: Iles Glorieuses

Greece
  conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
  conventional short form: Greece
  local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
  local short form: Ellas or Ellada
  former: Kingdom of Greece

Greenland
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Greenland
  local long form: none
  local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Guadeloupe
  conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
  conventional short form: Guadeloupe
  local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
  local short form: Guadeloupe

Guam
  conventional long form: Territory of Guam
  conventional short form: Guam
  local long form: Guahan
  local short form: Guahan

Guatemala
  conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
  conventional short form: Guatemala
  local long form: Republica de Guatemala
  local short form: Guatemala

Guernsey
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey

Guinea
  conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
  conventional short form: Guinea
  local long form: Republique de Guinee
  local short form: Guinee
  former: French Guinea

Guinea-Bissau
  conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
  conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
  local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
  local short form: Guine-Bissau
  former: Portuguese Guinea

Guyana
  conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
  conventional short form: Guyana
  former: British Guiana

Haiti
  conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
  conventional short form: Haiti
  local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
  local short form: Haiti/Ayiti

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  conventional long form: Territory
  of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  abbreviation: HIMI

Holy See (Vatican City) conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)

Honduras
  conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
  conventional short form: Honduras
  local long form: Republica de Honduras
  local short form: Honduras

Hong Kong
  conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative
  Region
  conventional short form: Hong Kong
  local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
  local short form: Xianggang
  abbreviation: HK

Howland Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Howland Island

Hungary
  conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
  conventional short form: Hungary
  local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
  local short form: Magyarorszag

Iceland
  conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
  conventional short form: Iceland
  local long form: Lydveldid Island
  local short form: Island

Iles Eparses
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
  Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin Island
  local long form: none
  local short form: Bassas da India, Ile Europa, Iles Glorieuses, Ile
  Juan de Nova, Ile Tromelin

India
  conventional long form: Republic of India
  conventional short form: India
  local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya
  local short form: India/Bharat

Indonesia
  conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
  conventional short form: Indonesia
  local long form: Republik Indonesia
  local short form: Indonesia
  former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies

Iran
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
  conventional short form: Iran
  local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
  local short form: Iran
  former: Persia

Iraq
  conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
  conventional short form: Iraq
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
  local short form: Al Iraq

Ireland
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Ireland
  local long form: none
  local short form: Eire

Israel
  conventional long form: State of Israel
  conventional short form: Israel
  local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
  local short form: Yisra'el

Italy
  conventional long form: Italian Republic
  conventional short form: Italy
  local long form: Repubblica Italiana
  local short form: Italia
  former: Kingdom of Italy

Japan
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Japan
  local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
  local short form: Nihon/Nippon

Jarvis Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jarvis Island

Jersey
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey

Johnston Atoll
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll

Jordan
  conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
  conventional short form: Jordan
  local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
  local short form: Al Urdun
  former: Transjordan

Juan de Nova Island conventional long form: none conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Juan de Nova

Kazakhstan
  conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
  conventional short form: Kazakhstan
  local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
  local short form: Qazaqstan
  former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Kenya
  conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
  conventional short form: Kenya
  local long form: Republic of Kenya/Jamhuri y Kenya
  local short form: Kenya
  former: British East Africa

Kiribati
  conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
  conventional short form: Kiribati
  local long form: Republic of Kiribati
  local short form: Kiribati
  note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
  former: Gilbert Islands

Korea, North
  conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of
  Korea
  conventional short form: North Korea
  local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
  local short form: Choson
  abbreviation: DPRK

Korea, South
  conventional long form: Republic of Korea
  conventional short form: South Korea
  local long form: Taehan-min'guk
  local short form: Han'guk
  abbreviation: ROK

Kuwait
  conventional long form: State of Kuwait
  conventional short form: Kuwait
  local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
  local short form: Al Kuwayt

Kyrgyzstan
  conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
  conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
  local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
  local short form: Kyrgyzstan
  former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Laos
  conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
  conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos
  local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
  local short form: none

Latvia
  conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
  conventional short form: Latvia
  local long form: Latvijas Republika
  local short form: Latvija
  former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

Lebanon
  conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
  conventional short form: Lebanon
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
  local short form: Lubnan
  former: Greater Lebanon

Lesotho
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
  conventional short form: Lesotho
  local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho
  local short form: Lesotho
  former: Basutoland

Liberia
conventional long form: Republic of Liberia
conventional short form: Liberia

Libya
  conventional long form: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab
  Jamahiriya
  conventional short form: Libya
  local long form: Al Jumahiriyah al Arabiyah al Libiyah ash Shabiyah
  al Ishtirakiyah al Uzma
  local short form: none

Liechtenstein
  conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
  conventional short form: Liechtenstein
  local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
  local short form: Liechtenstein

Lithuania
  conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
  conventional short form: Lithuania
  local long form: Lietuvos Respublika
  local short form: Lietuva
  former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Luxembourg
  conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
  conventional short form: Luxembourg
  local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg
  local short form: Luxembourg

Macau
  conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
  conventional short form: Macau
  local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao
  Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
  local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)

Macedonia
  conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
  conventional short form: Macedonia
  local long form: Republika Makedonija
  local short form: Makedonija
  note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is
  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
  former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of
  Macedonia

Madagascar
  conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
  conventional short form: Madagascar
  local long form: Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
  local short form: Madagascar/Madagasikara
  former: Malagasy Republic

Malawi
  conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
  conventional short form: Malawi
  local long form: Dziko la Malawi
  local short form: Malawi
  former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland
  Protectorate, Nyasaland

Malaysia
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Malaysia
  local long form: none
  local short form: Malaysia
  former: Federation of Malaysia

Maldives
  conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
  conventional short form: Maldives
  local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
  local short form: Dhivehi Raajje

Mali
  conventional long form: Republic of Mali
  conventional short form: Mali
  local long form: Republique de Mali
  local short form: Mali
  former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic

Malta
  conventional long form: Republic of Malta
  conventional short form: Malta
  local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
  local short form: Malta

Marshall Islands
  conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall
  Islands
  conventional short form: Marshall Islands
  local long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
  local short form: Marshall Islands
  abbreviation: RMI
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands
  District

Martinique
  conventional long form: Department of Martinique
  conventional short form: Martinique
  local long form: Departement de la Martinique
  local short form: Martinique

Mauritania
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
  conventional short form: Mauritania
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
  local short form: Muritaniyah

Mauritius
  conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
  conventional short form: Mauritius
  local long form: Republic of Mauritius
  local short form: Mauritius

Mayotte
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte

Mexico
  conventional long form: United Mexican States
  conventional short form: Mexico
  local long form: Estados Unidos Mexicanos
  local short form: Mexico

Micronesia, Federated States of
  conventional long form: Federated
  States of Micronesia
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Federated States of Micronesia
  local short form: none
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ponape, Truk, and
  Yap Districts
  abbreviation: FSM

Midway Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Midway Islands

Moldova
  conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
  conventional short form: Moldova
  local long form: Republica Moldova
  local short form: Moldova
  former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic; Moldovan Soviet
  Socialist Republic

Monaco
  conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
  conventional short form: Monaco
  local long form: Principaute de Monaco
  local short form: Monaco

Mongolia
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Mongolia
  local long form: none
  local short form: Mongol Uls
  former: Outer Mongolia

Montenegro
  conventional long form: Republic of Montenegro
  conventional short form: Montenegro
  local long form: Republika Crna Gora
  local short form: Crna Gora
  former: People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of
  Montenegro

Morocco
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco
  conventional short form: Morocco
  local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
  local short form: Al Maghrib

Mozambique
  conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique
  conventional short form: Mozambique
  local long form: Republica de Mocambique
  local short form: Mocambique
  former: Portuguese East Africa

Namibia
  conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
  conventional short form: Namibia
  local long form: Republic of Namibia
  local short form: Namibia
  former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa

Nauru
  conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
  conventional short form: Nauru
  local long form: Republic of Nauru
  local short form: Nauru
  former: Pleasant Island

Navassa Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Navassa Island

Netherlands
  conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
  conventional short form: Netherlands
  local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
  local short form: Nederland

Netherlands Antilles
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
  local long form: none
  local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
  former: Curacao and Dependencies

New Caledonia
  conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and
  Dependencies
  conventional short form: New Caledonia
  local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
  local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie

New Zealand
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: New Zealand
  abbreviation: NZ

Nicaragua
  conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
  conventional short form: Nicaragua
  local long form: Republica de Nicaragua
  local short form: Nicaragua

Niger
  conventional long form: Republic of Niger
  conventional short form: Niger
  local long form: Republique du Niger
  local short form: Niger

Nigeria
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria

Niue
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Niue
  former: Savage Island

Norfolk Island
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island

Northern Mariana Islands conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands abbreviation: CNMI former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands District

Norway
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway
  conventional short form: Norway
  local long form: Kongeriket Norge
  local short form: Norge

Oman
  conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
  conventional short form: Oman
  local long form: Saltanat Uman
  local short form: Uman
  former: Muscat and Oman

Pakistan
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  conventional short form: Pakistan
  local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
  local short form: Pakistan
  former: West Pakistan

Palau
  conventional long form: Republic of Palau
  conventional short form: Palau
  local long form: Beluu er a Belau
  local short form: Belau
  former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District

Palmyra Atoll
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Palmyra Atoll

Panama
  conventional long form: Republic of Panama
  conventional short form: Panama
  local long form: Republica de Panama
  local short form: Panama

Papua New Guinea
  conventional long form: Independent State of Papua
  New Guinea
  conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
  local short form: Papuaniugini
  former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea
  abbreviation: PNG

Paracel Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands

Paraguay
  conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
  conventional short form: Paraguay
  local long form: Republica del Paraguay
  local short form: Paraguay

Peru
  conventional long form: Republic of Peru
  conventional short form: Peru
  local long form: Republica del Peru
  local short form: Peru

Philippines
  conventional long form: Republic of the Philippines
  conventional short form: Philippines
  local long form: Republika ng Pilipinas
  local short form: Pilipinas

Pitcairn Islands
  conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie,
  and Oeno Islands
  conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands

Poland
  conventional long form: Republic of Poland
  conventional short form: Poland
  local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
  local short form: Polska

Portugal
  conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
  conventional short form: Portugal
  local long form: Republica Portuguesa
  local short form: Portugal

Puerto Rico
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico

Qatar
  conventional long form: State of Qatar
  conventional short form: Qatar
  local long form: Dawlat Qatar
  local short form: Qatar
  note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls
  between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar

Reunion
  conventional long form: Department of Reunion
  conventional short form: Reunion
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ile de la Reunion
  former: Bourbon Island

Romania
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Romania
  local long form: none
  local short form: Romania

Russia
  conventional long form: Russian Federation
  conventional short form: Russia
  local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
  local short form: Rossiya
  former: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Rwanda
  conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda
  conventional short form: Rwanda
  local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
  local short form: Rwanda
  former: Ruanda, German East Africa

Saint Kitts and Nevis conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

Saint Pierre and Miquelon conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa
  conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
  conventional short form: Samoa
  local long form: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
  local short form: Samoa
  former: Western Samoa

San Marino
  conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
  conventional short form: San Marino
  local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
  local short form: San Marino

Sao Tome and Principe conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe

Saudi Arabia
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  conventional short form: Saudi Arabia
  local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
  local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

Senegal
  conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
  conventional short form: Senegal
  local long form: Republique du Senegal
  local short form: Senegal
  former: Senegambia (along with The Gambia); Mali Federation

Serbia
  conventional long form: Republic of Serbia
  conventional short form: Serbia
  local long form: Republika Srbija
  local short form: Srbija
  former: People's Republic of Serbia, Socialist Republic of Serbia

Seychelles
  conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles
  conventional short form: Seychelles
  local long form: Republic of Seychelles
  local short form: Seychelles

Sierra Leone
  conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
  conventional short form: Sierra Leone
  local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
  local short form: Sierra Leone

Singapore
  conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
  conventional short form: Singapore
  local long form: Republic of Singapore
  local short form: Singapore

Slovakia
  conventional long form: Slovak Republic
  conventional short form: Slovakia
  local long form: Slovenska Republika
  local short form: Slovensko

Slovenia
  conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia
  conventional short form: Slovenia
  local long form: Republika Slovenija
  local short form: Slovenija
  former: People's Republic of Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Slovenia

Solomon Islands
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Solomon Islands
  local long form: none
  local short form: Solomon Islands
  former: British Solomon Islands

Somalia
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Somalia
  local long form: Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
  local short form: Soomaaliya
  former: Somali Republic; Somali Democratic Republic

South Africa
  conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
  conventional short form: South Africa
  former: Union of South Africa
  abbreviation: RSA

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  conventional long form:
  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  conventional short form: none
  abbreviation: SGSSI

Spain
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
  conventional short form: Spain
  local long form: Reino de Espana
  local short form: Espana

Spratly Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Sri Lanka
  conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of
  Sri Lanka
  conventional short form: Sri Lanka
  local long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di
  Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
  local short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankai
  former: Serendib, Ceylon

Sudan
  conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
  conventional short form: Sudan
  local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
  local short form: As-Sudan
  former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Suriname
  conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
  conventional short form: Suriname
  local long form: Republiek Suriname
  local short form: Suriname
  former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana

Svalbard
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as
  Spitzbergen)

Swaziland
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
  conventional short form: Swaziland
  local long form: Umbuso weSwatini
  local short form: eSwatini

Sweden
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
  conventional short form: Sweden
  local long form: Konungariket Sverige
  local short form: Sverige

Switzerland
  conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
  conventional short form: Switzerland
  local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German);
  Confederation Suisse (French); Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
  local short form: Schweiz (German); Suisse (French); Svizzera
  (Italian)

Syria
  conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic
  conventional short form: Syria
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
  local short form: Suriyah
  former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)

Taiwan
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Taiwan
  local long form: none
  local short form: T'ai-wan
  former: Formosa

Tajikistan
  conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
  conventional short form: Tajikistan
  local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
  local short form: Tojikiston
  former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

Tanzania
  conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
  conventional short form: Tanzania
  local long form: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
  local short form: Tanzania
  former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Thailand
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
  conventional short form: Thailand
  local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai
  local short form: Prathet Thai
  former: Siam

Togo
  conventional long form: Togolese Republic
  conventional short form: Togo
  local long form: Republique togolaise
  local short form: none
  former: French Togoland

Tonga
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
  conventional short form: Tonga
  local long form: Pule'anga Tonga
  local short form: Tonga
  former: Friendly Islands

Trinidad and Tobago
  conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and
  Tobago
  conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Tromelin Island
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Tromelin Island
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ile Tromelin

Tunisia
  conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
  conventional short form: Tunisia
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
  local short form: Tunis

Turkey
  conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
  conventional short form: Turkey
  local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
  local short form: Turkiye

Turkmenistan
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Turkmenistan
  local long form: none
  local short form: Turkmenistan
  former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

Turks and Caicos Islands
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
  abbreviation: TCI

Tuvalu
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Tuvalu
  local long form: none
  local short form: Tuvalu
  former: Ellice Islands
  note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's
  eight traditionally inhabited islands

Uganda
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda

Ukraine
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Ukraine
  local long form: none
  local short form: Ukrayina
  former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian
  Soviet Socialist Republic

United Arab Emirates
  conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
  conventional short form: none
  local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
  local short form: none
  former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
  abbreviation: UAE

United Kingdom
  conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great
  Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England,
  Scotland, and Wales
  conventional short form: United Kingdom
  abbreviation: UK

United States
  conventional long form: United States of America
  conventional short form: United States
  abbreviation: US or USA

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  conventional long
  form: none
  conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis
  Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll

Uruguay
  conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
  conventional short form: Uruguay
  local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
  local short form: Uruguay
  former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

Uzbekistan
  conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan
  conventional short form: Uzbekistan
  local long form: Ozbekiston Respublikasi
  local short form: Ozbekiston
  former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Vanuatu
  conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
  conventional short form: Vanuatu
  local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu
  local short form: Vanuatu
  former: New Hebrides

Venezuela
  conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
  conventional short form: Venezuela
  local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
  local short form: Venezuela

Vietnam
  conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
  conventional short form: Vietnam
  local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
  local short form: Viet Nam
  abbreviation: SRV

Virgin Islands
  conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
  conventional short form: Virgin Islands
  former: Danish West Indies
  abbreviation: USVI

Wallis and Futuna
  conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis
  and Futuna Islands
  conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna
  local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
  local short form: Wallis et Futuna

Western Sahara
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Western Sahara
  former: Spanish Sahara

Yemen
  conventional long form: Republic of Yemen
  conventional short form: Yemen
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah
  local short form: Al Yaman
  former: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and
  People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

Zambia
  conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
  conventional short form: Zambia
  former: Northern Rhodesia

Zimbabwe
  conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
  conventional short form: Zimbabwe
  former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia

Albania
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian
Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

Algeria
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Morocco and Tunisia

American Samoa
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Angola
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anguilla
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Antigua and Barbuda
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and
the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Arctic Ocean
body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America,
mostly north of the Arctic Circle

Argentina
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic
Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian
Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island

Atlantic Ocean
body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern
Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere

Australia
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South
Pacific Ocean

Azerbaijan
  Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between
  Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus
  range

Bahamas, The
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic
Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Baker Island
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and Australia

Bassas da India
Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique
Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

Belgium
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and
the Netherlands

Belize
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Guatemala and Mexico

Bermuda
North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean,
east of South Carolina (US)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic
Sea and Croatia

Bouvet Island
island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the
Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)

British Indian Ocean Territory
archipelago in the Indian Ocean,
south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

British Virgin Islands
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Bulgaria
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between
Romania and Turkey

Burma
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of
Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Cambodia
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between
Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Cameroon
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between
Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Canada
  Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on
  the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on
  the north, north of the conterminous US

Cape Verde
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic
Ocean, west of Senegal

Cayman Islands
  Caribbean, three island (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac,
  Little Cayman) group in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268
  km northwest of Jamaica

Central African Republic
Central Africa, north of Democratic
Republic of the Congo

Chile
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean,
between Argentina and Peru

China
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow
Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Christmas Island
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean,
south of Indonesia

Clipperton Island
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean,
1,120 km southwest of Mexico

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the
  Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia
  to Sri Lanka

Colombia
  Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea,
  between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
  between Ecuador and Panama

Comoros
  Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of
  the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern
  Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Congo, Republic of the
Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic
Ocean, between Angola and Gabon

Cook Islands
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Costa Rica
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Cote d'Ivoire
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Ghana and Liberia

Croatia
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Cuba
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

Denmark
  Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,
  on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major
  islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)

Djibouti
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea,
between Eritrea and Somalia

Dominica
  Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North
  Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to
  Trinidad and Tobago

Dominican Republic
  Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of
  Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
  east of Haiti

East Timor
  Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser
  Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note
  - East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the
  Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of
  Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Ecuador
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the
Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Egypt
  Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
  Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and
  includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

El Salvador
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
between Guatemala and Honduras

Equatorial Guinea
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra,
between Cameroon and Gabon

Estonia
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of
Finland, between Latvia and Russia

Europa Island
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel,
about half way between southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique

European Union
Europe between Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, southeastern
Europe, and the North Atlantic Ocean

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Southern South America, islands in
the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina

Faroe Islands
  Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian
  Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from
  Iceland to Norway

Fiji
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Finland
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

France
  Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English
  Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering
  the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

French Guiana
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic
Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

French Polynesia
Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean
about one-half of the way from South America to Australia

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  southeast of Africa, islands in
  the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa,
  Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic
  Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles
  Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the
  French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not
  recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"

Gabon
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator,
between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Gaza Strip
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Israel

Germany
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,
between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Ghana
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote
d'Ivoire and Togo

Gibraltar
  Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar,
  which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on
  the southern coast of Spain

Glorioso Islands
Southern Africa, group of islands in the Indian
Ocean, northwest of Madagascar

Greece
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and
the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Greenland
Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean
and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

Grenada
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Guadeloupe
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

Guam
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Guatemala
  Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
  between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras
  (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Guinea
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Guinea-Bissau
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea and Senegal

Guyana
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Suriname and Venezuela

Haiti
  Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola,
  between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
  Dominican Republic

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
islands in the Indian Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica

Honduras
  Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
  Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North
  Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Howland Island
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about
half way between Hawaii and Australia

Iceland
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

Iles Eparses
  Southern Africa, in the Indian Ocean
  Bassas da India: atoll in the southern Mozambique Channel, about
  half way from Madagascar to Mozambique
  Europa Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way
  between southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique
  Glorioso Islands: group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of
  Madagascar
  Juan de Nova Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about
  one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
  Tromelin Island: island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

India
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of
Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Indian Ocean
body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia,
and Australia

Indonesia
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean

Iran
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and
the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Ireland
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of
Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Isle of Man
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great
Britain and Ireland

Italy
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Jan Mayen
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the
Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland

Japan
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and
the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Jarvis Island
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands

Johnston Atoll
  Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm
  (1328 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way
  from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands

Juan de Nova Island
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique
Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique

Kazakhstan
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of
the Ural River in eastern-most Europe

Kingman Reef
Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and American Samoa

Kiribati
  Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean,
  straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the
  way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati
  proclaimed that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as
  its Gilbert Islands group (GMT +12) even though the Phoenix Islands
  and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of
  the International Date Line

Korea, North
  Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula
  bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and
  South Korea

Korea, South
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula
bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Liberia
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Libya
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Egypt and Tunisia

Malaysia
  Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and
  northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia,
  Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Maldives
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean,
south-southwest of India

Malta
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of
Sicily (Italy)

Marshall Islands
  Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29
  atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands
  in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to
  Australia

Martinique
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North
Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Mauritania
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Senegal and Western Sahara

Mayotte
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about
one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique

Mexico
  Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of
  Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific
  Ocean, between Guatemala and the US

Micronesia, Federated States of
  Oceania, island group in the North
  Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to
  Indonesia

Midway Islands
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about
one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo

Monaco
Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the
southern coast of France, near the border with Italy

Morocco
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Mozambique
Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel,
between South Africa and Tanzania

Namibia
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Angola and South Africa

Navassa Island
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles west
of Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti

Netherlands
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium
and Germany

Netherlands Antilles
  Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean
  Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the
  coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie
  east of the US Virgin Islands

Nicaragua
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Nigeria
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin
and Cameroon

Northern Mariana Islands
Oceania, islands in the North Pacific
Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Norway
Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Oman
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and
Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

Pacific Ocean
body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia,
Australia, and the Western Hemisphere

Pakistan
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on
the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Palau
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean,
southeast of the Philippines

Palmyra Atoll
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and American Samoa

Panama
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Papua New Guinea
  Oceania, group of islands including the eastern
  half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South
  Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Paracel Islands
  Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs
  in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central
  Vietnam to the northern Philippines

Peru
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean,
between Chile and Ecuador

Philippines
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine
Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

Pitcairn Islands
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
midway between Peru and New Zealand

Puerto Rico
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Romania
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between
Bulgaria and Ukraine

Russia
  Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part
  of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North
  Pacific Ocean

Saint Helena
  islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway
  between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm
  northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest
  of Saint Helena

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about
one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Saint Lucia
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North
Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Northern North America, islands in the
North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Caribbean, islands between the
Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Samoa
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Sao Tome and Principe
Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea,
straddling the Equator, west of Gabon

Saudi Arabia
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red
Sea, north of Yemen

Senegal
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Sierra Leone
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea and Liberia

Slovenia
Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea,
between Austria and Croatia

Solomon Islands
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific
Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

Somalia
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian
Ocean, east of Ethiopia

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Southern South America,
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America

Spain
  Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay,
  Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains,
  southwest of France

Spratly Islands
  Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the
  South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam
  to the southern Philippines

Suriname
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between French Guiana and Guyana

Svalbard
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents
Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

Sweden
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Taiwan
  Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea,
  Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the
  Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

Tanzania
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya
and Mozambique

Thailand
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf
of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Tokelau
Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean,
about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Tonga
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Trinidad and Tobago
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and
the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Tunisia
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Algeria and Libya

Turkey
  Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of
  Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe),
  bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering
  the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Turkmenistan
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran
and Kazakhstan

Turks and Caicos Islands
Caribbean, two island groups in the North
Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Tuvalu
  Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the
  South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to
  Australia

Ukraine
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland,
Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

United Arab Emirates
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the
Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

United Kingdom
  Western Europe, islands including the northern
  one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean
  and the North Sea, northwest of France

United States
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean
and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  Oceania
  Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km)
  southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
  Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361
  km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and
  Australia
  Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km)
  south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
  Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km)
  southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the
  Marshall Islands
  Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km)
  south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
  Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km)
  northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago,
  about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
  Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km)
  south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa

Uruguay
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean,
between Argentina and Brazil

Vanuatu
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Venezuela
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and
the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Vietnam
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of
Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Virgin Islands
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Wake Island
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Wallis and Futuna
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Western Sahara
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Mauritania and Morocco

Yemen
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red
Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

World
Physical Map of the World, Political Map of the World,
Standard Time Zones of the World

Latvia
  200 sq km
  note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not
  irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land
  has been improved by drainage (2003)

American Samoa total: 199 sq km land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island

Antarctica
  total: 14 million sq km
  land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km
  ice-covered) (est.)
  note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North
  America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the
  subcontinent of Europe

Antigua and Barbuda total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) land: 442.6 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

Arctic Ocean
  total: 14.056 million sq km
  note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea,
  East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara
  Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies

Argentina
  total: 2,766,890 sq km
  land: 2,736,690 sq km
  water: 30,200 sq km

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  total: 5 sq km
  land: 5 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and
  Cartier Island

Atlantic Ocean
  total: 76.762 million sq km
  note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,
  Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador
  Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the
  Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Australia
  total: 7,686,850 sq km
  land: 7,617,930 sq km
  water: 68,920 sq km
  note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Azerbaijan
  total: 86,600 sq km
  land: 86,100 sq km
  water: 500 sq km
  note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the
  Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by
  Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total: 51,129 sq km
  land: 51,129 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Brazil
  total: 8,511,965 sq km
  land: 8,456,510 sq km
  water: 55,455 sq km
  note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas,
  Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao
  Paulo

British Indian Ocean Territory total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands

British Virgin Islands
  total: 153 sq km
  land: 153 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited
  islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda,
  Jost van Dyke

Central African Republic
  total: 622,984 sq km
  land: 622,984 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Chile
  total: 756,950 sq km
  land: 748,800 sq km
  water: 8,150 sq km
  note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  total: 14 sq km
  land: 14 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island

Colombia
  total: 1,138,910 sq km
  land: 1,038,700 sq km
  water: 100,210 sq km
  note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total: 2,345,410 sq km
  land: 2,267,600 sq km
  water: 77,810 sq km

Congo, Republic of the
  total: 342,000 sq km
  land: 341,500 sq km
  water: 500 sq km

Coral Sea Islands
  total: less than 3 sq km
  land: less than 3 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea
  area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most
  important

Costa Rica total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco

Cyprus
  total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
  land: 9,240 sq km
  water: 10 sq km

Denmark
  total: 43,094 sq km
  land: 42,394 sq km
  water: 700 sq km
  note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest
  of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major
  islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and
  Greenland

Dominican Republic
  total: 48,730 sq km
  land: 48,380 sq km
  water: 350 sq km

Ecuador
  total: 283,560 sq km
  land: 276,840 sq km
  water: 6,720 sq km
  note: includes Galapagos Islands

Estonia
  total: 45,226 sq km
  land: 43,211 sq km
  water: 2,015 sq km
  note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) total: 12,173 sq km land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands

Faroe Islands
  total: 1,399 sq km
  land: 1,399 sq km
  water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)

France
  total: 547,030 sq km
  land: 545,630 sq km
  water: 1,400 sq km
  note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas
  administrative divisions

French Polynesia
  total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
  land: 3,660 sq km
  water: 507 sq km

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
  total: 7,829 sq km
  land: 7,829 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles
  Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in
  Antarctica that is not recognized by the US

Glorioso Islands total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock

Greenland
  total: 2,166,086 sq km
  land: 2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km
  ice-covered) (2000 est.)

Guadeloupe
  total: 1,780 sq km
  land: 1,706 sq km
  water: 74 sq km
  note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands,
  including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade,
  Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and
  Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)

Guernsey
  total: 78 sq km
  land: 78 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other
  smaller islands

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  total: 412 sq km
  land: 412 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Iles Eparses
  Bassas da India: total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km;
  water - 79.8 sq km (lagoon)
  Europa Island: total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq km
  Glorioso Islands: total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq km
  Juan de Nova Island: total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0
  sq km
  Tromelin Island: total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km

Indian Ocean
  total: 68.556 million sq km
  note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,
  Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,
  Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of
  Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Indonesia
  total: 1,919,440 sq km
  land: 1,826,440 sq km
  water: 93,000 sq km

Iran
  total: 1.648 million sq km
  land: 1.636 million sq km
  water: 12,000 sq km

Italy
  total: 301,230 sq km
  land: 294,020 sq km
  water: 7,210 sq km
  note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Japan
  total: 377,835 sq km
  land: 374,744 sq km
  water: 3,091 sq km
  note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
  Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
  Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Kazakhstan
  total: 2,717,300 sq km
  land: 2,669,800 sq km
  water: 47,500 sq km

Kiribati
  total: 811 sq km
  land: 811 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands,
  Phoenix Islands

Mali
  total: 1.24 million sq km
  land: 1.22 million sq km
  water: 20,000 sq km

Marshall Islands
  total: 11,854.3 sq km
  land: 181.3 sq km
  water: 11,673 sq km (note - lagoon waters)
  note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro,
  Rongelap, and Utirik

Mauritius
  total: 2,040 sq km
  land: 2,030 sq km
  water: 10 sq km
  note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint
  Brandon), and Rodrigues

Micronesia, Federated States of total: 702 sq km land: 702 sq km water: 0 sq km (fresh water only) note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)

Midway Islands total: 6.2 sq km land: 6.2 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island

Netherlands Antilles total: 960 sq km land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

New Zealand
  total: 268,680 sq km
  land: 268,021 sq km
  water: NA
  note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands,
  Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Northern Mariana Islands total: 477 sq km land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Pacific Ocean
  total: 155.557 million sq km
  note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East
  China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of
  Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other
  tributary water bodies

Papua New Guinea
  total: 462,840 sq km
  land: 452,860 sq km
  water: 9,980 sq km

Portugal
  total: 92,391 sq km
  land: 91,951 sq km
  water: 440 sq km
  note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands

Saint Helena
  total: 413 sq km
  land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km;
  Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis
  93 sq km)
  land: 261 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

Saint Pierre and Miquelon total: 242 sq km land: 242 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344
  sq km)
  land: 389 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

South Africa
  total: 1,219,912 sq km
  land: 1,219,912 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince
  Edward Island)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  total: 3,903 sq km
  land: 3,903 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia
  Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist
  of eleven islands

Southern Ocean
  total: 20.327 million sq km
  note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake
  Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and
  other tributary water bodies

Spain
  total: 504,782 sq km
  land: 499,542 sq km
  water: 5,240 sq km
  note: there are 2 autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17
  autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary
  Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of
  Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez
  de la Gomera

Spratly Islands
  total: less than 5 sq km
  land: less than 5 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts
  scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South
  China Sea

Sudan
  total: 2,505,810 sq km
  land: 2.376 million sq km
  water: 129,810 sq km

Svalbard
  total: 61,020 sq km
  land: 61,020 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

Syria
  total: 185,180 sq km
  land: 184,050 sq km
  water: 1,130 sq km
  note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Taiwan
  total: 35,980 sq km
  land: 32,260 sq km
  water: 3,720 sq km
  note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy

Tanzania
  total: 945,087 sq km
  land: 886,037 sq km
  water: 59,050 sq km
  note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

United Arab Emirates
  total: 82,880 sq km
  land: 82,880 sq km
  water: 0 sq km

United Kingdom
  total: 244,820 sq km
  land: 241,590 sq km
  water: 3,230 sq km
  note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

United States
  total: 9,631,420 sq km
  land: 9,161,923 sq km
  water: 469,497 sq km
  note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
  total - 6,959.41 sq
  km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km
  Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km;
  submerged - 127 sq km
  Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
  submerged - 136 sq km
  Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged
  - 147 sq km
  Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
  submerged - 274 sq km
  Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km;
  submerged - 1,958 sq km
  Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km;
  submerged - 2,349 sq km
  Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km;
  submerged - 1,946 sq km

Vanuatu
  total: 12,200 sq km
  land: 12,200 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Wallis and Futuna total: 274 sq km land: 274 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets

West Bank
  total: 5,860 sq km
  land: 5,640 sq km
  water: 220 sq km
  note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
  of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
  Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
  depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

World
  total: 510.072 million sq km
  land: 148.94 million sq km
  water: 361.132 million sq km
  note: 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land

Yemen
  total: 527,970 sq km
  land: 527,970 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR
  or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of
  Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)

Afghanistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD
  chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] 202-483-6410
  FAX: [1] 202-483-6488
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Albania
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA
  chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
  FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342

Algeria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI
  chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174

Andorra
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Jelena V. PIA-COMELLA
  chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
  FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630

Angola
  chief of mission: Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKITI
  chancery: 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1258
  consulate(s) general: Houston, New York

Antigua and Barbuda chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami

Argentina
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
  chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New York

Armenia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN
  chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Aruba
  none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note -
  Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy
  of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Australia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON
  chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
  FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New
  York, San Francisco

Austria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
  chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
  telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
  FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Azerbaijan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Yashar ALIYEV
  chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911
  Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Bahamas, The
  chief of mission: vacant
  chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Bahrain
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Muhammad al-BALUSHI
  chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111
  FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
  consulate(s) general: New York

Bangladesh
  chief of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY
  chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Barbados
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
  chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
  consulate(s): Los Angeles

Belarus
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
  chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604
  FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
  consulate(s) general: New York

Belgium
  chief of mission: Ambassador Franciskus VAN DAELE
  chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
  FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
  consulate(s): Atlanta

Belize
  chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
  chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Benin
  chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN
  chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996

Bhutan
  none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN;
  address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017;
  telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese
  mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
  consulate(s) general: New York

Bolivia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldana
  chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
  consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San
  Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Bosnia and Herzegovina chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Botswana
  chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA
  chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164

Brazil
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto P. ABDENUR
  chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700
  FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New York, San Francisco

Brunei
  chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH
  chancery: 3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838
  FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560

Bulgaria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA
  chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Burkina Faso
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
  chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882

Burma
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT
  LWIN
  chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351
  consulate(s) general: New York

Burundi
  chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO
  chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
  FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578

Cambodia
  chief of mission: Ambassador EK SEREYWATH
  chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
  FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381

Cameroon
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
  chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790
  FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Canada
  chief of mission: Ambassador Michael WILSON
  chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
  telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740
  FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas,
  Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix,
  San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson
  consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New
  Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California)

Cape Verde
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
  chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820
  FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207
  consulate(s) general: Boston

Central African Republic
  chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel
  TOUABOY
  chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893

Chad
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamat Adam BECHIR
  chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-4009
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-1937

Chile
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ
  chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 530-4104, 530-4106, 530-4107
  FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
  York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

China
  chief of mission: Ambassador ZHOU Wenzhong
  chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San
  Francisco

Colombia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carolina BARCO Isakson
  chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
  Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico),
  Washington, DC

Comoros
  chief of mission: Representative to the US and Ambassador to
  the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD
  chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New
  York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  chief of mission: Ambassador Faida
  MITIFU
  chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note -
  Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609

Congo, Republic of the
  chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
  chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500
  FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860

Costa Rica
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS
  chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Hammond (temporary location
  in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan
  (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC
  consulate(s): San Francisco

Cote d'Ivoire
  chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE
  chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-3088

Croatia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Neven JURICA
  chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Cuba
  none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss
  Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Bernardo GUANCHE Hernandez;
  address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street
  NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1]
  (202) 797-8521

Cyprus
  chief of mission: Ambassador Andreas KAKOURIS
  chancery: 2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-5772, 462-0873
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-6710
  consulate(s) general: New York
  note: representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is
  Osman ERTUG; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone
  [1] (202) 887-6198

Czech Republic
  chief of mission: Ambassador Petr KOLAR
  chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Denmark
  chief of mission: Ambassador Friis Arne PETERSEN
  chancery: 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-4300
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-1470
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Djibouti
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine
  chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
  FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302

Dominica
  chief of mission: Ambassador Judith Anne ROLLE, Third
  Secretary
  chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781
  FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791
  consulate(s) general: New York

Dominican Republic
  chief of mission: Ambassador Flavio Dario ESPINAL
  Jacobo
  chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
  consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto
  Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto
  Rico)

East Timor
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Constancio PINTO
  chancery: 4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: 202 966-3202
  FAX: 202 966-3205
  consulate(s) general: New York

Ecuador
  chief of mission: Ambassador Luis Benigno GALLEGOS Chiriboga
  chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Jersey City (New Jersey),
  Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco,
  Washington, DC

Egypt
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nabil FAHMY
  chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

El Salvador
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
  chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey),
  Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales
  (Arizona), Santa Ana (California), San Francisco, Washington, DC
  consulate(s): Boston

Equatorial Guinea
  chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE
  ONDO
  chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700
  FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252

Eritrea
  chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam
  chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
  consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)

Estonia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Juri LUIK
  chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
  consulate(s) general: New York

Ethiopia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA
  chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
  FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
  consulate(s): New York

European Union
  chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON
  chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500
  FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
none (overseas territory of the
UK; also claimed by Argentina)

Fiji
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jesoni VITUSAGAVULU
  chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996

Finland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
  chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
  FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

France
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE
  chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
  Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

Gabon
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
  chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668
  consulate(s): New York

Gambia, The
  chief of mission: Ambassador Dodou Bammy JAGNE
  chancery: Suite 905, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430

Georgia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Vasil SIKHARULIDZE
  chancery: 1101 15th Street NW, Suite 602, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
  FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537

Germany
  chief of mission: Ambassador Klaus SCHARIOTH
  chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
  FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
  Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Ghana
  chief of mission: Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKU
  chancery: 1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
  consulate(s) general: New York

Greece
  chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros P. MALLIAS
  chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
  FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San
  Francisco, Tampa
  consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans

Grenada
  chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
  chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468
  consulate(s) general: New York

Guatemala
  chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO
  chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New York, Providence, San Francisco

Guinea
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Ibrihama Sory TRAORE
  chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300
  FAX: [1] (202) 478-3800

Guinea-Bissau
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); note -
  Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington,
  DC; Guinea-Bissau's representative in Washington is Henrique Adriano
  DA SILVA, P.O. Box 33813, Washington, DC 20033, telephone:
  (301)947-3958

Guyana
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
  chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
  consulate(s) general: New York

Haiti
  chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of October
  2005)
  chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan
  (Puerto Rico)

Holy See (Vatican City)
  chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio
  Archbishop Pietro SAMBI
  chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036

Honduras
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermudez
  chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco
  honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville

Hungary
  chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI
  chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Iceland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON
  chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656
  consulate(s) general: New York

India
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN
  chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -
  Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
  DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

Indonesia
  chief of mission: Ambassador SUDJADNAN Parnohadiningrat
  chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200
  FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San
  Francisco

Iran
  none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani
  Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209
  Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202)
  965-4990; FAX [1] (202) 965-1073

Iraq
  chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
  chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066

Ireland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY
  chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco

Israel
  chief of mission: Ambassador Salai MERIDOR
  chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-5500
  FAX: [1] (202) 364-5607
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
  Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco

Italy
  chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA
  chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400
  FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los
  Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
  consulate(s): Detroit

Jamaica
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY
  chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
  FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Japan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
  chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
  consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,
  Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
  Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle

Jordan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
  chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110

Kazakhstan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
  chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
  consulate(s): New York

Kenya
  chief of mission: Ambassador Leonard NGAITHE
  chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Kiribati
Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an
honorary consulate in Honolulu

Korea, South
  chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik
  chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
  FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
  consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
  Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Kuwait
  chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
  chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

Kyrgyzstan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zamira SYDYKOVA
  chancery: 2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 338-5141
  FAX: [1] (202) 386-7550
  consulate(s): New York

Laos
  chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay
  chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923

Latvia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS
  chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860

Lebanon
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
  chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-6320
  FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
  consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles

Lesotho
  chief of mission: Ambassador Molelekeng E. RAPOLAKI
  chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

Liberia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. MINOR
  chancery: 5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 723-0437
  FAX: [1] (202) 723-0436
  consulate(s) general: New York

Libya
  chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ali
  AUJALI
  chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-9060

Liechtenstein
  chief of mission: Ambassador Claudia FRITSCHE
  chancery: 888 17th Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 331-0590
  FAX: [1] (202) 331-3221

Lithuania
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Kornelija JURGAITIENE
  chancery: 4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Luxembourg
  chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph WEYLAND
  chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171/72
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270
  consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco

Macedonia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ljupco JORDANOVSKI
  chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-2131
  consulate(s) general: Southfield (Michigan)

Madagascar
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rajaonarivony NARISOA
  chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034
  consulate(s) general: New York

Malawi
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard Herbert SANDE
  chancery: 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
  FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288

Malaysia
  chief of mission: Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul
  Khalid
  chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700
  FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Maldives
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed LATHEEF
  chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 599-6195
  FAX: [1] (212) 661-6405

Mali
  chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP
  chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603

Malta
  chief of mission: Ambassador John LOWELL
  chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612
  FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470
  consulate(s): New York

Marshall Islands
  chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM
  chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236
  consulate(s) general: Honolulu

Mauritania
  chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL KERIM
  chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623

Mauritius
  chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH
  chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
  FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983

Mexico
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto DE ICAZA Gonzalez
  chancery: 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 728-1600
  FAX: [1] (202) 728-1698
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas,
  Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
  Nogales (Arizona), Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio,
  San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
  consulate(s): Albuquerque, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico
  (California), Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle
  Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Indianapolis (Indiana), Kansas
  City (Missouri), Laredo (Texas), Las Vegas, McAllen (Texas), Midland
  (Texas), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon),
  Presidio (Texas), Raleigh, Saint Paul (Minnesota), Salt Lake City,
  San Bernardino, Santa Ana (California), Seattle, Tucson, Yuma
  (Arizona)

Micronesia, Federated States of chief of mission: Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383 FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391 consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Tamuning (Guam)

Moldova
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA
  chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204

Mongolia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ravdan BOLD
  chancery: 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-7117
  FAX: [1] (202) 298-9227

Morocco
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR
  chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161
  consulate(s) general: New York

Mozambique
  chief of mission: Ambassador Armando PANGUENE
  chancery: 1990 M Street NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146
  FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245

Namibia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick NANDAGO
  chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540
  FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443

Nauru
  chief of mission: Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR
  chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074
  FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079
  consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

Nepal
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
  chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
  consulate(s) general: New York

Netherlands
  chief of mission: Ambassador Christiaan Mark Johan KRONER
  chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300
  FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
  consulate(s): Boston

Netherlands Antilles
  none (represented by the Kingdom of the
  Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary
  for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

New Zealand
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON
  chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Nicaragua
  chief of mission: Ambassador Salvador STADTHAGEN
  chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570, [1] (202) 939-6573
  FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545
  consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San
  Francisco

Niger
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Maiga Djibrilla TOURE
  chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227
  FAX: [1] (202)483-3169

Nigeria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Professor George A. OBIOZOR
  chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
  FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York

Norway
  chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK
  chancery: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-6000
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-0870
  consulate(s) general: Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco

Oman
  chief of mission: Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad
  al-MUGHAIRI
  chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933

Pakistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmud Ali DURRANI
  chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500
  FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
  York, Sunnyvale (California)

Palau
  chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
  chancery: 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
  20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
  FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281
  consulate(s) general: Honolulu
  consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)

Panama
  chief of mission: Ambassador Federico HUMBERT Arias
  chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New
  York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa

Papua New Guinea
  chief of mission: Ambassador Evan Jeremy PAKI
  chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC
  20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679

Paraguay
  chief of mission: Ambassador James SPALDING Hellmers
  chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
  consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

Peru
  chief of mission: Ambassador Felipe ORTIZ de Zevallos
  chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
  FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Hartford, Houston,
  Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco,
  Washington, DC

Philippines
  chief of mission: Ambassador Willy C. GAA
  chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 467-9300
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San
  Francisco, San Jose (Northern Mariana Islands), Tamuning (Guam)

Poland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Janusz REITER
  chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
  FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Portugal
  chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves
  CATARINO
  chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 350-5400
  FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
  consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San
  Francisco
  consulate(s): New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

Qatar
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Hamad bin Mubarak
  al-KHALIFA
  chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603
  FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061
  consulate(s) general: Houston

Romania
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
  Daniela GITMAN
  chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851, 4852
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Russia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Yuriy Viktorovich USHAKOV
  chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708
  FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735
  consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Rwanda
  chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
  chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544

Saint Kitts and Nevis chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636 FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740 consulate(s) general: New York

Saint Lucia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
  chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
  FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York

Samoa
  chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
  chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
  FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797

San Marino
  San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
  honorary consulate(s) general: New York, Washington, DC
  honorary consulate(s): Detroit, Honolulu

Sao Tome and Principe
  chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos
  Augusto FERREIRA
  chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022
  telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580
  FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348
  consulate(s): Atlanta

Saudi Arabia
  chief of mission: Ambassador TURKI al-Faysal bin Abd
  al-Aziz Al Saud
  chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113
  consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Senegal
  chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA
  chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315
  consulate(s) general: Houston, New York

Serbia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan VUJACIC
  chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Seychelles
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jeremie BONNELAME
  chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785
  FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786

Sierra Leone
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA
  chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793

Singapore
  chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
  chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100
  FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
  consulate(s) general: San Francisco
  consulate(s): New York

Slovakia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER
  chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054
  FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Slovenia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ZBOGAR
  chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-4563
  consulate(s) general: Cleveland, New York

Solomon Islands
  chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
  chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
  telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
  FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925

Somalia
  Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased
  operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TFG and other factions have
  representatives in Washington and at the United Nations

South Africa
  chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima
  MASEKELA
  chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
none (overseas
territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)

Spain
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos WESTENDORP
  chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340
  FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
  New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Sri Lanka
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard GOONETILLEKE
  chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028)
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
  consulate(s): New York

Sudan
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires, Ad
  Interim Khidir HAROUN (since April 2001)
  chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406

Suriname
  chief of mission: Ambassador Henry Lothar ILLES
  chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878
  consulate(s) general: Miami

Swaziland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ephraim Mandla HLOPHE
  chancery: 1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-5002
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-8254

Sweden
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gunnar LUND
  chancery: 902 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600
  FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Switzerland
  chief of mission: Ambassador Urs ZISWILER
  chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
  FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
  York, San Francisco
  consulate(s): Boston

Syria
  chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA
  chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548

Taiwan
  none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the
  people of the US are maintained through an unofficial
  instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative
  Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field
  offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

Tajikistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Khamrokhon ZARIPOV
  chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
  telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
  FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091

Tanzania
  chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA
  chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125
  FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408

Thailand
  chief of mission: Ambassador Virasakdi FUTRAKUL
  chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC
  20007-3681
  telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600
  FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Togo
  chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA
  chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190

Tonga
  chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU
  chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
  telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025
  FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024
  consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Trinidad and Tobago
  chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette
  VALERE
  chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
  FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
  consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Tunisia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA
  chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
  telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
  FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Turkey
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY
  chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
  FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Turkmenistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOV
  chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697

Tuvalu
  Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's
  only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN
  office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017,
  telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

Uganda
  chief of mission: Ambassador Edith G. SSEMPALA
  chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
  telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
  FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727

Ukraine
  chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR
  chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606
  FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco

United Arab Emirates
  chief of mission: Ambassador Saqr Ghobash Said
  GHOBASH
  chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
  20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
  FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
  consulate(s): New York, Houston

United Kingdom
  chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING
  chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
  Angeles, New York, San Francisco
  consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando

Uruguay
  chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois
  chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
  telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
  FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
  consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Uzbekistan
  chief of mission: Ambassador Abdulaziz KAMILOV
  chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300
  FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804
  consulate(s) general: New York

Vanuatu
Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does,
however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN

Venezuela
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
  chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
  telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214
  FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820
  consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
  New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Vietnam
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN
  chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
  telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737
  FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
  consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Yemen
  chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahab Abdallah al-HAJRI
  chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760
  FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017

Zambia
  chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
  chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826

Zimbabwe
  chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Machivenyika T. MAPURANGA
  chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326

Norfolk Island
2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32)
circuits (2004)

Norfolk Island
0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August
2002 island referendum) (2002)

Rwanda
  290,000
  note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several
  provincial capitals (2005)

Cuba
  190,000
  note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or
  accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may
  access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls;
  some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take
  advantage of public outlets, to access limited email and the
  government-controlled "intranet" (2005)

European Union
.eu (effective 2005); note - see country entries of
member states for individual country codes

Russia
  .ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy
  domain ".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union, and whose legal
  status and ownership are contested by the Russian Government, ICANN,
  and several Russian commercial entities

Saint Helena
.sh; note - the IANA has assigned .ac as the ccTLD for
Ascension Island

Serbia
.rs; note - former ccTLD .yu will remain in service until the
end of 2006

Iraq
2.093 million bbl/day; note - prewar production (in 2002) was
2.03 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Afghanistan
  total: 17.6 years
  male: 17.6 years
  female: 17.6 years (2006 est.)

American Samoa
  total: 23.2 years
  male: 22.9 years
  female: 23.4 years (2006 est.)

Anguilla
  total: 31.2 years
  male: 31.2 years
  female: 31.1 years (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
  total: 30 years
  male: 29.5 years
  female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)

Argentina
  total: 29.7 years
  male: 28.8 years
  female: 30.7 years (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan
  total: 27.7 years
  male: 26.3 years
  female: 29.2 years (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.1 years
  female: 28.6 years (2006 est.)

Bangladesh
  total: 22.2 years
  male: 22.2 years
  female: 22.2 years (2006 est.)

Barbados
  total: 34.6 years
  male: 33.4 years
  female: 35.6 years (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  total: 38.4 years
  male: 37.2 years
  female: 39.5 years (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands
  total: 31.4 years
  male: 31.6 years
  female: 31.2 years (2006 est.)

Bulgaria
  total: 40.8 years
  male: 38.7 years
  female: 42.9 years (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso
  total: 16.5 years
  male: 16.3 years
  female: 16.7 years (2006 est.)

Cambodia
  total: 20.6 years
  male: 19.9 years
  female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Cape Verde
  total: 19.8 years
  male: 19 years
  female: 20.7 years (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands
  total: 37.2 years
  male: 36.8 years
  female: 37.5 years (2006 est.)

Central African Republic
  total: 18.4 years
  male: 18 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Colombia
  total: 26.3 years
  male: 25.4 years
  female: 27.2 years (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  total: 16.2 years
  male: 16 years
  female: 16.4 years (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
  total: 16.6 years
  male: 16.4 years
  female: 16.9 years (2006 est.)

Cook Islands
  total: 25.3 years
  male: 24.7 years
  female: 25.9 years (2001 census)

Costa Rica
  total: 26.4 years
  male: 26 years
  female: 26.9 years (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
  total: 19.2 years
  male: 19.4 years
  female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)

Czech Republic
  total: 39.3 years
  male: 37.5 years
  female: 41.1 years (2006 est.)

Djibouti
  total: 18.2 years
  male: 18.7 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Dominica
  total: 30.1 years
  male: 29.8 years
  female: 30.4 years (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 24 years
  female: 24.3 years (2006 est.)

East Timor
  total: 20.8 years
  male: 20.8 years
  female: 20.7 years (2006 est.)

El Salvador
  total: 21.8 years
  male: 20.7 years
  female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
  total: 18.8 years
  male: 18.2 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Ethiopia
  total: 17.8 years
  male: 17.7 years
  female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)

Faroe Islands
  total: 35 years
  male: 34.7 years
  female: 35.5 years (2006 est.)

French Guiana
  total: 28.6 years
  male: 29.6 years
  female: 27.4 years (2006 est.)

French Polynesia
  total: 27.9 years
  male: 28.2 years
  female: 27.5 years (2006 est.)

Gambia, The
  total: 17.7 years
  male: 17.6 years
  female: 17.8 years (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip
  total: 15.8 years
  male: 15.7 years
  female: 16 years (2006 est.)

Gibraltar
  total: 39.8 years
  male: 39.4 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Guadeloupe
  total: 32.2 years
  male: 31.3 years
  female: 33.2 years (2006 est.)

Guatemala
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.5 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Guernsey
  total: 41.3 years
  male: 40.4 years
  female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
  total: 19 years
  male: 18.4 years
  female: 19.6 years (2006 est.)

Honduras
  total: 19.5 years
  male: 19.1 years
  female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)

Hong Kong
  total: 40.7 years
  male: 40.4 years
  female: 40.9 years (2006 est.)

Indonesia
  total: 26.8 years
  male: 26.4 years
  female: 27.3 years (2006 est.)

Isle of Man
  total: 39.6 years
  male: 38.4 years
  female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan
  total: 28.8 years
  male: 27.2 years
  female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)

Kiribati
  total: 20.2 years
  male: 19.8 years
  female: 20.8 years (2006 est.)

Korea, North
  total: 32 years
  male: 30.7 years
  female: 33.4 years (2006 est.)

Korea, South
  total: 35.2 years
  male: 34.2 years
  female: 36.3 years (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
  total: 23.6 years
  male: 22.8 years
  female: 24.5 years (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein
  total: 39.6 years
  male: 39.2 years
  female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Lithuania
  total: 38.2 years
  male: 35.7 years
  female: 40.8 years (2006 est.)

Luxembourg
  total: 38.7 years
  male: 37.7 years
  female: 39.7 years (2006 est.)

Macedonia
  total: 34.1 years
  male: 33.2 years
  female: 35.1 years (2006 est.)

Madagascar
  total: 17.5 years
  male: 17.3 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Malaysia
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 23.6 years
  female: 24.8 years (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands
  total: 20.3 years
  male: 20.4 years
  female: 20.3 years (2006 est.)

Martinique
  total: 34.1 years
  male: 33.4 years
  female: 34.8 years (2006 est.)

Mauritania
  total: 17 years
  male: 16.8 years
  female: 17.3 years (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
  total: 20.9 years
  male: 20.5 years
  female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Montserrat
  total: 28.9 years
  male: 28.6 years
  female: 29.2 years (2006 est.)

Mozambique
  total: 18.3 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Netherlands
  total: 39.4 years
  male: 38.6 years
  female: 40.2 years (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
  total: 32.8 years
  male: 31.1 years
  female: 34.4 years (2006 est.)

New Caledonia
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.4 years
  female: 28.2 years (2006 est.)

New Zealand
  total: 33.9 years
  male: 33.2 years
  female: 34.7 years (2006 est.)

Nicaragua
  total: 20.9 years
  male: 20.5 years
  female: 21.4 years (2006 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
  total: 29.5 years
  male: 31.7 years
  female: 28.5 years (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea
  total: 21.2 years
  male: 21.4 years
  female: 21.1 years (2006 est.)

Paraguay
  total: 21.3 years
  male: 21.1 years
  female: 21.6 years (2006 est.)

Portugal
  total: 38.5 years
  male: 36.4 years
  female: 40.6 years (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico
  total: 34.7 years
  male: 33 years
  female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)

Saint Helena
  total: 36 years
  male: 36.2 years
  female: 35.8 years (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
  total: 27.8 years
  male: 27.1 years
  female: 28.6 years (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia
  total: 25.2 years
  male: 24.4 years
  female: 26.1 years (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  total: 34.1 years
  male: 33.7 years
  female: 34.5 years (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  total: 26.9 years
  male: 26.7 years
  female: 27.1 years (2006 est.)

San Marino
  total: 40.6 years
  male: 40.3 years
  female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
  total: 16.2 years
  male: 15.6 years
  female: 16.8 years (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia
  total: 21.4 years
  male: 22.9 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Seychelles
  total: 28.1 years
  male: 27 years
  female: 29.1 years (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone
  total: 17.4 years
  male: 17.1 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Singapore
  total: 37.3 years
  male: 36.9 years
  female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)

Slovakia
  total: 35.8 years
  male: 34.2 years
  female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.7 years
  female: 19 years (2006 est.)

South Africa
  total: 24.1 years
  male: 23.3 years
  female: 25 years (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka
  total: 29.8 years
  male: 28.7 years
  female: 30.9 years (2006 est.)

Swaziland
  total: 18.5 years
  male: 17.8 years
  female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Switzerland
  total: 40.1 years
  male: 39 years
  female: 41.1 years (2006 est.)

Tajikistan
  total: 20 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20.4 years (2006 est.)

Thailand
  total: 31.9 years
  male: 31.1 years
  female: 32.8 years (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
  total: 31.2 years
  male: 30.8 years
  female: 31.7 years (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan
  total: 21.8 years
  male: 20.9 years
  female: 22.7 years (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
  total: 27.5 years
  male: 28.3 years
  female: 26.8 years (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates
  total: 28.1 years
  male: 34.8 years
  female: 23.3 years (2006 est.)

United Kingdom
  total: 39.3 years
  male: 38.2 years
  female: 40.4 years (2006 est.)

United States
  total: 36.5 years
  male: 35.1 years
  female: 37.8 years (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan
  total: 22.7 years
  male: 22 years
  female: 23.3 years (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands
  total: 37.1 years
  male: 36.2 years
  female: 38 years (2006 est.)

West Bank
  total: 18.3 years
  male: 18.2 years
  female: 18.5 years (2006 est.)

European Union
22,000,414 (2004); note - sum of individual country
Internet hosts

Afghanistan
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk countrywide below 2,000
  meters from March through November
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Algeria
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis is a high risk in some
  locations (2005)

Angola
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping
  sickness) are high risks in some locations
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Bangladesh
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
  and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Benin
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high
  risks in some locations
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Botswana
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Burkina Faso
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Burma
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations (2005)

Burundi
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Cambodia
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese
  encephalitis are high risks in some locations
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Cameroon
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Central African Republic
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Chad
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis
  (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Congo, Republic of the
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Cote d'Ivoire
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high
  risks in some locations
  water contact: schistosomiasis (2005)

Djibouti
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Equatorial Guinea
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Eritrea
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations (2005)

Ethiopia
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and hepatitis E
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high
  risks in some locations
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
  animal contact disease: rabies
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Gabon
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Gambia, The
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo
  hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Ghana
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Guinea
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

Guinea-Bissau
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

India
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
  and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese
  encephalitis are high risks in some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Indonesia
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are
  high risks in some locations
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Kenya
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Liberia
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

Libya
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
  during the transmission season (typically April through October)
  (2005)

Madagascar
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Malawi
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Malaysia
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations (2005)

Mali
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Mauritania
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever are high risks
  in some locations
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Morocco
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, and hepatitis A
  vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
  during the transmission season (typically April through November)
  (2005)

Mozambique
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Namibia
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Niger
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Nigeria
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly
  endemic areas for Lassa fever (2005)

Pakistan
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
  and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and cutaneous
  leishmaniasis are high risks depending on location
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Papua New Guinea
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations (2005)

Philippines
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in
  some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Rwanda
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Sao Tome and Principe
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Senegal
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever,
  Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever are high
  risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Sierra Leone
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

Somalia
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Sudan
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis
  (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Tanzania
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria, Rift Valley fever and plague are high
  risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Thailand
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis,
  and plague are high risks in some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US personnel who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Togo
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
  some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Tunisia
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
  vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
  during the transmission season (typically April through November)
  (2005)

Uganda
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping
  sickness) are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Vietnam
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis,
  and plague are high risks in some locations
  animal contact disease: rabies
  water contact disease: leptospirosis
  note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
  outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US personnel who
  have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)

Western Sahara
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
  during the transmission season (typically April through November)
  (2005)

Zambia
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some
  locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Zimbabwe
  degree of risk: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
  typhoid
  vectorborne disease: malaria
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Afghanistan
IDPs: 200,000-300,000 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis
displaced in south and west due to drought and instability) (2005)

Algeria
  refugees (country of origin): 102,000 (Western Saharan
  Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the
  southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf)
  IDPs: 400,000-600,000 (conflict between government forces, Islamic
  insurgents) (2005)

Angola
  refugees (country of origin): 13,510 (Democratic Republic of
  Congo)
  IDPs: 40,000-60,000 (27-year civil war ending in 2002; 4 million
  IDPs already have returned) (2005)

Armenia
refugees (country of origin): 235,101 (Azerbaijan)
IDPs: 50,000 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2005)

Azerbaijan
refugees (country of origin): 8,367 (Russia)
IDPs: 528,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2005)

Bangladesh
refugees (country of origin): 20,402 (Burma)
IDPs: 61,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2005)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
  refugees (country of origin): 19,213 (Croatia)
  IDPs: 309,200 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in
  1992-95 war) (2005)

Burma
  IDPs: 550,000-1,000,000 (government offensives against ethnic
  insurgent groups near borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni,
  Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2005)

Burundi
  refugees (country of origin): 48,424 (Democratic Republic of
  the Congo)
  IDPs: 145,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most
  IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2005)

Cameroon
refugees (country of origin): 39,290 (Chad) 16,686
(Nigeria) 9,634 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)

Central African Republic
  refugees (country of origin): 19,470
  (Sudan) 1,864 (Chad) 6,484 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  IDPs: 200,000 (unrest following coup in 2003) (2005)

Chad
refugees (country of origin): 224,924 (Sudan), 29,683 (Central
African Republic) (2005)

China
refugees (country of origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) estimated
30,000-50,000 (North Korea) (2005)

Colombia
IDPs: 2,900,000 - 3,400,000 (conflict between government
and FARC; drug wars) (2004)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
  refugees (country of origin):
  5,277 (Republic of Congo) 11,816 (Rwanda) 18,953 (Uganda) 19,400
  (Burundi) 45,226 (Sudan) 98,383 (Angola)
  IDPs: 2.33 million (fighting between government forces and rebels
  since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2005)

Congo, Republic of the
  refugees (country of origin): 53,834
  (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  IDPs: 60,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are ethnic
  Lari) (2005)

Cote d'Ivoire
  refugees (country of origin): 70,402 (Liberia)
  IDPs: 500,000-800,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions)
  (2005)

Cyprus
IDPs: 265,000 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many
displaced for over 30 years) (2005)

Egypt
refugees (country of origin): 70,245 (Palestinian Territories)
14,904 (Sudan) (2005)

Eritrea
IDPs: 59,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most
IDPs are near the central border region) (2005)

Ethiopia
  refugees (country of origin): 90,451 (Sudan) 16,470
  (Somalia) 8,719 (Eritrea)
  IDPs: 132,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic
  clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces)
  (2005)

Gaza Strip
refugees (country of origin): 986,034 (Palestinian
Refugees (UNRWA)) (2005)

Guatemala
  IDPs: 250,000 (government's scorched-earth offensive in
  1980s against indigenous people) 30,000 (Hurricane "Stan" October
  2005) (2005)

Guinea
  refugees (country of origin): 127,256 (Liberia) 7,165 (Sierra
  Leone) 7,064 (Cote d'Ivoire)
  IDPs: 82,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone,
  Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)

India
  refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 57,274 (Sri
  Lanka) 9,761 (Afghanistan)
  IDPs: 600,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami); 500,000
  (Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri Hindus) (2005)

Indonesia
  IDPs: 570,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami)
  500,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in
  Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi Provinces);
  (2005)

Iraq
  refugees (country of origin): 22,711 (Palestinian Territories)
  IDPs: 1 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return)
  (2005)

Israel
IDPs: 276,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in
northern Israel) (2005)

Jordan
  refugees (country of origin): 1,827,877 (Palestinian Refugees
  (UNRWA))
  IDPs: 168,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2005)

Kenya
  refugees (country of origin): 153,627 (Somalia) 12,595
  (Ethiopia) 67,556 (Sudan)
  IDPs: 360,000 (KANU attacks on opposition tribal groups in 1990s)
  (2005)

Lebanon
  refugees (country of origin): 404,170 (Palestinian Refugees
  (UNRWA))
  IDPs: 300,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions) (2005)

Liberia
  refugees (country of origin): 13,941 (Sierra Leone) 12,408
  (Cote d'Ivoire)
  IDPs: 464,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; IDP resettlement began in
  November 2004) (2005)

Mexico
IDPs: 12,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in
1994 in eastern Chiapas Region) (2005)

Moldova
IDPs: 1,000 (internal secessionist uprising in Transnistrian
region in 1991) (2005)

Nepal
  refugees (country of origin): 104,915 (Bhutan)
  IDPs: 100,000-200,000 (ongoing conflict between government forces
  and Maoist rebels; displacement spread across the country) (2005)

Nigeria
  IDPs: 200,000 - 250,000 (communal violence between
  Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999)
  (2005)

Pakistan
  refugees (country of origin): 960,041 (Afghanistan)
  IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South
  Waziristan); 3 million (October 2005 earthquake) (2005)

Peru
IDPs: 60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are
indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions) (2005)

Philippines
IDPs: 150,000 (fighting between government troops and
MILF and Abu Sayyaf groups) (2005)

Rwanda
  refugees (country of origin): 45,460 (Democratic Republic of
  the Congo)
  IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic Republic of
  the Congo, 1997-99; most IDPs in northwest) (2005)

Saudi Arabia
refugees (country of origin): 240,000 (Palestinian
Territories) (2005)

Senegal
  refugees (country of origin): 19,778 (Mauritania)
  IDPs: 17,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in
  Casamance region) (2005)

Serbia
  refugees (country of origin): 180,117 (Croatia); 95,297
  (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  IDPs: 225,000 - 251,000 (mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled
  Kosovo in 1999) (2005)

Somalia
IDPs: 400,000 (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition
for resources) 5,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)

South Africa
refugees (country of origin): 5,774 (Angola) 9,516
(Democratic Republic of Congo) 7,118 (Somalia) (2005)

Sri Lanka
IDPs: 353,000 (both Tamils and non-Tamils displaced due to
Tamil conflict); 450,000 (resulting from 2004 tsunami) (2005)

Sudan
  refugees (country of origin): 110,927 (Eritrea) 5,023 (Chad)
  7,983 (Uganda) 14,812 (Ethiopia)
  IDPs: 5,300,000 - 6,200,000 (internal conflict since 1980s; ongoing
  genocide) (2005)

Syria
  refugees (country of origin): 432,048 (Palestinian Refugees
  (UNRWA)) 14,391 (Iraq)
  IDPs: 170,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967
  Arab-Israeli War) (2005)

Tanzania
refugees (country of origin): 443,706 (Burundi) 153,474
(Democratic Republic of the Congo) 3,036 (Somalia) (2005)

Thailand
refugees (country of origin): 120,814 (Burma)
IDPs: 6,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)

Turkey
  IDPs: 350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-99 between
  Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern
  provinces) (2005)

Uganda
  refugees (country of origin): 214,673 (Sudan) 18,902 (Rwanda)
  14,982 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  IDPs: 1,330,000-2,000,000 note - ongoing Lord's Resistance Army
  (LRA) rebellion, mainly in the north; LRA frequently attacks IDP
  camps (2005)

United States
  refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 52,868
  refugees during FY03/04 including: 13,331 (Somalia), 6,000 (Laos),
  3,482 (Ukraine), 2,959 (Cuba), 1,787 (Iran); note - 32,229 refugees
  had been admitted as of 30 June 2005

Uzbekistan
  refugees (country of origin): 39,202 (Tajikistan) 5,238
  (Afghanistan)
  IDPs: 3,000 (forced population transfers by government from villages
  near Tajikistan border) (2005)

West Bank
refugees (country of origin): 699,817 (Palestinian
Refugees (UNRWA)) (2005)

World
  the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  estimated that in December 2004 there was a global population of 9.2
  million refugees, the lowest number in 25 years, and as many as 25
  million IDPs in over 49 countries (2005)

Zambia
refugees (country of origin): 88,842 (Angola) 66,248
(Democratic Republic of the Congo) 5,791 (Rwanda) (2005)

Zimbabwe
IDPs: 400,000-450,000 (MUGABE-led political violence, human
rights violations, land reform, and economic collapse) (2005)

Algeria
  current situation: Algeria is a transit and destination
  country for men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and
  Asia trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; many
  victims willingly migrate to Algeria en route to European countries
  with the help of smugglers, where they are often forced into
  prostitution, labor, and begging to pay off their smuggling debt;
  armed militants reportedly traffic women for sexual exploitation and
  involuntary servitude, and children may be trafficked for forced
  labor as domestic servants or street vendors
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Algeria took no steps to assess the
  scope of trafficking in the country and reported no investigations
  or prosecutions for trafficking offenses this year

Argentina
  current situation: Argentina is primarily a destination
  country for women and children trafficked for sexual and labor
  exploitation with most victims trafficked internally, from rural to
  urban areas, for exploitation in prostitution; foreign women and
  children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation come
  primarily from Paraguay, but also from Bolivia, Brazil, the
  Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Chile; Bolivians are trafficked
  for forced labor; Argentine women and girls are also trafficked to
  neighboring countries for sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Argentina failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts to combat trafficking particularly in the key
  area of prosecutions; government efforts to improve interagency
  anti-trafficking coordination did not achieve significant progress
  in moving cases against traffickers through the judicial system; the
  government made progress in other areas, by submitting
  anti-trafficking legislation to Congress in August 2005 and
  sensitizing provincial and municipal government officials to the
  trafficking problem

Armenia
  current situation: Armenia is a major source and, to a
  lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls
  trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the UAE and Turkey;
  traffickers, many of them women, route victims directly into Dubai
  or through Moscow; profits derived from the trafficking of Armenian
  victims reportedly increased dramatically from 2005
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Armenia has failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts, particularly in the areas of enforcement,
  trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection; the
  government increased implementation of its anti-trafficking law, but
  failed to impose significant penalties for convicted traffickers and
  failed to vigorously investigate and prosecute ongoing and
  widespread allegations of public officials' complicity in
  trafficking; victim protection efforts remain in early, formative
  stages and a lack of sensitivity for victims remains a problem,
  particularly in the judiciary

Bahrain
  current situation: Bahrain is a destination country for men
  and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly to
  work as laborers or domestic servants, but may be subjected to
  conditions of involuntary servitude when faced with exorbitant
  recruitment and transportation fees, withholding of their passports,
  restrictions on their movement, non-payment of wages, and physical
  or sexual abuse; Eastern European women are also believed to be
  trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose of commercial sexual
  exploitation or forced labor
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bahrain's efforts to address
  trafficking in persons are based largely on pledges of future
  efforts; the government did not enact a comprehensive
  anti-trafficking law extending labor protection to domestic workers

Belize
  current situation: Belize is a source, transit, and
  destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the
  purposes of labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are
  trafficked mainly from Central America, and exploited in
  prostitution; children are trafficked to Belize for labor
  exploitation; Belize's largely unmonitored borders with Guatemala,
  Honduras, and Mexico facilitate the movement of illegal migrants who
  are vulnerable to traffickers; girls are trafficked within the
  country for sexual exploitation, sometimes with the consent and
  complicity of their close relatives; there are unconfirmed reports
  that Indian and Chinese migrants are trafficked for involuntary
  servitude in homes and shops
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Belize has failed to show evidence of
  significant law enforcement or victim protection efforts

Bolivia
  current situation: Bolivia is a source and transit country
  for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor
  and sexual exploitation to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as
  to Spain; children are trafficked internally for sexual
  exploitation, forced mining, and agricultural labor; illegal
  migrants from Asia transiting Bolivia are vulnerable as trafficking
  victims
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bolivia has failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas of
  prosecutions and victim protection

Brazil
  current situation: Brazil is a source and destination country
  for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation within Brazil
  and to destinations in South America, the Caribbean, Western Europe,
  Japan, the US, and the Middle East, and for men trafficked within
  the country for forced agricultural labor; child sex tourism is a
  problem within the country, particularly in the resort areas and
  coastal cities of Brazil's northeast; foreign victims from Bolivia,
  Peru, China, and Korea are trafficked to Brazil for labor
  exploitation in factories
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Brazil has failed to show evidence
  of increasing efforts to fight trafficking, specifically for its
  failure to apply effective criminal penalties against traffickers
  who exploit forced labor

Burma
  current situation: Burma is a source country for men, women,
  and children trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for sexual
  exploitation, domestic service, and forced commercial labor; a
  significant number of victims are economic migrants who wind up in
  forced or bonded labor and forced prostitution; to a lesser extent,
  Burma is a country of transit and destination for women trafficked
  from China for sexual exploitation; internal trafficking of persons
  occurs primarily for labor in industrial zones and agricultural
  estates; internal trafficking of women and girls for sexual
  exploitation occurs from villages to urban centers and other areas;
  the military junta's economic mismanagement, human rights abuses,
  and policy of using forced labor are driving factors behind Burma's
  large trafficking problem
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Cambodia
  current situation: Cambodia is a source, destination, and
  transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the
  purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant
  number of women and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia
  for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; men are
  trafficked primarily to Thailand for forced labor in the
  construction and agricultural sectors, particularly the fishing
  industry, while women and girls are trafficked for factory and
  domestic work; children are trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for
  the purpose of forced begging; Cambodia is a transit and destination
  point for women from Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation;
  trafficking for sexual exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's
  borders, from rural areas to the cities
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with
  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
  it is committed to making significant efforts to sustain progress
  over the coming year

Central African Republic
  current situation: Central African Republic
  is a source and destination country for children trafficked for
  domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and forced labor in shops
  and commercial labor activities; while the majority of child victims
  are trafficked within the country, some are also trafficked to and
  from Cameroon and Nigeria
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Central African Republic failed
  to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in
  persons during 2005, specifically its inadequate law enforcement
  response to trafficking crimes

China
  current situation: China is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women, men, and children trafficked for purposes of
  sexual exploitation and forced labor; the majority of trafficking in
  China is internal, but there is also international trafficking of
  Chinese citizens; women are lured through false promises of
  legitimate employment into commercial sexual exploitation in Taiwan,
  Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan; Chinese men and women are smuggled to
  countries throughout the world at enormous personal expense and then
  forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor to
  repay debts to traffickers; women and children are trafficked into
  China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for
  forced labor, marriage, and sexual slavery; most North Koreans enter
  northeastern China voluntarily, but others reportedly are trafficked
  into China from North Korea; domestic trafficking remains the most
  significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of
  10,000-20,000 victims trafficked each year; the actual number of
  victims could be much greater; some experts believe that the serious
  and prolonged imbalance in the male-female birth ratio may now be
  contributing to Chinese and foreign girls and women being trafficked
  as potential brides
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - China failed to show evidence of
  increasing efforts to address transnational trafficking; while the
  government provides reasonable protection to internal victims of
  trafficking, protection for Chinese and foreign victims of
  transnational trafficking remain inadequate

Cuba
  current situation: Cuba is a source country for women and
  children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and
  forced child labor; Cuba is a major destination for sex tourism,
  which largely caters to European, Canadian, and Latin American
  tourists and involves large numbers of minors; there are reports
  that Cuban women have been trafficked to Mexico for sexual
  exploitation; forced labor victims also include children coerced
  into working in commercial agriculture
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Cyprus
  current situation: Cyprus is primarily a destination country
  for a large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central
  Europe, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic for the purpose
  of sexual exploitation; traffickers continued to fraudulently
  recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on
  short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment
  visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas; there were
  credible reports of female domestic workers from India, Sri Lanka,
  and the Philippines forced to work excessively long hours and denied
  proper compensation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cyprus does not fully comply with
  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and failed
  to show evidence of increasing efforts to address its serious
  trafficking for sexual exploitation problem; however, it is making
  significant efforts to do so

Djibouti
  current situation: Djibouti is a source, transit, and
  destination country for women and children trafficked for the
  purposes of sexual exploitation and possibly forced labor; small
  numbers are trafficked from Ethiopia and Somalia for sexual
  exploitation; economic migrants from these countries also fall
  victim to trafficking upon reaching Djibouti City or the
  Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor; women and children from
  neighboring countries reportedly transit Djibouti to Arab countries
  and Somalia for ultimate use in forced labor or sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Djibouti does not fully comply with
  the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,
  it is making significant efforts to do so based partly on the
  government's commitments to undertake future action

Egypt
  current situation: Egypt is a transit country for women
  trafficked from Eastern Europe to Israel for the purpose of sexual
  exploitation; these women generally arrive as tourists and are
  subsequently trafficked through the Sinai Desert by Bedouin tribes;
  men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are believed to be
  trafficked through the Sinai Desert to Israel and Europe for labor
  exploitation; some Egyptian children from rural areas are trafficked
  within the country to work as domestic servants or laborers in the
  agriculture industry
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Egypt is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to
  address trafficking over the past year, particularly in the area of
  law enforcement

Equatorial Guinea
  current situation: Equatorial Guinea is a transit
  and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced
  labor, involuntary domestic servitude, and commercial sexual
  exploitation from surrounding countries - primarily Benin, Nigeria,
  Mali, and Cameroon; victims work in the agricultural and commercial
  sectors of Malabo and Bata, where demand is high due to a booming
  oil sector; children work as farmhands, street vendors, or household
  servants; girls and women are also trafficked for commercial sexual
  exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Equatorial Guinea is placed on the
  Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide adequate evidence of
  concrete measures to address trafficking over the past year

India
  current situation: India is a source, destination, and transit
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
  forced or bonded labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the large
  population of men, women, and children - numbering in the millions -
  in debt bondage face involuntary servitude in brick kilns, rice
  mills, and embroidery factories, while some children endure
  involuntary servitude as domestic servants; internal trafficking of
  women and girls for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation
  and forced marriage also occurs; the government estimates that 90
  percent of India's sex trafficking is internal; India is also a
  destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked
  for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; boys from
  Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are trafficked through India
  to the Gulf states for involuntary servitude as child camel jockeys;
  Indian men and women migrate willingly to the Persian Gulf region
  for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers, but some
  later find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude
  including extended working hours, nonpayment of wages, restrictions
  on their movement by withholding of their passports or confinement
  to the home, and physical or sexual abuse
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India has been on the Tier 2 Watch
  List since 2004 for its failure to show evidence of increasing
  efforts to address trafficking in persons

Indonesia
  current situation: Indonesia is a source, transit, and
  destination country for women, children and men trafficked for the
  purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; Indonesian victims
  are trafficked to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Hong Kong,
  Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore; a significant number of
  Indonesian women who go overseas each year to work as domestic
  servants or "cultural performers" are subjected to conditions of
  involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; to a
  minimal extent, Indonesia is a destination for women from East Asia,
  Europe, and South America who are trafficked for sexual
  exploitation; there is extensive trafficking within Indonesia from
  rural to urban metropolitan areas particularly for sexual
  exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Indonesia is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
  to combat trafficking

Iran
  current situation: Iran is a source, transit, and destination
  country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and involuntary servitude; according to foreign
  observers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, the
  Persian Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation, while boys from
  Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran en
  route to Persian Gulf states where they are ultimately forced to
  work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers; Afghan women and girls
  are trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexual
  exploitation; women and children are also trafficked internally for
  the purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and
  involuntary servitude
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent,
  credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims of
  trafficking with beatings, imprisonment, and execution

Israel
  current situation: Israel is a destination country for
  low-skilled workers from Eastern Europe and Asia who migrate
  voluntarily for contract labor in the construction, agriculture, and
  health care industries, some of whom are subsequently subjected to
  conditions of involuntary servitude; many labor recruitment agencies
  in source countries and in Israel require workers to pay large
  up-front fees that often lead to debt bondage and vulnerability to
  forced labor; Israel is also a destination country for women
  trafficked from Eastern Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Israel is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
  to address trafficking, namely the conditions of involuntary
  servitude allegedly facing thousands of foreign migrant workers

Jamaica
  current situation: Jamaica is a source country for men,
  women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and labor; information suggests that women from the
  Dominican Republic and Eastern Europe are also trafficked to Jamaica
  for sexual exploitation; women and children are trafficked
  internally from rural to urban and tourist areas for sexual
  exploitation; there may also be trafficking for domestic servitude
  and forced labor
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Jamaica is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List based on the determination that it is making significant
  efforts to undertake future action

Kenya
  current situation: Kenya is a source, transit, and destination
  country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and
  sexual exploitation; children are trafficked within the country for
  domestic servitude, street vending, agricultural labor, and sexual
  exploitation; men, women, and girls are trafficked to the Middle
  East, other African nations, Western Europe, and North America for
  domestic servitude, enslavement in massage parlors and brothels, and
  manual labor; Chinese women trafficked for sexual exploitation
  reportedly transit Nairobi and Bangladeshis may transit Kenya for
  forced labor in other countries
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Kenya is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List due to a lack of evidence of increasing efforts to combat
  severe forms of trafficking

Korea, North
  current situation: North Korea is a source country for
  men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor
  and sexual exploitation; North Korea's own system of political
  repression includes forced labor in a network of prison camps where
  an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons are incarcerated; the
  illegal status of North Koreans in China and other countries
  increases their vulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual and
  physical abuse; North Koreans forcibly returned from China may be
  subject to hard labor in prison camps operated by the government
  tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Kuwait
  current situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men
  and women who migrate legally from South and Southeast Asia for
  domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of
  involuntary servitude by employers in Kuwait including conditions of
  physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the
  home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of
  movement; Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for South and East
  Asian workers recruited for low-skilled work in Iraq; some of these
  workers are deceived as to the true location and nature of this
  work, and others are subjected to conditions of involuntary
  servitude in Iraq; in past years, Kuwait was also a destination
  country for children exploited as camel jockeys, but this form of
  trafficking appears to have ceased
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Kuwait is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List because its efforts are based largely on pledges of
  future actions

Laos
  current situation: Laos is a source country for men and women
  trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation;
  a significant number are economic migrants who are subjected to
  commercial sexual exploitation or conditions of forced or bonded
  labor in Thailand; to a lesser extent, Laos is a transit and
  destination country for women who are trafficked for sexual
  exploitation including a small number of victims from China and
  Vietnam trafficked to work as street vendors and for sexual
  exploitation in prostitution
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Laos does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Libya
  current situation: Libya is a transit and destination country
  for men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia
  trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; many victims
  willingly migrate to Libya en route to Europe with the help of
  smugglers, but may be forced into prostitution or work as laborers
  and beggars to pay off their $800-$1,200 smuggling debt; laborers
  from Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia are reportedly trafficked to Libya
  for the purpose of labor exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Libya is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its lack of evidence of increasing efforts to address
  trafficking since 2004

Macau
  current situation: Macau is a transit and destination
  territory for women trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual
  exploitation; most females in Macau's sizeable sex industry come
  from the interior regions of China or Mongolia, though a significant
  number also come from Russia, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Vietnam;
  the majority of women in Macau's prostitution trade appear to have
  entered Macau and the sex trade voluntarily, though there is
  evidence that some are deceived or coerced into sexual servitude,
  often through the use of debt bondage; organized criminal syndicates
  are reportedly involved in bringing women to Macau, and fear of
  reprisals from these groups may prevent some women from seeking help
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Macau is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to address
  trafficking since 2004

Malaysia
  current situation: Malaysia is a destination and, to a
  lesser extent, a source and transit country for men and women
  trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor;
  foreign victims, mostly women and girls from China, Indonesia,
  Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, are trafficked to Malaysia
  for commercial sexual exploitation; economic migrants from countries
  in the region who work as domestic servants or laborers in the
  construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions
  in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude; some
  Malaysian women, primarily of Chinese ethnicity, are trafficked
  abroad for sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Malaysia is placed on Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
  combat trafficking, particularly its failure to provide protection
  for victims of trafficking

Mauritania
  current situation: Mauritania is a source and destination
  country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor,
  begging, and domestic servitude; adults and children are subjected
  to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave
  relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter
  economy exists
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mauritania is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increased efforts to
  combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement

Mexico
  current situation: Mexico is a source, transit, and
  destination country for persons trafficked for sexual exploitation
  and labor; while the vast majority of victims are Central Americans
  trafficked along Mexico's southern border, other source regions
  include South America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and
  Asia; women and children are trafficked from rural regions to urban
  centers and tourist areas for sexual exploitation, often through
  fraudulent offers of employment or through threats of physical
  violence; the Mexican trafficking problem is often conflated with
  alien smuggling, and frequently the same criminal networks are
  involved; pervasive corruption among state and local law enforcement
  often impedes investigations
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mexico remains on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for the third consecutive year based on future commitments to
  undertake additional efforts in prosecution, protection, and
  prevention of trafficking in persons, and the failure of the
  government to provide critical law enforcement data

Oman
  current situation: Oman is a destination country for men and
  women primarily from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India who migrate
  willingly, but may subsequently become victims of trafficking when
  subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic workers
  and laborers; there have been occasional reports that expatriate
  children engaged in camel racing may transit or reside in Omani
  territory
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Oman is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List because of a lack of evidence of increasing efforts to combat
  severe forms of trafficking in persons in 2005

Peru
  current situation: Peru is primarily a source country for women
  and children trafficked internally for the purposes of sexual
  exploitation and forced domestic labor; most victims are girls and
  young women moved internally from rural to urban areas, or from city
  to city, and lured or coerced into prostitution in nightclubs, bars,
  and brothels; Peruvians have also been trafficked for sexual
  exploitation to Spain, Japan, the United States, and Venezuela; the
  government acknowledges that sex tourism occurs, particularly in the
  Amazon region of the country
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Peru is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate
  trafficking in 2005

Qatar
  current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men and
  women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are
  subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic
  workers and laborers; the problem of trafficking of foreign children
  as camel jockeys was thoroughly addressed by government action in
  2005, but independent confirmation of the problem's complete
  elimination is not yet available
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Qatar has made noticeable progress
  in rescuing and repatriating child camel jockeys, establishing a
  shelter for abused domestic workers, and creating hotlines to
  register complaints; however, Qatar is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to provide sufficient evidence of increasing
  efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2005, particularly with
  regard to labor exploitation

Russia
  current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and
  destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for
  various purposes; it remains a significant source of women
  trafficked to over 50 countries for commercial sexual exploitation;
  Russia is also a transit and destination country for men and women
  trafficked from Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Korea to
  Central and Western Europe and the Middle East for purposes of
  forced labor and sexual exploitation; internal trafficking remains a
  problem in Russia with women trafficked from rural areas to urban
  centers for commercial sexual exploitation, and men are trafficked
  internally and from Central Asia for forced labor in the
  construction and agricultural industries; debt bondage is common
  among trafficking victims, and child sex tourism remains a concern
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Russia is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for a third consecutive year for its continued failure to
  show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking,
  particularly in the area of victim protection and assistance

Saudi Arabia
  current situation: Saudi Arabia is a destination
  country for workers from South and Southeast Asia who are subjected
  to conditions that constitute involuntary servitude including being
  subjected to physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages,
  confinement, and withholding of passports as a restriction on their
  movement; domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because some
  are confined to the house in which they work, unable to seek help;
  Saudi Arabia is also a destination country for Nigerian, Yemeni,
  Pakistani, Afghan, Somali, Malian, and Sudanese children trafficked
  for forced begging and involuntary servitude as street vendors; some
  Nigerian women were reportedly trafficked into Saudi Arabia for
  commercial sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Saudi Arabia does not fully comply with the
  minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
  making significant efforts to do so

South Africa
  current situation: South Africa is a source, transit,
  and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for
  forced labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are trafficked
  internally - and occasionally to European and Asian countries - for
  sexual exploitation; women from other African countries are
  trafficked to South Africa and, less frequently, onward to Europe
  for sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked from
  neighboring countries for forced agricultural labor; Asian and
  Eastern European women are trafficked to South Africa for
  debt-bonded sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - South Africa is placed on the Tier
  2 Watch List for its failure to show increasing efforts to address
  trafficking in 2005

Sudan
  current situation: Sudan is a source country for men, women,
  and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
  exploitation; Sudan may also be a transit and destination country
  for Ethiopian women trafficked for domestic servitude; boys are
  trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Qatar and the United
  Arab Emirates, for use as camel jockeys; small numbers of girls are
  reportedly trafficked within Sudan for domestic servitude, as well
  as for commercial sexual exploitation in small brothels in
  internally displaced persons (IDP) camps; the terrorist rebel
  organization "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) continues to abduct and
  forcibly conscript small numbers of children in Southern Sudan for
  use as cooks, porters, and combatants in its ongoing war against
  Uganda; some of these children are then trafficked across borders
  into Uganda or possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
  children are utilized by rebel groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces
  and associated militias in the ongoing conflict in Darfur; during
  the decades of civil war, thousands of Dinka women and children were
  enslaved by members of Baggara tribes and subjected to various forms
  of forced labor without remuneration, as well as physical and sexual
  abuse; with the cessation of the North-South conflict and the
  ongoing peace process, there were no known new abductions of Dinka
  by Baggara tribes during 2005; however, inter-tribal abductions of a
  different nature continue in Southern Sudan and warrant further
  investigation
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Syria
  current situation: Syria is a destination country for women
  from South and Southeast Asia and Africa for domestic servitude and
  from Eastern Europe and Iraq for sexual exploitation; women are
  recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face
  conditions of exploitation and involuntary servitude including long
  hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports and other
  restrictions on movement, and physical and sexual abuse; Eastern
  European women recruited for work in Syria as cabaret dancers are
  not permitted to leave their work premises without permission and
  have their passports withheld; some displaced Iraqi women and
  children are reportedly forced into sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Syria does not fully comply with the minimum
  standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
  significant efforts to do so

Taiwan
  current situation: Taiwan is primarily a destination for men,
  women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual
  exploitation; women from China and Southeast Asian countries are
  trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and
  children, primarily from Vietnam, are trafficked through the use of
  fraudulent marriages, deceptive employment offers, and illegal
  smuggling for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; a
  significant share of foreign workers - primarily from Vietnam,
  Thailand, and the Philippines - are recruited legally for
  low-skilled jobs, and are subjected to forced labor or involuntary
  servitude by labor agencies or employers upon arrival in Taiwan; to
  a much lesser extent, there is internal trafficking of children for
  sexual exploitation and trafficking of a small and declining number
  of Taiwanese women to Japan for commercial sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Taiwan is placed on the Tier 2
  Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts
  over the past year to address trafficking, despite ample resources
  to do so, particularly the serious level of forced labor and sexual
  servitude among legally migrating Southeast Asian contract workers
  and brides

Togo
  current situation: Togo is a source, transit, and destination
  country for children, women, and men trafficked for forced labor and
  sexual exploitation; the majority of victims are children, and
  trafficking within the country is more prevalent than international
  trafficking; children are trafficked to work as domestic servants,
  produce porters, roadside sellers, agricultural laborers, and for
  sexual exploitation; Togolese women may be trafficked to Europe for
  forced labor and sexual exploitation
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Togo is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for failure to show evidence of increased efforts to combat
  trafficking over the past year, particularly in the areas of
  prosecution and protection

United Arab Emirates
  current situation: the United Arab Emirates is
  a destination country for men, women, and children trafficked from
  South and East Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for
  involuntary servitude and for sexual exploitation; an estimated
  10,000 women from sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, South and East
  Asia, Iraq, Iran, and Morocco may be victims of sex trafficking in
  the UAE; women also migrate from Africa, and South and Southeast
  Asia to work as domestic servants, but may have their passports
  confiscated, be denied permission to leave the place of employment
  in the home, or face sexual or physical abuse by their employers;
  men from South Asia come to the UAE to work in the construction
  industry, but may be subjected to conditions of involuntary
  servitude as they are coerced to pay off recruitment and travel
  costs, sometimes having their wages denied for months at a time;
  victims of child camel jockey trafficking may still remain in the
  UAE, despite a July 2005 law banning the practice; while all
  identified victims were repatriated at the government's expense to
  their home countries, questions persist as to the effectiveness of
  the ban and the true number of victims
  tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - UAE is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
  List for its failure to show increased efforts to combat trafficking
  in 2005, particularly in its efforts to address the large-scale
  trafficking of foreign girls and women for commercial sexual
  exploitation

Uzbekistan
  current situation: Uzbekistan is a source and, to a
  lesser extent, a transit country for women trafficked to Asia and
  the Middle East for the purpose of sexual exploitation; women from
  other Central Asian countries and China are trafficked through
  Uzbekistan; men are trafficked for purposes of forced labor in the
  construction and agricultural industries to Ukraine, Russia,
  Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan; men and women are also trafficked within
  the country
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Uzbekistan is placed on Tier 3 because it
  failed to fulfill commitments by the country to take additional
  steps during 2005, including the adoption of comprehensive
  anti-trafficking legislation, criminal code amendments to raise
  trafficking penalties, support to the country's first trafficking
  shelter, and approval of a national action plan

Venezuela
  current situation: Venezuela is a source, transit, and
  destination country for women and children trafficked for the
  purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and children
  from Colombia, China, Peru, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic are
  trafficked to and through Venezuela and subjected to commercial
  sexual exploitation or forced labor; Venezuelans are trafficked
  internally and to Western Europe, particularly Spain and the
  Netherlands, and to countries in the Caribbean region for commercial
  sexual exploitation; Venezuela is a transit country for illegal
  migrants from other countries in the region and for Asian nationals,
  some are believed to be trafficking victims
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Venezuela does not fully comply with the
  minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
  making significant efforts to do so

World
  current situation: about 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly
  women and children, are trafficked annually across national borders,
  not including millions trafficked within their own countries; at
  least 80% of the victims are female; 75% of all victims are
  trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation; roughly two-thirds
  of the global victims are trafficked intra-regionally within East
  Asia and the Pacific (260,000 to 280,000 people) and Europe and
  Eurasia (170,000 to 210,000 people)

Zimbabwe
  current situation: Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and
  destination country for women and children trafficked for forced
  labor and sexual exploitation; children may be trafficked internally
  for forced agricultural labor, domestic servitude, and sexual
  exploitation; women and girls are lured out of the country to South
  Africa, China, Egypt, and Zambia with false job or scholarship
  promises that result in domestic servitude or commercial sexual
  exploitation; there are reports of South African employers demanding
  sex from undocumented Zimbabwean workers under threat of
  deportation; women and children from Malawi, Zambia, and the
  Democratic Republic of the Congo transit Zimbabwe en route to South
  Africa; small numbers of South African girls are trafficked to
  Zimbabwe for domestic labor
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Zimbabwe does not fully comply with the
  minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
  making significant efforts to do so

1 World $ 60,630,000,000,000 2005 est. 2 United States $ 12,310,000,000,000 2005 est. 3 European Union $ 12,180,000,000,000 2005 est. 4 China $ 8,883,000,000,000 2005 est. 5 Japan $ 4,025,000,000,000 2005 est. 6 India $ 3,666,000,000,000 2005 est. 7 Germany $ 2,480,000,000,000 2005 est. 8 United Kingdom $ 1,818,000,000,000 2005 est. 9 France $ 1,794,000,000,000 2005 est. 10 Italy $ 1,667,000,000,000 2005 est. 11 Russia $ 1,584,000,000,000 2005 est. 12 Brazil $ 1,536,000,000,000 2005 est. 13 Canada $ 1,111,000,000,000 2005 est. 14 Korea, South $ 1,101,000,000,000 2005 est. 15 Mexico $ 1,064,000,000,000 2005 est. 16 Spain $ 1,033,000,000,000 2005 est. 17 Indonesia $ 869,700,000,000 2005 est. 18 Australia $ 635,500,000,000 2005 est. 19 Taiwan $ 630,000,000,000 2005 est. 20 Turkey $ 584,500,000,000 2005 est. 21 Iran $ 569,900,000,000 2005 est. 22 Thailand $ 550,200,000,000 2005 est. 23 Argentina $ 543,400,000,000 2005 est. 24 South Africa $ 540,800,000,000 2005 est. 25 Poland $ 505,200,000,000 2005 est. 26 Netherlands $ 497,900,000,000 2005 est. 27 Philippines $ 412,500,000,000 2005 est. 28 Pakistan $ 395,200,000,000 2005 est. 29 Saudi Arabia $ 346,300,000,000 2005 est. 30 Colombia $ 341,100,000,000 2005 est. 31 Ukraine $ 329,100,000,000 2005 est. 32 Belgium $ 322,300,000,000 2005 est. 33 Bangladesh $ 305,900,000,000 2005 est. 34 Egypt $ 304,300,000,000 2005 est. 35 Malaysia $ 287,000,000,000 2005 est. 36 Sweden $ 268,300,000,000 2005 est. 37 Austria $ 265,800,000,000 2005 est. 38 Switzerland $ 240,900,000,000 2005 est. 39 Greece $ 238,200,000,000 2005 est. 40 Algeria $ 235,500,000,000 2005 est. 41 Vietnam $ 235,200,000,000 2005 est. 42 Hong Kong $ 234,300,000,000 2005 est. 43 Czech Republic $ 204,400,000,000 2005 est. 44 Portugal $ 200,600,000,000 2005 est. 45 Norway $ 196,400,000,000 2005 est. 46 Chile $ 189,900,000,000 2005 est. 47 Denmark $ 189,300,000,000 2005 est. 48 Romania $ 181,800,000,000 2005 est. 49 Nigeria $ 175,500,000,000 2005 est. 50 Peru $ 167,300,000,000 2005 est. 51 Ireland $ 165,100,000,000 2005 est. 52 Hungary $ 163,100,000,000 2005 est. 53 Venezuela $ 162,100,000,000 2005 est. 54 Finland $ 161,900,000,000 2005 est. 55 Israel $ 156,900,000,000 2005 est. 56 Morocco $ 135,100,000,000 2005 est. 57 Singapore $ 126,500,000,000 2005 est. 58 Kazakhstan $ 125,300,000,000 2005 est. 59 United Arab Emirates $ 115,800,000,000 2005 est. 60 New Zealand $ 102,000,000,000 2005 est. 61 Iraq $ 94,100,000,000 2005 est. 62 Slovakia $ 88,780,000,000 2005 est. 63 Sri Lanka $ 86,070,000,000 2005 est. 64 Sudan $ 85,890,000,000 2005 est. 65 Tunisia $ 82,850,000,000 2005 est. 66 Burma $ 80,110,000,000 2005 est. 67 Puerto Rico $ 73,270,000,000 2005 est. 68 Belarus $ 73,090,000,000 2005 est. 69 Bulgaria $ 71,670,000,000 2005 est. 70 Syria $ 71,420,000,000 2005 est. 71 Libya $ 68,000,000,000 2005 est. 72 Dominican Republic $ 67,440,000,000 2005 est. 73 Ethiopia $ 64,730,000,000 2005 est. 74 Ecuador $ 57,230,000,000 2005 est. 75 Guatemala $ 56,860,000,000 2005 est. 76 Croatia $ 55,790,000,000 2005 est. 77 Ghana $ 54,860,000,000 2005 est. 78 Uzbekistan $ 50,310,000,000 2005 est. 79 Lithuania $ 49,410,000,000 2005 est. 80 Uganda $ 47,760,000,000 2005 est. 81 Kuwait $ 47,360,000,000 2005 est. 82 Costa Rica $ 45,670,000,000 2005 est. 83 Angola $ 45,320,000,000 2005 est. 84 Slovenia $ 43,270,000,000 2005 est. 85 Azerbaijan $ 42,990,000,000 2005 est. 86 Serbia $ 41,150,000,000 2005 est. 87 Congo, Democratic Republic of the $ 40,670,000,000 2005 est. 88 Oman $ 40,390,000,000 2005 est. 89 Cuba $ 40,060,000,000 2005 est. 90 Korea, North $ 40,000,000,000 2005 est. 91 Cameroon $ 39,750,000,000 2005 est. 92 Nepal $ 39,140,000,000 2005 est. 93 Turkmenistan $ 39,140,000,000 2005 est. 94 Kenya $ 37,890,000,000 2005 est. 95 Cambodia $ 34,080,000,000 2005 est. 96 Uruguay $ 33,980,000,000 2005 est. 97 Latvia $ 31,460,000,000 2005 est. 98 El Salvador $ 31,300,000,000 2005 est. 99 Luxembourg $ 30,900,000,000 2005 est. 100 Paraguay $ 29,110,000,000 2005 est. 101 Cote d'Ivoire $ 27,580,000,000 2005 est. 102 Tanzania $ 27,110,000,000 2005 est. 103 Jordan $ 26,850,000,000 2005 est. 104 Mozambique $ 26,180,000,000 2005 est. 105 Bolivia $ 25,820,000,000 2005 est. 106 Equatorial Guinea $ 25,690,000,000 2005 est. 107 Zimbabwe $ 25,690,000,000 2005 est. 108 Qatar $ 24,460,000,000 2005 est. 109 Estonia $ 23,340,000,000 2005 est. 110 Panama $ 23,330,000,000 2005 est. 111 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 23,090,000,000 2005 est. 112 Lebanon $ 22,780,000,000 2005 est. 113 Afghanistan $ 21,500,000,000 2004 est. 114 Honduras $ 20,610,000,000 2005 est. 115 Senegal $ 20,570,000,000 2005 est. 116 Yemen $ 19,360,000,000 2005 est. 117 Albania $ 18,870,000,000 2005 est. 118 Guinea $ 18,650,000,000 2005 est. 119 Trinidad and Tobago $ 18,110,000,000 2005 est. 120 Botswana $ 17,530,000,000 2005 est. 121 Cyprus $ 16,810,000,000 2005 est. 122 Burkina Faso $ 16,660,000,000 2005 est. 123 Nicaragua $ 16,100,000,000 2005 est. 124 Madagascar $ 16,050,000,000 2005 est. 125 Georgia $ 16,030,000,000 2005 est. 126 Macedonia $ 15,940,000,000 2005 est. 127 Bahrain $ 15,900,000,000 2005 est. 128 Mauritius $ 15,730,000,000 2005 est. 129 Armenia $ 14,450,000,000 2005 est. 130 Papua New Guinea $ 14,370,000,000 2005 est. 131 Namibia $ 14,160,000,000 2005 est. 132 Chad $ 13,980,000,000 2005 est. 133 Haiti $ 13,970,000,000 2005 est. 134 Mali $ 13,610,000,000 2005 est. 135 Rwanda $ 12,540,000,000 2005 est. 136 Laos $ 12,290,000,000 2005 est. 137 Jamaica $ 12,180,000,000 2005 est. 138 Niger $ 11,590,000,000 2005 est. 139 Zambia $ 10,630,000,000 2005 est. 140 Iceland $ 10,590,000,000 2005 est. 141 Kyrgyzstan $ 10,080,000,000 2005 est. 142 Macau $ 10,000,000,000 2004 143 Gabon $ 9,739,000,000 2005 est. 144 Togo $ 8,802,000,000 2005 est. 145 Tajikistan $ 8,617,000,000 2005 est. 146 Benin $ 8,419,000,000 2005 est. 147 Moldova $ 8,410,000,000 2005 est. 148 Malta $ 7,861,000,000 2005 est. 149 Malawi $ 7,364,000,000 2005 est. 150 Mauritania $ 6,901,000,000 2005 est. 151 Brunei $ 6,842,000,000 2003 est. 152 Martinique $ 6,117,000,000 2003 est. 153 Bahamas, The $ 6,105,000,000 2005 est. 154 Swaziland $ 5,680,000,000 2005 est. 155 Burundi $ 5,404,000,000 2005 est. 156 Mongolia $ 5,272,000,000 2005 est. 157 Fiji $ 5,255,000,000 2005 est. 158 Lesotho $ 5,008,000,000 2005 est. 159 Sierra Leone $ 4,939,000,000 2005 est. 160 Barbados $ 4,815,000,000 2005 est. 161 Somalia $ 4,809,000,000 2005 est. 162 Reunion $ 4,790,000,000 2005 est. 163 Central African Republic $ 4,677,000,000 2005 est. 164 Congo, Republic of the $ 4,585,000,000 2005 est. 165 French Polynesia $ 4,580,000,000 2003 est. 166 Cyprus $ 4,540,000,000 2005 est. 167 Bermuda $ 4,500,000,000 2004 est. 168 Eritrea $ 4,471,000,000 2005 est. 169 Jersey $ 3,600,000,000 2003 est. 170 Guadeloupe $ 3,513,000,000 2003 est. 171 Guyana $ 3,439,000,000 2005 est. 172 New Caledonia $ 3,158,000,000 2003 est. 173 Gambia, The $ 3,034,000,000 2005 est. 174 Cape Verde $ 2,990,000,000 2005 est. 175 Bhutan $ 2,900,000,000 2003 est. 176 Suriname $ 2,893,000,000 2005 est. 177 Netherlands Antilles $ 2,800,000,000 2004 est. 178 Liberia $ 2,643,000,000 2005 est. 179 Guernsey $ 2,590,000,000 2003 est. 180 Guam $ 2,500,000,000 2005 est. 181 Montenegro $ 2,412,000,000 2005 est. 182 Aruba $ 2,258,000,000 2005 est. 183 Isle of Man $ 2,113,000,000 2003 est. 184 Cayman Islands $ 1,939,000,000 2004 est. 185 Andorra $ 1,840,000,000 2004 186 West Bank $ 1,800,000,000 2003 est. 187 Liechtenstein $ 1,786,000,000 2001 est. 188 Belize $ 1,778,000,000 2004 est. 189 Virgin Islands $ 1,577,000,000 2004 est. 190 French Guiana $ 1,551,000,000 2003 est. 191 Maldives $ 1,250,000,000 2002 est. 192 Guinea-Bissau $ 1,171,000,000 2005 est. 193 Greenland $ 1,100,000,000 2001 est. 194 Faroe Islands $ 1,000,000,000 2001 est. 195 Samoa $ 1,000,000,000 2002 est. 196 San Marino $ 940,000,000 2001 est. 197 Northern Mariana Islands $ 900,000,000 2000 est. 198 Monaco $ 870,000,000 2000 est. 199 Saint Lucia $ 866,000,000 2002 est. 200 British Virgin Islands $ 853,400,000 2004 est. 201 Solomon Islands $ 800,000,000 2002 est. 202 Gibraltar $ 769,000,000 2000 est. 203 Gaza Strip $ 768,000,000 2003 est. 204 Antigua and Barbuda $ 750,000,000 2002 est. 205 Seychelles $ 626,000,000 2002 est. 206 Djibouti $ 619,000,000 2002 est. 207 American Samoa $ 510,100,000 2003 est. 208 Mayotte $ 466,800,000 2003 est. 209 Comoros $ 441,000,000 2002 est. 210 Grenada $ 440,000,000 2002 est. 211 Dominica $ 384,000,000 2003 est. 212 East Timor $ 370,000,000 2004 est. 213 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $ 342,000,000 2002 est. 214 Saint Kitts and Nevis $ 339,000,000 2002 est. 215 Micronesia, Federated States of $ 277,000,000 2002 est. 216 Vanuatu $ 276,300,000 2003 est. 217 Turks and Caicos Islands $ 216,000,000 2002 est. 218 Sao Tome and Principe $ 214,000,000 2003 est. 219 Cook Islands $ 183,200,000 2005 est. 220 Tonga $ 178,500,000 2004 est. 221 Kiribati $ 142,900,000 2004 est. 222 Palau $ 124,500,000 2004 est. 223 Marshall Islands $ 115,000,000 2001 est. 224 Anguilla $ 108,900,000 2004 est. 225 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) $ 75,000,000 2002 est. 226 Nauru $ 60,000,000 2005 est. 227 Wallis and Futuna $ 60,000,000 2004 est. 228 Saint Pierre and Miquelon $ 48,300,000 2003 est. 229 Montserrat $ 29,000,000 2002 est. 230 Saint Helena $ 18,000,000 1998 est. 231 Tuvalu $ 14,940,000 2002 est. 232 Niue $ 7,600,000 2000 est. 233 Tokelau $ 1,500,000 1993 est.

1 Azerbaijan 26.40 2005 est. 2 Angola 19.90 2005 est. 3 Equatorial Guinea 18.60 2005 est. 4 Afghanistan 14.00 2005 est. 5 Armenia 13.90 2005 est. 6 Cambodia 13.40 2005 est. 7 Liechtenstein 11.00 1999 est. 8 Cyprus 10.60 2005 est. 9 Estonia 10.50 2005 est. 10 Anguilla 10.20 2004 est. 11 Latvia 10.20 2005 est. 12 China 10.20 2005 est. 13 Faroe Islands 10.00 2001 est. 14 Liberia 9.80 2005 est. 15 Kazakhstan 9.50 2005 est. 16 Dominican Republic 9.30 2005 est. 17 Georgia 9.30 2005 est. 18 Venezuela 9.30 2005 est. 19 Argentina 9.20 2005 est. 20 Belarus 9.20 2005 est. 21 Ethiopia 8.90 2005 est. 22 United Arab Emirates 8.80 2005 est. 23 Qatar 8.80 2005 est. 24 Vietnam 8.50 2005 est. 25 India 8.40 2005 est. 26 Libya 8.40 2005 est. 27 Kuwait 8.30 2005 est. 28 Congo, Republic of the 8.20 2005 est. 29 Cuba 8.00 2005 est. 30 Sudan 8.00 2005 est. 31 Lithuania 7.50 2005 est. 32 Mozambique 7.50 2005 est. 33 Sierra Leone 7.50 2005 est. 34 Turkey 7.40 2005 est. 35 Hong Kong 7.30 2005 est. 36 Laos 7.30 2005 est. 37 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 7.10 2005 est. 38 Moldova 7.10 2005 est. 39 Niger 7.00 2005 est. 40 Uzbekistan 7.00 2005 est. 41 Trinidad and Tobago 7.00 2005 est. 42 Iran 6.90 2005 est. 43 Nigeria 6.90 2005 est. 44 Vanuatu 6.80 2005 est. 45 Tanzania 6.80 2005 est. 46 Uruguay 6.80 2005 est. 47 Tajikistan 6.70 2005 est. 48 Pakistan 6.60 2005 est. 49 Saudi Arabia 6.50 2005 est. 50 Bangladesh 6.40 2005 est. 51 Singapore 6.40 2005 est. 52 Russia 6.40 2005 est. 53 Panama 6.40 2005 est. 54 Peru 6.40 2005 est. 55 Chile 6.30 2005 est. 56 Isle of Man 6.30 57 Mongolia 6.20 2005 est. 58 Niue 6.20 59 West Bank 6.20 2004 est. 60 Czech Republic 6.10 2005 est. 61 Senegal 6.10 2005 est. 62 Mali 6.10 2005 est. 63 Chad 6.00 2005 est. 64 Turkmenistan 6.00 2005 est. 65 Sao Tome and Principe 6.00 2004 est. 66 Slovakia 6.00 2005 est. 67 Sri Lanka 6.00 2005 est. 68 Bahrain 5.90 2005 est. 69 Ghana 5.90 2005 est. 70 Costa Rica 5.90 2005 est. 71 Bhutan 5.90 2005 est. 72 Serbia 5.90 2005 est. 73 Jordan 5.80 2005 est. 74 Kenya 5.80 2005 est. 75 Iceland 5.60 2005 est. 76 Indonesia 5.60 2005 est. 77 Oman 5.60 2005 est. 78 Algeria 5.50 2005 est. 79 Samoa 5.50 2005 est. 80 Palau 5.50 2005 est. 81 Mauritania 5.50 2005 est. 82 Gambia, The 5.50 2005 est. 83 Ireland 5.50 2005 est. 84 Cape Verde 5.50 2005 est. 85 Bulgaria 5.50 2005 est. 86 Botswana 5.50 2005 est. 87 Albania 5.50 2005 est. 88 Burma 5.20 2005 est. 89 Israel 5.20 2005 est. 90 Malaysia 5.20 2005 est. 91 Rwanda 5.20 2005 est. 92 Colombia 5.20 2005 est. 93 Madagascar 5.10 2005 est. 94 Saint Lucia 5.10 2005 est. 95 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.00 2005 est. 96 Zambia 5.00 2005 est. 97 Suriname 5.00 2005 est. 98 Egypt 4.90 2005 est. 99 South Africa 4.90 2005 est. 100 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.90 2005 est. 101 Turks and Caicos Islands 4.90 2000 est. 102 Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.90 2005 est. 103 Philippines 4.80 2005 est. 104 Ecuador 4.70 2005 est. 105 World 4.70 2005 est. 106 Bermuda 4.60 2004 est. 107 Gaza Strip 4.50 2003 est. 108 Thailand 4.50 2005 est. 109 Solomon Islands 4.40 2005 est. 110 Croatia 4.30 2005 est. 111 Honduras 4.20 2005 est. 112 Tunisia 4.20 2005 est. 113 Barbados 4.10 2005 est. 114 Romania 4.10 2005 est. 115 Hungary 4.10 2005 est. 116 Bolivia 4.10 2005 est. 117 Andorra 4.00 2004 est. 118 Norway 4.00 2005 est. 119 Taiwan 4.00 2005 est. 120 Uganda 4.00 2005 est. 121 Slovenia 4.00 2005 est. 122 Nicaragua 4.00 2005 est. 123 Macedonia 4.00 2005 est. 124 Korea, South 4.00 2005 est. 125 Luxembourg 4.00 2005 est. 126 Antigua and Barbuda 3.80 2005 est. 127 Cyprus 3.80 2005 est. 128 Belize 3.80 2005 est. 129 Bahamas, The 3.70 2005 est. 130 Greece 3.70 2005 est. 131 Benin 3.50 2005 est. 132 Marshall Islands 3.50 2005 est. 133 Spain 3.50 2005 est. 134 Burkina Faso 3.50 2005 est. 135 Poland 3.40 2005 est. 136 Denmark 3.20 2005 est. 137 Djibouti 3.20 2005 est. 138 Namibia 3.20 2005 est. 139 United States 3.20 2005 est. 140 Guatemala 3.20 2005 est. 141 Dominica 3.10 2005 est. 142 American Samoa 3.00 143 Papua New Guinea 3.00 2005 est. 144 Mexico 3.00 2005 est. 145 Finland 3.00 2005 est. 146 Guernsey 3.00 2003 est. 147 Comoros 3.00 2005 est. 148 Canada 2.90 2005 est. 149 Gabon 2.90 2005 est. 150 El Salvador 2.80 2005 est. 151 Yemen 2.80 2005 est. 152 Syria 2.80 2005 est. 153 Macau 2.80 3rd Quarter 2005 154 Australia 2.70 2005 est. 155 Nepal 2.70 2005 est. 156 Paraguay 2.70 2005 est. 157 Sweden 2.70 2005 est. 158 Japan 2.60 2005 est. 159 Ukraine 2.60 2005 est. 160 Mauritius 2.50 2005 est. 161 Puerto Rico 2.50 2005 est. 162 Reunion 2.50 2005 est. 163 Aruba 2.40 2005 est. 164 Tonga 2.40 2005 est. 165 Somalia 2.40 2005 est. 166 Cameroon 2.40 2005 est. 167 Brazil 2.30 2005 est. 168 New Zealand 2.30 2005 est. 169 San Marino 2.30 2002 est. 170 Guinea-Bissau 2.30 2005 est. 171 Central African Republic 2.20 2005 est. 172 Eritrea 2.00 2005 est. 173 Guinea 2.00 2005 est. 174 Virgin Islands 2.00 2002 est. 175 Malawi 1.90 2005 est. 176 Switzerland 1.90 2005 est. 177 United Kingdom 1.90 2005 est. 178 Austria 1.80 2005 est. 179 Greenland 1.80 2001 est. 180 Swaziland 1.80 2005 est. 181 East Timor 1.80 2005 est. 182 Haiti 1.80 2005 est. 183 Jamaica 1.80 2005 est. 184 Brunei 1.70 2004 est. 185 Fiji 1.70 2005 est. 186 European Union 1.70 2005 est. 187 Morocco 1.70 2005 est. 188 Belgium 1.50 2005 est. 189 Netherlands 1.50 2005 est. 190 France 1.20 2005 est. 191 Lesotho 1.20 2005 est. 192 Tuvalu 1.20 2002 est. 193 Burundi 1.10 2005 est. 194 Cote d'Ivoire 1.00 2005 est. 195 Korea, North 1.00 2005 est. 196 Malta 1.00 2005 est. 197 Netherlands Antilles 1.00 2004 est. 198 British Virgin Islands 1.00 2002 est. 199 Togo 1.00 2005 est. 200 Cayman Islands 0.90 2004 est. 201 Germany 0.90 2005 est. 202 Grenada 0.90 2005 est. 203 Monaco 0.90 2000 est. 204 Portugal 0.40 2005 est. 205 Micronesia, Federated States of 0.30 2005 est. 206 Kiribati 0.30 2005 207 Cook Islands 0.10 2005 est. 208 Italy 0.10 2005 est. 209 Lebanon 0.10 2005 est. 210 Kyrgyzstan -0.60 2005 est. 211 Montserrat -1.00 2002 est. 212 Guyana -3.00 2005 est. 213 Seychelles -3.00 2005 est. 214 Iraq -3.00 2005 est. 215 Maldives -3.60 2005 est. 216 Zimbabwe -7.70 2005 est.

1 Bermuda $ 69,900 2004 est. 2 Luxembourg $ 65,900 2005 est. 3 Equatorial Guinea $ 50,200 2005 est. 4 United Arab Emirates $ 45,200 2005 est. 5 Cayman Islands $ 43,800 2004 est. 6 Norway $ 42,800 2005 est. 7 United States $ 41,600 2005 est. 8 Ireland $ 41,100 2005 est. 9 Guernsey $ 40,000 2003 est. 10 Jersey $ 40,000 2003 est. 11 British Virgin Islands $ 38,500 2004 est. 12 Iceland $ 35,700 2005 est. 13 Denmark $ 34,800 2005 est. 14 San Marino $ 34,600 2001 est. 15 Hong Kong $ 34,000 2005 est. 16 Canada $ 33,900 2005 est. 17 Austria $ 32,500 2005 est. 18 Switzerland $ 32,200 2005 est. 19 Australia $ 31,600 2005 est. 20 Japan $ 31,600 2005 est. 21 Belgium $ 31,100 2005 est. 22 Finland $ 31,000 2005 est. 23 Netherlands $ 30,300 2005 est. 24 Germany $ 30,100 2005 est. 25 United Kingdom $ 30,100 2005 est. 26 Sweden $ 29,800 2005 est. 27 France $ 29,600 2005 est. 28 Italy $ 28,700 2005 est. 29 Singapore $ 28,600 2005 est. 30 Qatar $ 28,300 2005 est. 31 European Union $ 28,100 2005 est. 32 Gibraltar $ 27,900 2000 est. 33 Isle of Man $ 27,800 2003 est. 34 Taiwan $ 27,500 2005 est. 35 Monaco $ 27,000 2000 est. 36 Spain $ 25,600 2005 est. 37 New Zealand $ 25,300 2005 est. 38 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) $ 25,000 2002 est. 39 Israel $ 25,000 2005 est. 40 Liechtenstein $ 25,000 1999 est. 41 Andorra $ 24,000 2004 42 Brunei $ 23,600 2003 est. 43 Bahrain $ 23,100 2005 est. 44 Korea, South $ 22,600 2005 est. 45 Greece $ 22,300 2005 est. 46 Faroe Islands $ 22,000 2001 est. 47 Macau $ 22,000 2004 48 Aruba $ 21,800 2004 est. 49 Cyprus $ 21,600 50 Slovenia $ 21,500 2005 est. 51 Kuwait $ 20,300 2005 est. 52 Bahamas, The $ 20,200 2005 est. 53 Czech Republic $ 20,000 2005 est. 54 Greenland $ 20,000 2001 est. 55 Malta $ 19,700 2005 est. 56 Portugal $ 19,000 2005 est. 57 Puerto Rico $ 18,700 2005 est. 58 Estonia $ 17,500 2005 est. 59 French Polynesia $ 17,500 2003 est. 60 Barbados $ 17,300 2005 est. 61 Trinidad and Tobago $ 16,800 2005 est. 62 Hungary $ 16,300 2005 est. 63 Slovakia $ 16,300 2005 est. 64 Netherlands Antilles $ 16,000 2004 est. 65 Guam $ 15,000 2005 est. 66 New Caledonia $ 15,000 2003 est. 67 Virgin Islands $ 14,500 2004 est. 68 Martinique $ 14,400 2003 est. 69 Lithuania $ 14,100 2005 est. 70 Argentina $ 13,700 2005 est. 71 Latvia $ 13,700 2005 est. 72 Oman $ 13,500 2005 est. 73 Poland $ 13,100 2005 est. 74 Saudi Arabia $ 13,100 2005 est. 75 Mauritius $ 12,800 2005 est. 76 Northern Mariana Islands $ 12,500 2000 est. 77 Croatia $ 12,400 2005 est. 78 South Africa $ 12,200 2005 est. 79 Malaysia $ 12,000 2005 est. 80 Chile $ 11,900 2005 est. 81 Libya $ 11,800 2005 est. 82 Turks and Caicos Islands $ 11,500 2002 est. 83 Costa Rica $ 11,400 2005 est. 84 Russia $ 11,000 2005 est. 85 Antigua and Barbuda $ 10,900 2005 est. 86 Botswana $ 10,700 2005 est. 87 Mexico $ 10,000 2005 est. 88 Uruguay $ 9,900 2005 est. 89 Bulgaria $ 9,600 2005 est. 90 World $ 9,500 2005 est. 91 Cook Islands $ 9,100 2005 est. 92 Anguilla $ 8,800 2004 est. 93 Thailand $ 8,600 2005 est. 94 Iran $ 8,400 2005 est. 95 Turkey $ 8,400 2005 est. 96 Brazil $ 8,300 2005 est. 97 Kazakhstan $ 8,300 2005 est. 98 French Guiana $ 8,300 2003 est. 99 Saint Kitts and Nevis $ 8,200 2005 est. 100 Tunisia $ 8,200 2005 est. 101 Romania $ 8,100 2005 est. 102 Colombia $ 7,900 2005 est. 103 Guadeloupe $ 7,900 2003 est. 104 Turkmenistan $ 7,900 2005 est. 105 Macedonia $ 7,800 2005 est. 106 Seychelles $ 7,800 2002 est. 107 Palau $ 7,600 2005 est. 108 Dominican Republic $ 7,500 2005 est. 109 Panama $ 7,400 2005 est. 110 Algeria $ 7,200 2005 est. 111 Cyprus $ 7,135 112 Belarus $ 7,100 2005 est. 113 Gabon $ 7,000 2005 est. 114 Namibia $ 7,000 2005 est. 115 Ukraine $ 7,000 2005 est. 116 Saint Pierre and Miquelon $ 7,000 2001 est. 117 Belize $ 6,800 2005 est. 118 China $ 6,800 2005 est. 119 Suriname $ 6,600 2005 est. 120 Venezuela $ 6,400 2005 est. 121 Cape Verde $ 6,200 2005 est. 122 Reunion $ 6,200 2005 est. 123 Lebanon $ 6,000 2005 est. 124 Peru $ 6,000 2005 est. 125 Fiji $ 5,900 2005 est. 126 American Samoa $ 5,800 2005 est. 127 Niue $ 5,800 2003 est. 128 Azerbaijan $ 5,400 2005 est. 129 Albania $ 5,300 2005 est. 130 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 5,200 2005 est. 131 Nauru $ 5,000 2005 est. 132 Swaziland $ 5,000 2005 est. 133 Armenia $ 4,800 2005 est. 134 Saint Lucia $ 4,800 2005 est. 135 El Salvador $ 4,700 2005 est. 136 Jordan $ 4,700 2005 est. 137 Philippines $ 4,700 2005 est. 138 Guatemala $ 4,700 2005 est. 139 Paraguay $ 4,600 2005 est. 140 Guyana $ 4,500 2005 est. 141 Jamaica $ 4,500 2005 est. 142 Serbia $ 4,400 2005 est. 143 Sri Lanka $ 4,300 2005 est. 144 Ecuador $ 4,300 2005 est. 145 Morocco $ 4,100 2005 est. 146 Egypt $ 3,900 2005 est. 147 Grenada $ 3,900 2005 est. 148 Syria $ 3,900 2005 est. 149 Maldives $ 3,900 2002 est. 150 Angola $ 3,800 2005 est. 151 Wallis and Futuna $ 3,800 2004 est. 152 Dominica $ 3,800 2005 est. 153 Montenegro $ 3,800 2005 est. 154 Indonesia $ 3,600 2005 est. 155 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $ 3,600 2005 est. 156 Cuba $ 3,500 2005 est. 157 Georgia $ 3,400 2005 est. 158 Montserrat $ 3,400 2002 est. 159 India $ 3,400 2005 est. 160 Bolivia $ 2,900 2005 est. 161 Nicaragua $ 2,900 2005 est. 162 Marshall Islands $ 2,900 2005 est. 163 Vanuatu $ 2,900 2003 est. 164 Honduras $ 2,900 2005 est. 165 Vietnam $ 2,800 2005 est. 166 Mayotte $ 2,600 2003 est. 167 Papua New Guinea $ 2,600 2005 est. 168 Cambodia $ 2,500 2005 est. 169 Lesotho $ 2,500 2005 est. 170 Saint Helena $ 2,500 1998 est. 171 Ghana $ 2,500 2005 est. 172 Pakistan $ 2,400 2005 est. 173 Cameroon $ 2,300 2005 est. 174 Micronesia, Federated States of $ 2,300 2005 est. 175 Mauritania $ 2,200 2005 est. 176 Tonga $ 2,200 2005 est. 177 Bangladesh $ 2,100 2005 est. 178 Zimbabwe $ 2,100 2005 est. 179 Samoa $ 2,100 2005 est. 180 Sudan $ 2,100 2005 est. 181 Guinea $ 2,000 2005 est. 182 Kyrgyzstan $ 2,000 2005 est. 183 Laos $ 2,000 2005 est. 184 Gambia, The $ 1,900 2005 est. 185 Kiribati $ 1,900 2004 est. 186 Moldova $ 1,900 2005 est. 187 Mongolia $ 1,900 2005 est. 188 Uzbekistan $ 1,900 2005 est. 189 Iraq $ 1,800 2005 est. 190 Senegal $ 1,800 2005 est. 191 Uganda $ 1,800 2005 est. 192 Burma $ 1,700 2005 est. 193 Haiti $ 1,700 2005 est. 194 Korea, North $ 1,700 2005 est. 195 Cote d'Ivoire $ 1,600 2005 est. 196 Togo $ 1,600 2005 est. 197 Tuvalu $ 1,600 2002 est. 198 Rwanda $ 1,500 2005 est. 199 Bhutan $ 1,400 2003 est. 200 Nepal $ 1,400 2005 est. 201 Nigeria $ 1,400 2005 est. 202 Chad $ 1,400 2005 est. 203 Congo, Republic of the $ 1,300 2005 est. 204 Mozambique $ 1,300 2005 est. 205 Mali $ 1,200 2005 est. 206 Burkina Faso $ 1,200 2005 est. 207 Sao Tome and Principe $ 1,200 2003 est. 208 Tajikistan $ 1,200 2005 est. 209 Benin $ 1,100 2005 est. 210 Kenya $ 1,100 2005 est. 211 West Bank $ 1,100 2003 est. 212 Central African Republic $ 1,100 2005 est. 213 Djibouti $ 1,000 2005 est. 214 Eritrea $ 1,000 2005 est. 215 Tokelau $ 1,000 1993 est. 216 Niger $ 1,000 2005 est. 217 Ethiopia $ 900 2005 est. 218 Zambia $ 900 2005 est. 219 Yemen $ 900 2005 est. 220 Liberia $ 900 2005 est. 221 Madagascar $ 900 2005 est. 222 Afghanistan $ 800 2004 est. 223 East Timor $ 800 2005 est. 224 Sierra Leone $ 800 2005 est. 225 Guinea-Bissau $ 800 2005 est. 226 Burundi $ 700 2005 est. 227 Tanzania $ 700 2005 est. 228 Congo, Democratic Republic of the $ 700 2005 est. 229 Solomon Islands $ 600 2005 est. 230 Comoros $ 600 2005 est. 231 Somalia $ 600 2005 est. 232 Malawi $ 600 2005 est. 233 Gaza Strip $ 600 2003 est.

1 Eritrea 17.70 2005 est. 2 Jordan 11.40 2005 est. 3 Oman 11.40 2003 4 Qatar 10.00 5 Saudi Arabia 10.00 2002 6 Angola 8.80 2005 est. 7 Israel 7.70 2005 est. 8 Liberia 7.50 2005 est. 9 Madagascar 7.20 2005 est. 10 Armenia 6.50 FY01 11 Yemen 6.40 2005 est. 12 Macedonia 6.00 13 Syria 5.90 14 Burundi 5.60 2005 est. 15 Maldives 5.50 2005 est. 16 Turkey 5.30 2003 17 Brunei 5.10 2003 est. 18 Morocco 5.00 2003 est. 19 Bahrain 4.90 2005 est. 20 Singapore 4.90 21 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.50 22 China 4.30 2005 est. 23 Djibouti 4.30 2005 est. 24 Greece 4.30 2003 25 Kuwait 4.20 2005 est. 26 United States 4.06 2005 est. 27 Zimbabwe 4.00 2005 est. 28 Libya 3.90 29 Tajikistan 3.90 FY01 30 Pakistan 3.90 2005 est. 31 Cyprus 3.80 32 Chile 3.50 2005 est. 33 Botswana 3.40 2005 est. 34 Ethiopia 3.40 2005 est. 35 Gabon 3.40 2005 est. 36 Egypt 3.40 2004 37 Turkmenistan 3.40 38 Colombia 3.40 FY01 39 Iran 3.30 2003 est. 40 Algeria 3.20 2005 est. 41 United Arab Emirates 3.10 42 Guinea-Bissau 3.10 2005 est. 43 Lebanon 3.10 2004 44 Cambodia 3.00 45 Comoros 3.00 2005 est. 46 Sudan 3.00 2004 47 Indonesia 3.00 2004 48 Guinea 2.90 2005 est. 49 Rwanda 2.90 2005 est. 50 Australia 2.70 2005 est. 51 Azerbaijan 2.60 52 Korea, South 2.60 2005 est. 53 Sri Lanka 2.60 2005 est. 54 France 2.60 2005 est. 55 Bulgaria 2.60 2003 56 Honduras 2.55 2005 est. 57 India 2.50 2005 est. 58 Vietnam 2.50 59 Romania 2.47 2002 60 Taiwan 2.40 2005 est. 61 United Kingdom 2.40 2003 62 Croatia 2.39 2002 est. 63 Benin 2.30 2005 est. 64 Namibia 2.30 2005 est. 65 Portugal 2.30 2003 66 Fiji 2.20 FY02 67 Uganda 2.20 2005 est. 68 Mongolia 2.20 FY02 69 Burma 2.10 70 Uruguay 2.10 2005 est. 71 Seychelles 2.10 2005 est. 72 Lesotho 2.10 2005 est. 73 Equatorial Guinea 2.10 2005 est. 74 Malaysia 2.03 75 Ecuador 2.00 2005 est. 76 World 2.00 77 Uzbekistan 2.00 78 Finland 2.00 FY98/99 79 Estonia 2.00 2002 est. 80 Lithuania 1.90 FY01 81 Mali 1.90 2005 est. 82 Norway 1.90 2003 83 Slovakia 1.87 2005 84 Czech Republic 1.81 85 Bangladesh 1.80 2005 est. 86 Zambia 1.80 2005 est. 87 Thailand 1.80 2003 88 Italy 1.80 2004 89 Cuba 1.80 2005 est. 90 Hungary 1.75 2002 est. 91 Poland 1.71 2002 92 Afghanistan 1.70 2005 est. 93 Sierra Leone 1.70 2005 est. 94 Slovenia 1.70 FY00 95 Belize 1.70 2005 est. 96 Cote d'Ivoire 1.60 2005 est. 97 Togo 1.60 2005 est. 98 Netherlands 1.60 2004 99 Kenya 1.60 2005 est. 100 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.50 2005 est. 101 Tunisia 1.50 102 Sweden 1.50 2005 est. 103 South Africa 1.50 2005 est. 104 Nepal 1.50 2005 est. 105 Cameroon 1.50 2005 est. 106 Germany 1.50 2003 107 Denmark 1.50 2004 108 Albania 1.49 FY02 109 Bolivia 1.40 2005 est. 110 Senegal 1.40 2005 est. 111 Swaziland 1.40 2005 est. 112 Ukraine 1.40 FY02 113 Papua New Guinea 1.40 FY02 114 Peru 1.40 2003 est. 115 Niger 1.40 2005 est. 116 Belarus 1.40 FY02 117 Kyrgyzstan 1.40 FY01 118 Mauritania 1.40 2005 est. 119 Congo, Republic of the 1.40 2005 est. 120 Argentina 1.30 FY00 121 Burkina Faso 1.30 2005 est. 122 Mozambique 1.30 2005 est. 123 Belgium 1.30 2003 124 Brazil 1.30 2005 est. 125 Latvia 1.20 FY01 126 Spain 1.20 2003 127 Venezuela 1.20 2005 est. 128 Canada 1.10 2003 129 Bhutan 1.00 2005 est. 130 Switzerland 1.00 FY01 131 Panama 1.00 2005 est. 132 New Zealand 1.00 FY02 133 Malta 1.00 2005 est. 134 Japan 1.00 2005 est. 135 Central African Republic 1.00 2005 est. 136 Chad 1.00 2005 est. 137 El Salvador 1.00 2005 est. 138 Austria 0.90 2004 139 Somalia 0.90 2005 est. 140 Philippines 0.90 2005 est. 141 Paraguay 0.90 2003 est. 142 Luxembourg 0.90 2003 143 Kazakhstan 0.90 FY02 144 Haiti 0.90 2003 est. 145 Guyana 0.90 2003 est. 146 Ireland 0.90 FY00/01 147 Ghana 0.80 2005 est. 148 Sao Tome and Principe 0.80 2005 est. 149 Malawi 0.80 2005 est. 150 Mexico 0.80 2005 est. 151 Nigeria 0.80 2005 est. 152 Cape Verde 0.70 2005 est. 153 Nicaragua 0.70 2005 est. 154 Suriname 0.70 2003 est. 155 Trinidad and Tobago 0.60 2003 est. 156 Georgia 0.59 157 Guatemala 0.50 2005 est. 158 Costa Rica 0.40 2005 est. 159 Jamaica 0.40 2003 est. 160 Gambia, The 0.40 2005 est. 161 Laos 0.40 2005 est. 162 Moldova 0.40 FY02 163 Mauritius 0.20 2005 est. 164 Tanzania 0.20 2005 est. 165 Bermuda 0.11 166 Dominican Republic 0.00 2002 est. 167 Iceland 0.00

1 World 16,540,000,000,000 2003 est. 2 United States 3,892,000,000,000 2003 3 European Union 2,925,000,000,000 2002 est. 4 China 2,190,000,000,000 2004 5 Japan 1,017,000,000,000 2003 6 Russia 931,000,000,000 2004 7 Canada 566,300,000,000 2003 8 Germany 558,100,000,000 2003 9 India 556,800,000,000 2003 10 France 536,900,000,000 2003 11 Brazil 387,500,000,000 2004 12 United Kingdom 369,900,000,000 2003 13 Korea, South 342,100,000,000 2004 14 Italy 270,100,000,000 2003 15 Spain 247,300,000,000 2003 16 Australia 237,000,000,000 2004 17 Taiwan 218,300,000,000 2004 18 South Africa 215,900,000,000 2003 19 Mexico 209,200,000,000 2003 20 Ukraine 181,300,000,000 2004 21 Poland 150,800,000,000 2004 22 Saudi Arabia 145,100,000,000 2003 23 Iran 142,300,000,000 2003 24 Turkey 133,600,000,000 2003 25 Sweden 127,900,000,000 2003 26 Indonesia 120,200,000,000 2004 27 Thailand 114,700,000,000 2003 28 Norway 105,600,000,000 2003 29 Netherlands 95,000,000,000 2004 30 Venezuela 87,440,000,000 2003 31 Argentina 87,160,000,000 2004 32 Czech Republic 84,330,000,000 2004 33 Egypt 84,260,000,000 2003 34 Finland 79,610,000,000 2003 35 Malaysia 79,280,000,000 2003 36 Belgium 78,770,000,000 2003 37 Pakistan 76,920,000,000 2003 38 Austria 63,690,000,000 2004 39 Switzerland 63,400,000,000 2003 40 Kazakhstan 60,330,000,000 2003 41 Romania 57,000,000,000 2004 42 Greece 54,560,000,000 2003 43 Paraguay 51,290,000,000 2003 44 Colombia 50,430,000,000 2003 45 Philippines 47,820,000,000 2003 46 Uzbekistan 46,520,000,000 2003 47 Vietnam 46,200,000,000 2004 48 Chile 45,300,000,000 2003 49 United Arab Emirates 45,120,000,000 2004 50 Bulgaria 45,000,000,000 2004 51 Portugal 44,320,000,000 2003 52 Israel 44,240,000,000 2003 53 Denmark 43,320,000,000 2003 54 New Zealand 39,820,000,000 2003 55 Kuwait 38,190,000,000 2003 56 Hong Kong 37,300,000,000 2004 57 Singapore 36,800,000,000 2004 58 Serbia 33,870,000,000 2004 59 Hungary 32,210,000,000 2003 60 Iraq 31,700,000,000 2005 61 Slovakia 30,570,000,000 2004 62 Belarus 30,000,000,000 2004 63 Syria 29,530,000,000 2003 est. 64 Algeria 26,990,000,000 2003 est. 65 Ireland 23,410,000,000 2003 66 Puerto Rico 23,030,000,000 2003 67 Peru 22,680,000,000 2003 est. 68 Azerbaijan 20,000,000,000 2003 69 Lithuania 19,000,000,000 2004 70 Korea, North 18,750,000,000 2003 71 Bangladesh 17,420,000,000 2003 72 Morocco 17,350,000,000 2003 73 Tajikistan 16,500,000,000 2004 74 Cuba 15,650,000,000 2004 75 Nigeria 15,590,000,000 2003 76 Mozambique 15,140,000,000 2003 77 Libya 14,400,000,000 2003 78 Slovenia 14,020,000,000 2003 79 Kyrgyzstan 13,770,000,000 2003 80 Dominican Republic 12,600,000,000 2003 81 Tunisia 11,560,000,000 2003 82 Turkmenistan 11,410,000,000 2004 est. 83 Ecuador 11,270,000,000 2003 84 Croatia 11,150,000,000 2003 85 Lebanon 10,670,000,000 2003 86 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10,510,000,000 2003 87 Estonia 10,304,000,000 2004 88 Oman 10,300,000,000 2003 89 Qatar 9,735,000,000 2003 90 Zimbabwe 8,877,000,000 2003 91 Georgia 8,634,000,000 2003 92 Iceland 8,619,000,000 2004 93 Uruguay 8,611,000,000 2003 94 Zambia 8,347,000,000 2003 95 Costa Rica 7,726,000,000 2003 96 Jordan 7,517,000,000 2003 97 Burma 7,393,000,000 2003 98 Bahrain 7,345,000,000 2003 99 Sri Lanka 7,308,000,000 2003 100 Guatemala 6,898,000,000 2003 101 Armenia 6,317,000,000 2005 102 Macedonia 6,271,000,000 2005 103 Trinidad and Tobago 6,076,000,000 2003 104 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6,036,000,000 2003 105 Albania 5,680,000,000 2004 106 Panama 5,398,000,000 2003 107 Ghana 5,356,000,000 2003 108 Cote d'Ivoire 5,127,000,000 2003 109 Kenya 4,342,000,000 2003 110 Honduras 4,338,000,000 2003 111 Bolivia 4,250,000,000 2003 112 El Salvador 4,158,000,000 2004 113 Latvia 3,970,000,000 2003 114 Yemen 3,848,000,000 2003 est. 115 Cyprus 3,801,000,000 2003 116 Laos 3,767,000,000 2003 117 Jamaica 3,717,000,000 2004 118 Mongolia 3,240,000,000 2005 est. 119 Luxembourg 3,203,000,000 2005 est. 120 Sudan 3,165,000,000 2003 121 Tanzania 3,152,000,000 2003 122 Cameroon 2,988,000,000 2003 123 Moldova 2,942,000,000 2003 124 Brunei 2,906,000,000 2004 125 Nicaragua 2,887,000,000 2004 126 Montenegro 2,864,000,000 2005 est. 127 Nepal 2,565,000,000 2005 128 Angola 2,240,000,000 2004 129 Malta 2,082,000,000 2003 130 Ethiopia 2,058,000,000 2003 131 Suriname 2,014,000,000 2003 132 Mauritius 1,941,000,000 2003 133 Macau 1,893,000,000 2004 134 Bhutan 1,882,000,000 2003 135 Bahamas, The 1,810,000,000 2003 136 Uganda 1,729,000,000 2003 137 Papua New Guinea 1,592,000,000 2003 138 New Caledonia 1,581,000,000 2003 139 Gabon 1,487,000,000 2003 140 Namibia 1,464,000,000 2003 141 Senegal 1,332,000,000 2003 142 Malawi 1,296,000,000 2003 143 Martinique 1,205,000,000 2003 144 Reunion 1,190,000,000 2003 145 Guadeloupe 1,165,000,000 2003 146 Virgin Islands 1,040,000,000 2003 147 Netherlands Antilles 1,017,000,000 2003 148 Afghanistan 905,000,000 2003 149 Botswana 891,000,000 2004 150 Guam 840,100,000 2003 151 Madagascar 825,400,000 2003 152 Mali 820,000,000 2003 153 Barbados 819,000,000 2003 154 Guyana 779,000,000 2003 155 Fiji 775,700,000 2003 156 Guinea 775,000,000 2003 157 Aruba 770,000,000 2003 158 Bermuda 682,500,000 2005 159 Haiti 546,000,000 2003 160 Liberia 509,400,000 2003 161 French Polynesia 493,700,000 2003 162 French Guiana 465,200,000 2003 163 Cayman Islands 441,900,000 2003 164 Swaziland 392,000,000 2003 165 Burkina Faso 375,600,000 2003 166 Lesotho 350,000,000 2003 167 Congo, Republic of the 343,000,000 2003 168 Saint Lucia 281,000,000 2003 169 Eritrea 270,900,000 2003 170 Sierra Leone 260,600,000 2003 171 Faroe Islands 260,200,000 2003 172 Greenland 242,200,000 2003 173 Seychelles 241,300,000 2003 174 Djibouti 240,000,000 2003 175 Somalia 235,600,000 2003 176 Niger 230,000,000 2003 177 Micronesia, Federated States of 192,000,000 2002 178 Mauritania 185,600,000 2003 179 Togo 165,900,000 2003 180 Grenada 159,800,000 2003 181 Burundi 141,300,000 2003 182 Gambia, The 140,000,000 2003 183 Maldives 135,000,000 2003 184 American Samoa 130,000,000 2003 185 Cambodia 123,700,000 2003 186 Belize 120,000,000 2003 187 Chad 120,000,000 2003 188 Samoa 116,000,000 2003 189 Saint Kitts and Nevis 111,700,000 2003 190 Gibraltar 106,100,000 2003 191 Central African Republic 106,000,000 2003 192 Antigua and Barbuda 100,000,000 2003 193 Rwanda 98,000,000 2003 194 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 95,000,000 2003 195 Western Sahara 85,000,000 2003 196 Dominica 69,980,000 2003 197 Benin 69,000,000 2003 198 Guinea-Bissau 56,000,000 2003 199 Solomon Islands 55,000,000 2003 200 Cape Verde 44,150,000 2003 201 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 44,150,000 2003 202 Vanuatu 41,000,000 2003 203 British Virgin Islands 34,550,000 2003 204 Tonga 34,000,000 2003 205 Equatorial Guinea 29,430,000 2003 206 Cook Islands 28,000,000 2003 207 Nauru 23,000,000 2003 208 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 22,230,000 2003 209 Comoros 18,000,000 2003 210 Sao Tome and Principe 15,000,000 2003 211 Kiribati 12,000,000 2003 212 Saint Helena 5,000,000 2003 213 Turks and Caicos Islands 5,000,000 2003 214 Niue 3,000,000 2003 215 Montserrat 2,000,000 2003

1 World 15,450,000,000,000 2003 est. 2 United States 3,656,000,000,000 2003 3 European Union 2,711,000,000,000 2002 est. 4 China 2,170,000,000,000 2004 5 Japan 946,300,000,000 2003 6 Russia 811,500,000,000 2004 7 Canada 520,900,000,000 2003 8 India 519,000,000,000 2003 9 Germany 510,400,000,000 2003 10 France 433,300,000,000 2003 11 Brazil 359,600,000,000 2004 12 United Kingdom 346,100,000,000 2003 13 Korea, South 321,100,000,000 2004 14 Italy 302,200,000,000 2003 15 Spain 231,200,000,000 2003 16 Australia 221,000,000,000 2004 17 Taiwan 206,100,000,000 2004 18 South Africa 197,400,000,000 2003 19 Mexico 193,900,000,000 2003 20 Ukraine 176,000,000,000 2004 21 Turkey 140,300,000,000 2005 22 Saudi Arabia 134,900,000,000 2003 23 Iran 132,100,000,000 2003 24 Sweden 131,800,000,000 2003 25 Poland 121,300,000,000 2004 26 Thailand 107,300,000,000 2003 27 Norway 106,100,000,000 2003 28 Indonesia 105,400,000,000 2004 29 Netherlands 101,600,000,000 2003 30 Argentina 82,970,000,000 2004 31 Venezuela 81,320,000,000 2003 32 Belgium 79,660,000,000 2003 33 Finland 78,940,000,000 2003 34 Egypt 78,160,000,000 2003 35 Malaysia 73,630,000,000 2003 36 Pakistan 71,540,000,000 2003 37 Austria 64,780,000,000 2004 38 Czech Republic 57,120,000,000 2004 39 Switzerland 55,860,000,000 2003 40 Greece 53,500,000,000 2005 est. 41 Kazakhstan 52,550,000,000 2003 42 Vietnam 52,000,000,000 2004 43 Colombia 48,830,000,000 2003 44 Uzbekistan 48,450,000,000 2003 45 Philippines 44,480,000,000 2003 46 Chile 44,130,000,000 2003 47 Portugal 44,010,000,000 2003 48 Israel 39,670,000,000 2003 49 Hong Kong 39,220,000,000 2004 50 United Arab Emirates 38,320,000,000 2002 51 Romania 37,500,000,000 2003 52 New Zealand 37,030,000,000 2003 53 Hungary 36,960,000,000 2003 54 Kuwait 35,520,000,000 2003 55 Belarus 34,300,000,000 2004 56 Iraq 33,300,000,000 2005 57 Singapore 33,200,000,000 2004 58 Denmark 31,680,000,000 2003 59 Syria 28,260,000,000 2003 est. 60 Bulgaria 25,100,000,000 2004 61 Algeria 24,900,000,000 2003 est. 62 Slovakia 24,800,000,000 2004 63 Ireland 22,970,000,000 2003 64 Puerto Rico 21,420,000,000 2003 65 Peru 21,090,000,000 2003 66 Azerbaijan 20,250,000,000 2003 67 Morocco 17,580,000,000 2003 68 Korea, North 17,430,000,000 2003 69 Bangladesh 16,200,000,000 2003 70 Croatia 15,810,000,000 2003 71 Tajikistan 15,050,000,000 2003 72 Nigeria 14,460,000,000 2003 73 Libya 13,390,000,000 2003 74 Cuba 13,270,000,000 2004 75 Slovenia 12,520,000,000 2003 76 Lithuania 12,079,000,000 2004 77 Dominican Republic 11,710,000,000 2003 78 Zimbabwe 11,220,000,000 2003 79 Tunisia 10,760,000,000 2003 80 Lebanon 10,670,000,000 2003 81 Ecuador 10,550,000,000 2003 82 Mozambique 10,460,000,000 2003 83 Georgia 9,800,000,000 2005 84 Oman 9,582,000,000 2003 85 Qatar 9,053,000,000 2003 86 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8,849,000,000 2003 87 Turkmenistan 8,847,000,000 2002 88 Kyrgyzstan 8,783,000,000 2003 89 Iceland 8,619,000,000 2004 90 Jordan 7,959,000,000 2003 91 Macedonia 7,933,000,000 2005 92 Uruguay 7,762,000,000 2003 93 Costa Rica 7,120,000,000 2003 94 Burma 6,875,000,000 2003 95 Bahrain 6,830,000,000 2003 96 Sri Lanka 6,796,000,000 2003 97 Albania 6,760,000,000 2004 98 Estonia 6,260,000,000 2004 99 Luxembourg 6,140,000,000 2005 est. 100 Guatemala 6,025,000,000 2003 101 Latvia 5,839,000,000 2003 102 Trinidad and Tobago 5,651,000,000 2003 103 Zambia 5,345,000,000 2003 104 Ghana 5,081,000,000 2003 105 Panama 4,870,000,000 2003 106 El Salvador 4,450,000,000 2004 107 Armenia 4,374,000,000 2005 108 Honduras 4,369,000,000 2003 109 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 4,324,000,000 2003 110 Kenya 4,238,000,000 2003 111 Bolivia 3,963,000,000 2003 112 Cyprus 3,535,000,000 2003 113 Paraguay 3,528,000,000 2003 114 Cote d'Ivoire 3,418,000,000 2003 115 Mongolia 3,370,000,000 2005 est. 116 Laos 3,298,000,000 2003 117 Moldova 3,036,000,000 2003 118 Jamaica 2,974,000,000 2004 119 Tanzania 2,959,000,000 2003 120 Sudan 2,943,000,000 2003 121 Yemen 2,827,000,000 2003 est. 122 Cameroon 2,779,000,000 2003 123 Brunei 2,726,000,000 2004 124 Botswana 2,641,000,000 2004 125 Namibia 2,372,000,000 2003 126 Malta 1,936,000,000 2003 127 Ethiopia 1,914,000,000 2003 128 Angola 1,900,000,000 2004 129 Macau 1,899,000,000 2004 130 Suriname 1,873,000,000 2003 131 Nepal 1,850,000,000 2005 132 Nicaragua 1,848,000,000 2004 133 Mauritius 1,805,000,000 2003 134 Bahamas, The 1,683,000,000 2003 135 Papua New Guinea 1,481,000,000 2003 136 New Caledonia 1,470,000,000 2003 137 Uganda 1,448,000,000 2003 138 Gabon 1,383,000,000 2003 139 Senegal 1,239,000,000 2003 140 Malawi 1,206,000,000 2003 141 Swaziland 1,161,000,000 2003 142 Martinique 1,120,000,000 2003 143 Reunion 1,107,000,000 2003 144 Guadeloupe 1,084,000,000 2003 145 Afghanistan 1,042,000,000 2003 146 Virgin Islands 967,300,000 2003 147 Netherlands Antilles 945,800,000 2003 148 Guam 781,300,000 2003 149 Madagascar 767,700,000 2003 150 Mali 762,600,000 2003 151 Barbados 761,700,000 2003 152 Guyana 724,500,000 2003 153 Fiji 721,400,000 2003 154 Guinea 720,800,000 2003 155 Aruba 716,100,000 2003 156 Togo 654,300,000 2003 157 Jersey 630,100,000 2004 est. 158 Congo, Republic of the 619,000,000 2003 159 Bermuda 616,700,000 2005 160 Benin 538,200,000 2003 161 Haiti 507,800,000 2003 162 Liberia 473,800,000 2003 163 French Polynesia 459,200,000 2003 164 French Guiana 432,600,000 2003 165 Cayman Islands 411,000,000 2003 166 Lesotho 363,500,000 2003 167 Burkina Faso 349,300,000 2003 168 Niger 263,900,000 2003 169 Saint Lucia 261,400,000 2003 170 Eritrea 251,900,000 2003 171 Bhutan 250,300,000 2003 172 Sierra Leone 242,400,000 2003 173 Faroe Islands 242,000,000 2003 174 Greenland 225,300,000 2003 175 Seychelles 224,400,000 2003 176 Djibouti 223,200,000 2003 177 Somalia 219,100,000 2003 178 Micronesia, Federated States of 178,600,000 2002 179 Mauritania 172,600,000 2003 180 Grenada 148,600,000 2003 181 Burundi 141,400,000 2003 182 Gambia, The 130,200,000 2003 183 Maldives 125,600,000 2003 184 Rwanda 121,100,000 2003 185 American Samoa 120,900,000 2003 186 Cambodia 115,000,000 2003 187 Belize 111,600,000 2003 188 Chad 111,600,000 2003 189 Samoa 107,900,000 2003 190 Saint Kitts and Nevis 103,900,000 2003 191 Gibraltar 98,690,000 2003 192 Central African Republic 98,580,000 2003 193 Antigua and Barbuda 93,000,000 2003 194 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 88,350,000 2003 195 Mayotte 87,790,000 196 Western Sahara 83,700,000 2003 197 Dominica 65,090,000 2003 198 Guinea-Bissau 52,080,000 2003 199 Solomon Islands 51,150,000 2003 200 Anguilla 42,600,000 201 Cape Verde 41,060,000 2003 202 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 41,060,000 2003 203 Vanuatu 38,130,000 2003 204 Cook Islands 34,460,000 2005 est. 205 British Virgin Islands 32,130,000 2003 206 Tonga 31,620,000 2003 207 Equatorial Guinea 27,370,000 2003 208 Nauru 21,390,000 2003 209 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 20,680,000 2003 210 Comoros 16,740,000 2003 211 Sao Tome and Principe 13,950,000 2003 212 Kiribati 11,160,000 2003 213 Saint Helena 4,650,000 2003 214 Turks and Caicos Islands 4,650,000 2003 215 Niue 2,790,000 2003 216 Montserrat 1,860,000 2003

1 World 49,024 2006 2 United States 14,858 2006 3 Brazil 4,276 2006 4 Mexico 1,839 2006 5 Russia 1,623 2006 6 Argentina 1,381 2006 7 Canada 1,337 2006 8 Bolivia 1,084 2006 9 Colombia 984 2006 10 Paraguay 881 2006 11 South Africa 731 2006 12 Indonesia 662 2006 13 Papua New Guinea 582 2006 14 Germany 554 2006 15 Ukraine 499 2006 16 China 486 2006 17 France 477 2006 18 United Kingdom 471 2006 19 Australia 455 2006 20 Guatemala 450 2006 21 Zimbabwe 403 2006 22 Venezuela 375 2006 23 Chile 363 2006 24 Ecuador 359 2006 25 India 341 2006 26 Iran 321 2006 27 Peru 268 2006 28 Philippines 256 2006 29 Sweden 255 2006 30 Angola 244 2006 31 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 234 2006 32 Kenya 225 2006 33 Bulgaria 217 2006 34 Saudi Arabia 208 2006 35 Nicaragua 176 2006 36 Japan 175 2006 37 Cuba 170 2006 38 Mozambique 158 2006 39 Costa Rica 157 2006 40 Spain 157 2006 41 Kazakhstan 150 2006 42 Finland 148 2006 43 Algeria 142 2006 44 Libya 141 2006 45 Pakistan 139 2006 46 Oman 137 2006 47 Namibia 137 2006 48 Italy 133 2006 49 Tanzania 124 2006 50 Poland 122 2006 51 Czech Republic 121 2006 52 New Zealand 118 2006 53 Malaysia 117 2006 54 Panama 117 2006 55 Turkey 117 2006 56 Honduras 116 2006 57 Madagascar 116 2006 58 Zambia 111 2006 59 Iraq 110 2006 60 Thailand 108 2006 61 Korea, South 107 2006 62 Norway 99 2006 63 Iceland 98 2006 64 Denmark 92 2006 65 Syria 92 2006 66 Lithuania 91 2006 67 Guyana 90 2006 68 Egypt 88 2006 69 Sudan 88 2006 70 Belarus 86 2006 71 Botswana 85 2006 72 Burma 85 2006 73 Ethiopia 84 2006 74 Greece 82 2006 75 Korea, North 77 2006 76 El Salvador 75 2006 77 Nigeria 69 2006 78 Croatia 68 2006 79 Portugal 66 2006 80 Somalia 65 2006 81 Switzerland 65 2006 82 Bahamas, The 64 2006 83 Uruguay 64 2006 84 Romania 61 2006 85 Uzbekistan 61 2006 86 Morocco 60 2006 87 Gabon 56 2006 88 Austria 55 2006 89 Israel 53 2006 90 Liberia 53 2006 91 Chad 52 2006 92 French Polynesia 51 2006 93 Central African Republic 50 2006 94 Nepal 48 2006 95 Cameroon 47 2006 96 Suriname 47 2006 97 Afghanistan 46 2006 98 Latvia 46 2006 99 Yemen 46 2006 100 Hungary 46 2006 101 Laos 44 2006 102 Mongolia 44 2006 103 Belgium 43 2006 104 Belize 43 2006 105 Malawi 42 2006 106 Taiwan 42 2006 107 Tajikistan 40 2006 108 Serbia 39 2006 109 United Arab Emirates 37 2006 110 Kyrgyzstan 37 2006 111 Azerbaijan 36 2006 112 Ireland 36 2006 113 Slovakia 36 2006 114 Solomon Islands 35 2006 115 Cote d'Ivoire 35 2006 116 Jamaica 35 2006 117 Burkina Faso 34 2006 118 Dominican Republic 33 2006 119 Congo, Republic of the 32 2006 120 Vietnam 32 2006 121 Vanuatu 31 2006 122 Uganda 31 2006 123 Puerto Rico 30 2006 124 Tunisia 30 2006 125 Mali 29 2006 126 Turkmenistan 29 2006 127 Bosnia and Herzegovina 28 2006 128 Fiji 28 2006 129 Lesotho 28 2006 130 Guinea-Bissau 28 2006 131 Niger 28 2006 132 Netherlands 27 2006 133 Mauritania 25 2006 134 New Caledonia 25 2006 135 Estonia 24 2006 136 Georgia 23 2006 137 Antarctica 20 2006 138 Senegal 20 2006 139 Cambodia 20 2006 140 Kiribati 19 2006 141 Swaziland 18 2006 142 Eritrea 17 2006 143 Macedonia 17 2006 144 Jordan 17 2006 145 Bangladesh 16 2006 146 Sri Lanka 16 2006 147 Cyprus 16 2006 148 Guinea 16 2006 149 Marshall Islands 15 2006 150 Seychelles 15 2006 151 Greenland 14 2006 152 Slovenia 14 2006 153 Armenia 13 2006 154 Djibouti 13 2006 155 Ghana 12 2006 156 Haiti 12 2006 157 Moldova 12 2006 158 Albania 11 2006 159 Western Sahara 11 2006 160 French Guiana 11 2006 161 Sierra Leone 10 2006 162 Cook Islands 9 2006 163 Rwanda 9 2006 164 Guadeloupe 9 2006 165 Singapore 9 2006 166 Togo 9 2006 167 Burundi 8 2006 168 East Timor 8 2006 169 Turks and Caicos Islands 8 2006 170 Cape Verde 7 2006 171 Lebanon 7 2006 172 Kuwait 7 2006 173 Micronesia, Federated States of 6 2006 174 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6 2006 175 Tonga 6 2006 176 Trinidad and Tobago 6 2006 177 Mauritius 6 2006 178 Benin 5 2006 179 Northern Mariana Islands 5 2006 180 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 5 2006 181 Maldives 5 2006 182 Qatar 5 2006 183 Netherlands Antilles 5 2006 184 Montenegro 5 2006 185 Guam 5 2006 186 Comoros 4 2006 187 Equatorial Guinea 4 2006 188 Samoa 4 2006 189 Svalbard 4 2006 190 Antigua and Barbuda 3 2006 191 West Bank 3 2006 192 British Virgin Islands 3 2006 193 Palau 3 2006 194 Spratly Islands 3 2006 195 Midway Islands 3 2006 196 Hong Kong 3 2006 197 Grenada 3 2006 198 Bahrain 3 2006 199 Anguilla 3 2006 200 American Samoa 3 2006 201 Cayman Islands 3 2006 202 Bhutan 2 2006 203 Montserrat 2 2006 204 Wallis and Futuna 2 2006 205 Virgin Islands 2 2006 206 Sao Tome and Principe 2 2006 207 Saint Lucia 2 2006 208 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 2006 209 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2 2006 210 Reunion 2 2006 211 Martinique 2 2006 212 Brunei 2 2006 213 Dominica 2 2006 214 Gaza Strip 2 2006 215 Luxembourg 2 2006 216 Guernsey 2 2006 217 Aruba 1 2006 218 Barbados 1 2006 219 Wake Island 1 2006 220 Tuvalu 1 2006 221 Tromelin Island 1 2006 222 Saint Helena 1 2006 223 Paracel Islands 1 2006 224 Mayotte 1 2006 225 Macau 1 2006 226 Palmyra Atoll 1 2006 227 Christmas Island 1 2006 228 Juan de Nova Island 1 2006 229 Johnston Atoll 1 2006 230 Jan Mayen 1 2006 231 Jersey 1 2006 232 British Indian Ocean Territory 1 2006 233 Isle of Man 1 2006 234 Nauru 1 2006 235 Norfolk Island 1 2006 236 Niue 1 2006 237 Malta 1 2006 238 Glorioso Islands 1 2006 239 Gibraltar 1 2006 240 Gambia, The 1 2006 241 Faroe Islands 1 2006 242 Europa Island 1 2006 243 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 1 2006 244 Bermuda 1 2006

1 Niger 50.73 2006 est. 2 Mali 49.82 2006 est. 3 Uganda 47.35 2006 est. 4 Afghanistan 46.60 2006 est. 5 Sierra Leone 45.76 2006 est. 6 Chad 45.73 2006 est. 7 Burkina Faso 45.62 2006 est. 8 Somalia 45.13 2006 est. 9 Angola 45.11 2006 est. 10 Liberia 44.77 2006 est. 11 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 43.69 2006 est. 12 Malawi 43.13 2006 est. 13 Yemen 42.89 2006 est. 14 Congo, Republic of the 42.57 2006 est. 15 Burundi 42.22 2006 est. 16 Guinea 41.76 2006 est. 17 Madagascar 41.41 2006 est. 18 Zambia 41.00 2006 est. 19 Mauritania 40.99 2006 est. 20 Mayotte 40.95 2006 est. 21 Nigeria 40.43 2006 est. 22 Rwanda 40.37 2006 est. 23 Sao Tome and Principe 40.25 2006 est. 24 Kenya 39.72 2006 est. 25 Djibouti 39.53 2006 est. 26 Gaza Strip 39.45 2006 est. 27 Gambia, The 39.37 2006 est. 28 Benin 38.85 2006 est. 29 Ethiopia 37.98 2006 est. 30 Tanzania 37.71 2006 est. 31 Guinea-Bissau 37.22 2006 est. 32 Togo 37.01 2006 est. 33 Comoros 36.93 2006 est. 34 Haiti 36.44 2006 est. 35 Oman 36.24 2006 est. 36 Gabon 36.16 2006 est. 37 Equatorial Guinea 35.59 2006 est. 38 Laos 35.49 2006 est. 39 Mozambique 35.18 2006 est. 40 Cote d'Ivoire 35.11 2006 est. 41 Maldives 34.81 2006 est. 42 Sudan 34.53 2006 est. 43 Eritrea 34.33 2006 est. 44 Central African Republic 33.91 2006 est. 45 Cameroon 33.89 2006 est. 46 Bhutan 33.65 2006 est. 47 Marshall Islands 33.05 2006 est. 48 Senegal 32.78 2006 est. 49 Tajikistan 32.65 2006 est. 50 Iraq 31.98 2006 est. 51 West Bank 31.67 2006 est. 52 Nepal 30.98 2006 est. 53 Kiribati 30.65 2006 est. 54 Ghana 30.52 2006 est. 55 Solomon Islands 30.01 2006 est. 56 Guatemala 29.88 2006 est. 57 Bangladesh 29.80 2006 est. 58 Pakistan 29.74 2006 est. 59 Papua New Guinea 29.36 2006 est. 60 Saudi Arabia 29.34 2006 est. 61 Paraguay 29.10 2006 est. 62 Belize 28.84 2006 est. 63 Honduras 28.24 2006 est. 64 Zimbabwe 28.01 2006 est. 65 Syria 27.76 2006 est. 66 Turkmenistan 27.61 2006 est. 67 Swaziland 27.41 2006 est. 68 East Timor 26.99 2006 est. 69 Cambodia 26.90 2006 est. 70 El Salvador 26.61 2006 est. 71 Libya 26.49 2006 est. 72 Uzbekistan 26.36 2006 est. 73 Tonga 25.37 2006 est. 74 Philippines 24.89 2006 est. 75 Cape Verde 24.87 2006 est. 76 Nauru 24.76 2006 est. 77 Lesotho 24.75 2006 est. 78 Micronesia, Federated States of 24.68 2006 est. 79 Nicaragua 24.51 2006 est. 80 Namibia 24.32 2006 est. 81 Bolivia 23.30 2006 est. 82 Dominican Republic 23.22 2006 est. 83 Botswana 23.08 2006 est. 84 Egypt 22.94 2006 est. 85 Malaysia 22.86 2006 est. 86 Kyrgyzstan 22.80 2006 est. 87 Vanuatu 22.72 2006 est. 88 Fiji 22.55 2006 est. 89 American Samoa 22.46 2006 est. 90 Ecuador 22.29 2006 est. 91 Tuvalu 22.18 2006 est. 92 Grenada 22.08 2006 est. 93 India 22.01 2006 est. 94 Morocco 21.98 2006 est. 95 Kuwait 21.94 2006 est. 96 Turks and Caicos Islands 21.84 2006 est. 97 Panama 21.74 2006 est. 98 Mongolia 21.59 2006 est. 99 Jordan 21.25 2006 est. 100 Cook Islands 21.00 2001 census 101 Jamaica 20.82 2006 est. 102 Azerbaijan 20.74 2006 est. 103 Mexico 20.69 2006 est. 104 Colombia 20.48 2006 est. 105 Peru 20.48 2006 est. 106 French Guiana 20.46 2006 est. 107 Indonesia 20.34 2006 est. 108 World 20.05 2006 est. 109 Saint Lucia 19.68 2006 est. 110 Northern Mariana Islands 19.43 2006 est. 111 United Arab Emirates 18.96 2006 est. 112 Reunion 18.90 2006 est. 113 Brunei 18.79 2006 est. 114 Guam 18.79 2006 est. 115 Venezuela 18.71 2006 est. 116 Lebanon 18.52 2006 est. 117 Costa Rica 18.32 2006 est. 118 Guyana 18.28 2006 est. 119 South Africa 18.20 2006 est. 120 New Caledonia 18.11 2006 est. 121 Palau 18.03 2006 est. 122 Suriname 18.02 2006 est. 123 Saint Kitts and Nevis 18.02 2006 est. 124 Israel 17.97 2006 est. 125 Burma 17.91 2006 est. 126 Bahrain 17.80 2006 est. 127 Montserrat 17.59 2006 est. 128 Bahamas, The 17.57 2006 est. 129 Algeria 17.14 2006 est. 130 Iran 17.00 2006 est. 131 Antigua and Barbuda 16.93 2006 est. 132 Vietnam 16.86 2006 est. 133 Argentina 16.73 2006 est. 134 French Polynesia 16.68 2006 est. 135 Turkey 16.62 2006 est. 136 Brazil 16.56 2006 est. 137 Samoa 16.43 2006 est. 138 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16.18 2006 est. 139 Seychelles 16.03 2006 est. 140 Kazakhstan 16.00 2006 est. 141 Greenland 15.93 2006 est. 142 Moldova 15.70 2006 est. 143 Qatar 15.56 2006 est. 144 Korea, North 15.54 2006 est. 145 Tunisia 15.52 2006 est. 146 Sri Lanka 15.51 2006 est. 147 Mauritius 15.43 2006 est. 148 Dominica 15.27 2006 est. 149 Chile 15.23 2006 est. 150 Albania 15.11 2006 est. 151 Guadeloupe 15.05 2006 est. 152 British Virgin Islands 14.89 2006 est. 153 Netherlands Antilles 14.78 2006 est. 154 Ireland 14.45 2006 est. 155 Anguilla 14.17 2006 est. 156 United States 14.14 2006 est. 157 Faroe Islands 14.05 2006 est. 158 Virgin Islands 13.96 2006 est. 159 Uruguay 13.91 2006 est. 160 Thailand 13.87 2006 est. 161 New Zealand 13.76 2006 est. 162 Martinique 13.74 2006 est. 163 Iceland 13.64 2006 est. 164 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 13.52 2006 est. 165 China 13.25 2006 est. 166 Trinidad and Tobago 12.90 2006 est. 167 Puerto Rico 12.77 2006 est. 168 Cayman Islands 12.74 2006 est. 169 Barbados 12.71 2006 est. 170 Montenegro 12.60 2004 171 Cyprus 12.56 2006 est. 172 Taiwan 12.56 2006 est. 173 Australia 12.14 2006 est. 174 Saint Helena 12.13 2006 est. 175 Armenia 12.07 2006 est. 176 Macedonia 12.02 2006 est. 177 France 11.99 2006 est. 178 Luxembourg 11.94 2006 est. 179 Cuba 11.89 2006 est. 180 Norway 11.46 2006 est. 181 Bermuda 11.40 2006 est. 182 Belarus 11.16 2006 est. 183 Denmark 11.13 2006 est. 184 Isle of Man 11.05 2006 est. 185 Aruba 11.03 2006 est. 186 Netherlands 10.90 2006 est. 187 Canada 10.78 2006 est. 188 Gibraltar 10.74 2006 est. 189 Portugal 10.72 2006 est. 190 United Kingdom 10.71 2006 est. 191 Romania 10.70 2006 est. 192 Slovakia 10.65 2006 est. 193 Finland 10.45 2006 est. 194 Georgia 10.41 2006 est. 195 Belgium 10.38 2006 est. 196 Sweden 10.27 2006 est. 197 Malta 10.22 2006 est. 198 Liechtenstein 10.21 2006 est. 199 Spain 10.06 2006 est. 200 Estonia 10.04 2006 est. 201 San Marino 10.02 2006 est. 202 European Union 10.00 2006 est. 203 Korea, South 10.00 2006 est. 204 Russia 9.95 2006 est. 205 Poland 9.85 2006 est. 206 Hungary 9.72 2006 est. 207 Switzerland 9.71 2006 est. 208 Greece 9.68 2006 est. 209 Bulgaria 9.65 2006 est. 210 Croatia 9.61 2006 est. 211 Japan 9.37 2006 est. 212 Singapore 9.34 2006 est. 213 Jersey 9.30 2006 est. 214 Latvia 9.24 2006 est. 215 Monaco 9.19 2006 est. 216 Czech Republic 9.02 2006 est. 217 Slovenia 8.98 2006 est. 218 Ukraine 8.82 2006 est. 219 Guernsey 8.81 2006 est. 220 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.77 2006 est. 221 Lithuania 8.75 2006 est. 222 Austria 8.74 2006 est. 223 Italy 8.72 2006 est. 224 Andorra 8.71 2006 est. 225 Macau 8.48 2006 est. 226 Germany 8.25 2006 est. 227 Hong Kong 7.29 2006 est.

1 Swaziland 29.74 2006 est. 2 Botswana 29.50 2006 est. 3 Lesotho 28.71 2006 est. 4 Angola 24.20 2006 est. 5 Liberia 23.10 2006 est. 6 Sierra Leone 23.03 2006 est. 7 South Africa 22.00 2006 est. 8 Zimbabwe 21.84 2006 est. 9 Mozambique 21.35 2006 est. 10 Niger 20.91 2006 est. 11 Afghanistan 20.34 2006 est. 12 Zambia 19.93 2006 est. 13 Malawi 19.33 2006 est. 14 Djibouti 19.31 2006 est. 15 Namibia 18.86 2006 est. 16 Central African Republic 18.65 2006 est. 17 Nigeria 16.94 2006 est. 18 Mali 16.89 2006 est. 19 Somalia 16.63 2006 est. 20 Guinea-Bissau 16.53 2006 est. 21 Tanzania 16.39 2006 est. 22 Chad 16.38 2006 est. 23 Rwanda 16.09 2006 est. 24 Burkina Faso 15.60 2006 est. 25 Guinea 15.48 2006 est. 26 Equatorial Guinea 15.06 2006 est. 27 Ethiopia 14.86 2006 est. 28 Cote d'Ivoire 14.84 2006 est. 29 Russia 14.65 2006 est. 30 Ukraine 14.39 2006 est. 31 Bulgaria 14.27 2006 est. 32 Belarus 14.02 2006 est. 33 Kenya 14.02 2006 est. 34 Latvia 13.66 2006 est. 35 Cameroon 13.47 2006 est. 36 Burundi 13.46 2006 est. 37 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 13.27 2006 est. 38 Estonia 13.25 2006 est. 39 Hungary 13.11 2006 est. 40 Congo, Republic of the 12.93 2006 est. 41 Monaco 12.91 2006 est. 42 Bhutan 12.70 2006 est. 43 Moldova 12.64 2006 est. 44 Gambia, The 12.25 2006 est. 45 Gabon 12.25 2006 est. 46 Uganda 12.24 2006 est. 47 Benin 12.22 2006 est. 48 Haiti 12.17 2006 est. 49 Mauritania 12.16 2006 est. 50 Romania 11.77 2006 est. 51 Laos 11.55 2006 est. 52 Croatia 11.48 2006 est. 53 Isle of Man 11.19 2006 est. 54 Madagascar 11.11 2006 est. 55 Lithuania 10.98 2006 est. 56 Germany 10.62 2006 est. 57 Czech Republic 10.59 2006 est. 58 Trinidad and Tobago 10.57 2006 est. 59 Portugal 10.50 2006 est. 60 Italy 10.40 2006 est. 61 Denmark 10.36 2006 est. 62 Slovenia 10.31 2006 est. 63 Sweden 10.31 2006 est. 64 Belgium 10.27 2006 est. 65 Greece 10.24 2006 est. 66 United Kingdom 10.13 2006 est. 67 European Union 10.10 2006 est. 68 Guernsey 10.01 2006 est. 69 Poland 9.89 2006 est. 70 Finland 9.86 2006 est. 71 Burma 9.83 2006 est. 72 Togo 9.83 2006 est. 73 Austria 9.76 2006 est. 74 Azerbaijan 9.75 2006 est. 75 Ghana 9.72 2006 est. 76 Spain 9.72 2006 est. 77 Eritrea 9.60 2006 est. 78 Slovakia 9.45 2006 est. 79 Kazakhstan 9.42 2006 est. 80 Senegal 9.42 2006 est. 81 Norway 9.40 2006 est. 82 Gibraltar 9.31 2006 est. 83 Nepal 9.31 2006 est. 84 Jersey 9.28 2006 est. 85 Georgia 9.23 2006 est. 86 Montenegro 9.20 2004 87 Japan 9.16 2006 est. 88 France 9.14 2006 est. 89 Cambodia 9.06 2006 est. 90 Bahamas, The 9.05 2006 est. 91 Uruguay 9.05 2006 est. 92 Sudan 8.97 2006 est. 93 Macedonia 8.77 2006 est. 94 Faroe Islands 8.70 2006 est. 95 Netherlands 8.68 2006 est. 96 Barbados 8.67 2006 est. 97 World 8.67 2006 est. 98 Turkmenistan 8.60 2006 est. 99 Switzerland 8.49 2006 est. 100 Luxembourg 8.41 2006 est. 101 Saint Kitts and Nevis 8.33 2006 est. 102 Yemen 8.30 2006 est. 103 Guyana 8.28 2006 est. 104 Bangladesh 8.27 2006 est. 105 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.27 2006 est. 106 Kiribati 8.26 2006 est. 107 United States 8.26 2006 est. 108 Tajikistan 8.25 2006 est. 109 Armenia 8.23 2006 est. 110 Pakistan 8.23 2006 est. 111 Comoros 8.20 2006 est. 112 India 8.18 2006 est. 113 San Marino 8.17 2006 est. 114 Malta 8.10 2006 est. 115 Greenland 7.84 2006 est. 116 Uzbekistan 7.84 2006 est. 117 Ireland 7.82 2006 est. 118 Vanuatu 7.82 2006 est. 119 Canada 7.80 2006 est. 120 Bermuda 7.74 2006 est. 121 Mayotte 7.70 2006 est. 122 Cyprus 7.68 2006 est. 123 Puerto Rico 7.65 2006 est. 124 Argentina 7.55 2006 est. 125 Bolivia 7.53 2006 est. 126 New Zealand 7.53 2006 est. 127 Australia 7.51 2006 est. 128 Suriname 7.27 2006 est. 129 Papua New Guinea 7.25 2006 est. 130 Cuba 7.22 2006 est. 131 Liechtenstein 7.18 2006 est. 132 Korea, North 7.13 2006 est. 133 Tuvalu 7.11 2006 est. 134 Montserrat 7.10 2006 est. 135 Kyrgyzstan 7.08 2006 est. 136 Maldives 7.06 2006 est. 137 Thailand 7.04 2006 est. 138 China 6.97 2006 est. 139 Mongolia 6.95 2006 est. 140 Grenada 6.88 2006 est. 141 Mauritius 6.86 2006 est. 142 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 6.83 2006 est. 143 Palau 6.80 2006 est. 144 Dominica 6.73 2006 est. 145 Iceland 6.72 2006 est. 146 Nauru 6.70 2006 est. 147 Aruba 6.68 2006 est. 148 Samoa 6.62 2006 est. 149 Cape Verde 6.55 2006 est. 150 Saint Helena 6.53 2006 est. 151 Sri Lanka 6.52 2006 est. 152 Jamaica 6.52 2006 est. 153 Martinique 6.48 2006 est. 154 Taiwan 6.48 2006 est. 155 Sao Tome and Principe 6.47 2006 est. 156 Netherlands Antilles 6.45 2006 est. 157 Virgin Islands 6.43 2006 est. 158 Hong Kong 6.29 2006 est. 159 Seychelles 6.29 2006 est. 160 Andorra 6.25 2006 est. 161 Indonesia 6.25 2006 est. 162 East Timor 6.24 2006 est. 163 Peru 6.23 2006 est. 164 Vietnam 6.22 2006 est. 165 Lebanon 6.21 2006 est. 166 Israel 6.18 2006 est. 167 Brazil 6.17 2006 est. 168 Guadeloupe 6.09 2006 est. 169 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.98 2006 est. 170 Turkey 5.97 2006 est. 171 Korea, South 5.85 2006 est. 172 Chile 5.81 2006 est. 173 El Salvador 5.78 2006 est. 174 Dominican Republic 5.73 2006 est. 175 Belize 5.72 2006 est. 176 New Caledonia 5.69 2006 est. 177 Fiji 5.65 2006 est. 178 Colombia 5.58 2006 est. 179 Morocco 5.58 2006 est. 180 Iran 5.55 2006 est. 181 Reunion 5.49 2006 est. 182 Philippines 5.41 2006 est. 183 Antigua and Barbuda 5.37 2006 est. 184 Iraq 5.37 2006 est. 185 Panama 5.36 2006 est. 186 Anguilla 5.34 2006 est. 187 Honduras 5.28 2006 est. 188 Tonga 5.28 2006 est. 189 Egypt 5.23 2006 est. 190 Albania 5.22 2006 est. 191 Guatemala 5.20 2006 est. 192 Tunisia 5.13 2006 est. 193 Saint Lucia 5.08 2006 est. 194 Malaysia 5.05 2006 est. 195 Venezuela 4.92 2006 est. 196 Cayman Islands 4.89 2006 est. 197 French Guiana 4.88 2006 est. 198 Syria 4.81 2006 est. 199 Marshall Islands 4.78 2006 est. 200 Micronesia, Federated States of 4.75 2006 est. 201 Mexico 4.74 2006 est. 202 Qatar 4.72 2006 est. 203 French Polynesia 4.69 2006 est. 204 Algeria 4.61 2006 est. 205 Paraguay 4.49 2006 est. 206 Guam 4.48 2006 est. 207 Macau 4.47 2006 est. 208 Nicaragua 4.45 2006 est. 209 British Virgin Islands 4.42 2006 est. 210 United Arab Emirates 4.40 2006 est. 211 Costa Rica 4.36 2006 est. 212 Singapore 4.28 2006 est. 213 Ecuador 4.23 2006 est. 214 Turks and Caicos Islands 4.21 2006 est. 215 Bahrain 4.14 2006 est. 216 Solomon Islands 3.92 2006 est. 217 West Bank 3.92 2006 est. 218 Oman 3.81 2006 est. 219 Gaza Strip 3.80 2006 est. 220 Libya 3.48 2006 est. 221 Brunei 3.45 2006 est. 222 American Samoa 3.27 2006 est. 223 Jordan 2.65 2006 est. 224 Saudi Arabia 2.58 2006 est. 225 Kuwait 2.41 2006 est. 226 Northern Mariana Islands 2.29 2006 est.

1 United States $ 518,100,000,000 2005 est. 2 China $ 81,480,000,000 2005 est. 3 France $ 45,000,000,000 2005 4 Japan $ 44,310,000,000 2005 est. 5 United Kingdom $ 42,836,500,000 2003 6 Germany $ 35,063,000,000 2003 7 Italy $ 28,182,800,000 2003 8 Korea, South $ 21,060,000,000 2005 est. 9 India $ 19,040,000,000 2005 est. 10 Saudi Arabia $ 18,000,000,000 2002 11 Australia $ 17,840,000,000 2005 est. 12 Turkey $ 12,155,000,000 2003 13 Brazil $ 9,940,000,000 2005 est. 14 Spain $ 9,906,500,000 2003 15 Canada $ 9,801,700,000 2003 16 Israel $ 9,450,000,000 2005 est. 17 Netherlands $ 9,408,000,000 2004 18 Taiwan $ 7,930,000,000 2005 est. 19 Mexico $ 6,070,000,000 2005 est. 20 Greece $ 5,890,000,000 2004 21 Sweden $ 5,510,000,000 2005 est. 22 Svalbard $ 5,501,000,000 23 Korea, North $ 5,217,400,000 FY02 24 Singapore $ 4,470,000,000 25 Argentina $ 4,300,000,000 26 Iran $ 4,300,000,000 2003 est. 27 Pakistan $ 4,260,000,000 2005 est. 28 Norway $ 4,033,500,000 2003 29 Belgium $ 3,999,000,000 2003 30 Chile $ 3,910,000,000 2005 est. 31 South Africa $ 3,550,000,000 2005 est. 32 Poland $ 3,500,000,000 2002 33 Portugal $ 3,497,800,000 2003 34 Colombia $ 3,300,000,000 35 Denmark $ 3,271,600,000 2003 36 Kuwait $ 3,010,000,000 2005 est. 37 Algeria $ 3,000,000,000 2005 est. 38 Switzerland $ 2,548,000,000 FY01 39 Egypt $ 2,440,000,000 2003 40 Morocco $ 2,310,000,000 2003 est. 41 Montenegro $ 2,306,000,000 42 Czech Republic $ 2,170,000,000 2004 43 Angola $ 2,000,000,000 2005 est. 44 Finland $ 1,800,000,000 FY98/99 45 Thailand $ 1,775,000,000 46 Malaysia $ 1,690,000,000 47 Venezuela $ 1,610,000,000 2005 est. 48 United Arab Emirates $ 1,600,000,000 49 Austria $ 1,497,000,000 FY01/02 50 Jordan $ 1,400,000,000 2005 est. 51 Iraq $ 1,340,000,000 2005 est. 52 Indonesia $ 1,300,000,000 2004 53 Libya $ 1,300,000,000 54 New Zealand $ 1,147,000,000 FY03/04 55 Hungary $ 1,080,000,000 2002 est. 56 Bangladesh $ 1,010,000,000 2005 est. 57 Western Sahara $ 992,200,000 58 Yemen $ 992,200,000 2005 est. 59 Romania $ 985,000,000 2002 60 Syria $ 858,000,000 61 Philippines $ 836,900,000 2005 est. 62 Peru $ 829,300,000 2003 est. 63 Nigeria $ 737,600,000 2005 est. 64 Qatar $ 723,000,000 65 Ireland $ 700,000,000 FY00/01 66 Cuba $ 694,000,000 2005 est. 67 Ecuador $ 650,000,000 2005 est. 68 Vietnam $ 650,000,000 69 Bahrain $ 627,700,000 2005 est. 70 Croatia $ 620,000,000 2004 71 Ukraine $ 617,900,000 FY02 72 Sri Lanka $ 606,200,000 2005 est. 73 Sudan $ 587,000,000 2004 74 Lebanon $ 540,600,000 2004 75 Belarus $ 420,500,000 2006 76 Slovakia $ 406,000,000 2002 77 Cyprus $ 384,000,000 78 Uruguay $ 371,200,000 2005 est. 79 Slovenia $ 370,000,000 FY00 80 Bulgaria $ 356,000,000 FY02 81 Tunisia $ 356,000,000 82 Madagascar $ 329,000,000 2005 est. 83 Botswana $ 325,500,000 2005 est. 84 Ethiopia $ 295,900,000 2005 est. 85 Brunei $ 290,700,000 2003 est. 86 Kenya $ 280,500,000 2005 est. 87 Gabon $ 253,500,000 2005 est. 88 Oman $ 252,990,000 2004 89 Cote d'Ivoire $ 246,600,000 2005 est. 90 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 234,300,000 91 Luxembourg $ 231,600,000 2003 92 Lithuania $ 230,800,000 FY01 93 Cameroon $ 230,200,000 2005 est. 94 Kazakhstan $ 221,800,000 FY02 95 Eritrea $ 220,100,000 2005 est. 96 Macedonia $ 200,000,000 97 Uzbekistan $ 200,000,000 98 Turks and Caicos Islands $ 192,800,000 99 Uganda $ 192,800,000 2005 est. 100 Guatemala $ 169,800,000 2005 est. 101 El Salvador $ 161,700,000 2005 est. 102 Estonia $ 155,000,000 2002 est. 103 Equatorial Guinea $ 152,200,000 2005 est. 104 Panama $ 150,000,000 2005 est. 105 Namibia $ 149,500,000 2005 est. 106 Armenia $ 135,000,000 FY01 107 Bolivia $ 130,000,000 2005 est. 108 Zimbabwe $ 124,700,000 2005 est. 109 Afghanistan $ 122,400,000 2005 est. 110 Zambia $ 121,700,000 2005 est. 111 Azerbaijan $ 121,000,000 112 Guinea $ 119,700,000 2005 est. 113 Senegal $ 117,300,000 2005 est. 114 Cambodia $ 112,000,000 115 Mali $ 106,300,000 2005 est. 116 Nepal $ 104,900,000 2005 est. 117 Congo, Democratic Republic of the $ 103,700,000 2005 est. 118 Benin $ 100,900,000 2005 est. 119 Turkmenistan $ 90,000,000 120 Latvia $ 87,000,000 FY01 121 Congo, Republic of the $ 85,220,000 2005 est. 122 Ghana $ 83,650,000 2005 est. 123 Costa Rica $ 83,460,000 2005 est. 124 Mozambique $ 78,030,000 2005 est. 125 Burkina Faso $ 74,830,000 2005 est. 126 Chad $ 68,950,000 2005 est. 127 Liberia $ 67,400,000 2005 est. 128 Trinidad and Tobago $ 66,720,000 2003 est. 129 Tokelau $ 66,720,000 130 Albania $ 56,500,000 FY02 131 Rwanda $ 53,660,000 2005 est. 132 Paraguay $ 53,100,000 2003 est. 133 Honduras $ 52,800,000 2005 est. 134 Maldives $ 45,070,000 2005 est. 135 Niger $ 44,780,000 2005 est. 136 Burundi $ 43,900,000 2005 est. 137 Swaziland $ 41,600,000 2005 est. 138 Lesotho $ 41,100,000 2005 est. 139 Burma $ 39,000,000 140 Malta $ 38,168,000 2005 est. 141 Fiji $ 36,000,000 2004 142 Tajikistan $ 35,400,000 FY01 143 Nicaragua $ 32,270,000 2005 est. 144 Jamaica $ 31,170,000 2003 est. 145 Togo $ 29,980,000 2005 est. 146 Djibouti $ 29,050,000 2005 est. 147 Haiti $ 25,960,000 2003 est. 148 Mongolia $ 23,100,000 FY02 149 Georgia $ 23,000,000 150 Somalia $ 22,340,000 2005 est. 151 Tanzania $ 21,200,000 2005 est. 152 Mauritania $ 19,320,000 2005 est. 153 Kyrgyzstan $ 19,200,000 FY01 154 Belize $ 19,000,000 2005 est. 155 Papua New Guinea $ 16,900,000 2003 156 Central African Republic $ 16,370,000 2005 est. 157 Malawi $ 15,810,000 2005 est. 158 Serbia $ 14,850,000 159 Seychelles $ 14,850,000 2005 est. 160 Sierra Leone $ 14,250,000 2005 est. 161 Comoros $ 12,870,000 2005 est. 162 Mauritius $ 12,040,000 2005 est. 163 Laos $ 11,040,000 2005 est. 164 Guinea-Bissau $ 9,460,000 2005 est. 165 Moldova $ 8,700,000 2004 166 Bhutan $ 8,290,000 2005 est. 167 Suriname $ 7,500,000 2003 est. 168 Cape Verde $ 7,180,000 2005 est. 169 Guyana $ 6,480,000 2003 est. 170 East Timor $ 4,400,000 FY03 171 Bermuda $ 4,030,000 2001 172 Gambia, The $ 1,550,000 2005 est. 173 San Marino $ 700,000 FY00/01 174 Sao Tome and Principe $ 581,729 2005 est. 175 Dominican Republic $ 0 2002 est.

1 World $ 10,330,000,000,000 2004 est. 2 European Union $ 1,318,000,000,000 2004 3 Germany $ 1,016,000,000,000 2005 est. 4 United States $ 927,500,000,000 2005 est. 5 China $ 752,200,000,000 2005 est. 6 Japan $ 550,500,000,000 2005 est. 7 France $ 443,400,000,000 2005 est. 8 United Kingdom $ 372,700,000,000 2005 est. 9 Italy $ 371,900,000,000 2005 est. 10 Netherlands $ 365,100,000,000 2005 est. 11 Canada $ 364,800,000,000 2005 est. 12 Korea, South $ 288,200,000,000 2005 est. 13 Hong Kong $ 286,300,000,000 2005 est. 14 Belgium $ 269,600,000,000 2005 est. 15 Russia $ 245,000,000,000 2005 est. 16 Mexico $ 213,700,000,000 2005 est. 17 Singapore $ 204,800,000,000 2005 est. 18 Spain $ 194,300,000,000 2005 est. 19 Taiwan $ 189,400,000,000 2005 est. 20 Saudi Arabia $ 165,000,000,000 2005 est. 21 Switzerland $ 148,600,000,000 2005 est. 22 Malaysia $ 147,100,000,000 2005 est. 23 Sweden $ 126,600,000,000 2005 est. 24 Austria $ 122,500,000,000 2005 est. 25 Brazil $ 115,100,000,000 2005 est. 26 Norway $ 111,200,000,000 2005 est. 27 Thailand $ 105,800,000,000 2005 est. 28 United Arab Emirates $ 103,100,000,000 2005 est. 29 Australia $ 103,000,000,000 2005 est. 30 Ireland $ 102,000,000,000 2005 est. 31 Poland $ 92,720,000,000 2005 est. 32 Denmark $ 84,950,000,000 2005 est. 33 Indonesia $ 83,640,000,000 2005 est. 34 Czech Republic $ 78,370,000,000 2005 est. 35 India $ 76,230,000,000 2005 est. 36 Turkey $ 72,490,000,000 2005 est. 37 Finland $ 67,880,000,000 2005 est. 38 Hungary $ 61,750,000,000 2005 est. 39 Iran $ 55,420,000,000 2005 est. 40 Venezuela $ 52,730,000,000 2005 est. 41 Nigeria $ 52,160,000,000 2005 est. 42 South Africa $ 50,910,000,000 2005 est. 43 Algeria $ 49,590,000,000 2005 est. 44 Puerto Rico $ 46,900,000,000 2001 45 Kuwait $ 44,430,000,000 2005 est. 46 Philippines $ 41,250,000,000 2005 est. 47 Israel $ 40,140,000,000 2005 est. 48 Argentina $ 40,000,000,000 2005 est. 49 Portugal $ 38,800,000,000 2005 est. 50 Ukraine $ 38,220,000,000 2005 est. 51 Chile $ 38,030,000,000 2005 est. 52 Vietnam $ 32,230,000,000 2005 est. 53 Romania $ 31,200,000,000 2005 54 Libya $ 30,790,000,000 2005 est. 55 Slovakia $ 30,700,000,000 2005 est. 56 Kazakhstan $ 30,090,000,000 2005 est. 57 Angola $ 26,800,000,000 2005 est. 58 Qatar $ 24,900,000,000 2005 est. 59 New Zealand $ 22,210,000,000 2005 est. 60 Colombia $ 19,300,000,000 2005 est. 61 Oman $ 19,010,000,000 2005 est. 62 Greece $ 18,540,000,000 2005 est. 63 Slovenia $ 18,530,000,000 2005 est. 64 Iraq $ 17,780,000,000 2004 65 Belarus $ 16,140,000,000 2005 est. 66 Peru $ 15,950,000,000 2005 est. 67 Pakistan $ 14,850,000,000 2005 est. 68 Egypt $ 14,330,000,000 2005 est. 69 Luxembourg $ 13,390,000,000 2005 est. 70 Lithuania $ 11,800,000,000 2005 est. 71 Bulgaria $ 11,670,000,000 2005 est. 72 Bahrain $ 11,170,000,000 2005 est. 73 Croatia $ 10,300,000,000 2005 est. 74 Tunisia $ 10,300,000,000 2005 est. 75 Morocco $ 9,472,000,000 2005 est. 76 Bangladesh $ 9,372,000,000 2005 est. 77 Ecuador $ 9,224,000,000 2005 est. 78 Trinidad and Tobago $ 9,161,000,000 2005 est. 79 Panama $ 7,481,000,000 2005 est. 80 Estonia $ 7,439,000,000 2005 est. 81 Costa Rica $ 7,005,000,000 2005 est. 82 Sudan $ 6,989,000,000 2005 est. 83 Equatorial Guinea $ 6,727,000,000 2005 est. 84 Cote d'Ivoire $ 6,490,000,000 2005 est. 85 Sri Lanka $ 6,442,000,000 2005 est. 86 Yemen $ 6,387,000,000 2005 est. 87 Syria $ 6,344,000,000 2005 est. 88 Azerbaijan $ 6,117,000,000 2005 est. 89 Dominican Republic $ 5,818,000,000 2005 est. 90 Gabon $ 5,813,000,000 2005 est. 91 Uzbekistan $ 5,000,000,000 2005 est. 92 Latvia $ 4,860,000,000 2005 est. 93 Turkmenistan $ 4,700,000,000 2005 est. 94 Serbia $ 4,553,000,000 2005 est. 95 Brunei $ 4,514,000,000 2004 est. 96 Virgin Islands $ 4,234,000,000 97 Jordan $ 4,226,000,000 2005 est. 98 Guatemala $ 3,940,000,000 2005 est. 99 Botswana $ 3,680,000,000 2005 est. 100 El Salvador $ 3,586,000,000 2005 est. 101 Uruguay $ 3,550,000,000 2005 est. 102 Macau $ 3,465,000,000 2004 103 Cameroon $ 3,236,000,000 2005 est. 104 Iceland $ 3,215,000,000 2005 est. 105 Kenya $ 3,173,000,000 2005 est. 106 Paraguay $ 3,130,000,000 2005 est. 107 Burma $ 3,111,000,000 2004 108 Chad $ 3,016,000,000 2005 est. 109 Ghana $ 2,911,000,000 2005 est. 110 Papua New Guinea $ 2,833,000,000 2005 est. 111 Malta $ 2,744,000,000 2005 est. 112 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 2,700,000,000 2005 est. 113 Cambodia $ 2,663,000,000 2005 est. 114 Liechtenstein $ 2,470,000,000 1996 115 Cuba $ 2,388,000,000 2005 est. 116 Bolivia $ 2,371,000,000 2005 est. 117 Congo, Republic of the $ 2,209,000,000 2005 est. 118 Netherlands Antilles $ 2,076,000,000 2004 est. 119 Macedonia $ 2,047,000,000 2005 est. 120 Namibia $ 2,040,000,000 2005 est. 121 Swaziland $ 1,991,000,000 2005 est. 122 Mauritius $ 1,949,000,000 2005 est. 123 Zambia $ 1,947,000,000 2005 est. 124 Lebanon $ 1,782,000,000 2005 est. 125 Honduras $ 1,726,000,000 2005 est. 126 Mozambique $ 1,690,000,000 2005 est. 127 Zimbabwe $ 1,644,000,000 2005 est. 128 Jamaica $ 1,608,000,000 2004 est. 129 Tanzania $ 1,581,000,000 2005 est. 130 Nicaragua $ 1,550,000,000 2005 est. 131 Senegal $ 1,526,000,000 2005 est. 132 Bermuda $ 1,469,000,000 2004 est. 133 Georgia $ 1,400,000,000 2005 est. 134 Korea, North $ 1,275,000,000 2004 est. 135 Cyprus $ 1,237,000,000 2005 est. 136 Congo, Democratic Republic of the $ 1,108,000,000 2004 est. 137 Moldova $ 1,040,000,000 2005 est. 138 New Caledonia $ 999,000,000 2004 est. 139 Madagascar $ 951,000,000 2005 est. 140 Tajikistan $ 950,000,000 2005 est. 141 Liberia $ 910,000,000 2004 est. 142 Suriname $ 881,000,000 2004 est. 143 Mongolia $ 852,000,000 2004 est. 144 Benin $ 826,900,000 2005 est. 145 Nepal $ 822,000,000 2005 est. 146 Armenia $ 800,000,000 2005 est. 147 Mauritania $ 784,000,000 2004 est. 148 Togo $ 768,000,000 2005 est. 149 Uganda $ 768,000,000 2005 est. 150 Kyrgyzstan $ 759,000,000 2005 est. 151 Fiji $ 719,600,000 2005 152 Monaco $ 656,500,000 153 Albania $ 650,100,000 2005 est. 154 Guinea $ 612,100,000 2005 est. 155 Ethiopia $ 612,000,000 2005 est. 156 Lesotho $ 602,800,000 2005 est. 157 Guyana $ 587,200,000 2005 est. 158 Faroe Islands $ 533,000,000 2004 est. 159 Greenland $ 480,000,000 2004 est. 160 Afghanistan $ 471,000,000 2005 est. 161 Bahamas, The $ 469,300,000 2004 est. 162 American Samoa $ 445,600,000 FY04 est. 163 Martinique $ 404,200,000 2002 164 Burkina Faso $ 395,000,000 2005 est. 165 Haiti $ 390,700,000 2005 est. 166 Laos $ 379,000,000 2005 est. 167 Malawi $ 364,000,000 2005 est. 168 Belize $ 349,900,000 2005 est. 169 Mali $ 323,000,000 2004 est. 170 Seychelles $ 312,100,000 2005 est. 171 Gibraltar $ 271,000,000 2004 est. 172 Gaza Strip $ 270,000,000 2003 173 West Bank $ 270,000,000 2003 174 Djibouti $ 250,000,000 2004 est. 175 Reunion $ 248,500,000 2002 176 Somalia $ 241,000,000 2004 est. 177 Niger $ 222,000,000 2004 est. 178 French Polynesia $ 211,000,000 2005 est. 179 Barbados $ 209,000,000 2004 est. 180 Sierra Leone $ 185,000,000 2004 est. 181 Montenegro $ 171,300,000 2003 182 Solomon Islands $ 171,000,000 2004 est. 183 Turks and Caicos Islands $ 169,200,000 2000 184 Bhutan $ 154,000,000 2000 est. 185 Guadeloupe $ 147,800,000 2002 186 Andorra $ 145,000,000 2004 187 Gambia, The $ 140,300,000 2005 est. 188 French Guiana $ 137,500,000 2003 189 Central African Republic $ 131,000,000 2004 est. 190 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) $ 125,000,000 2004 est. 191 Maldives $ 123,000,000 2004 est. 192 Guinea-Bissau $ 116,000,000 2004 est. 193 Rwanda $ 98,000,000 2005 est. 194 Samoa $ 94,000,000 2004 est. 195 Saint Lucia $ 82,000,000 2004 est. 196 Aruba $ 80,000,000 2004 est. 197 Dominica $ 74,000,000 2004 est. 198 Cape Verde $ 73,350,000 2005 est. 199 Saint Kitts and Nevis $ 70,000,000 2004 est. 200 Cyprus $ 69,000,000 2005 est. 201 Burundi $ 52,000,000 2005 est. 202 Antigua and Barbuda $ 46,810,000 2004 est. 203 Guam $ 45,000,000 2004 est. 204 Grenada $ 40,000,000 2004 est. 205 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $ 37,000,000 2004 est. 206 Vanuatu $ 34,110,000 2004 est. 207 Comoros $ 34,000,000 2004 est. 208 Tonga $ 34,000,000 2004 est. 209 Eritrea $ 33,580,000 2005 est. 210 British Virgin Islands $ 25,300,000 2002 211 Saint Helena $ 19,000,000 2004 est. 212 Kiribati $ 17,000,000 2004 est. 213 Anguilla $ 14,560,000 2005 est. 214 Micronesia, Federated States of $ 14,000,000 2004 est. 215 East Timor $ 10,000,000 2005 est. 216 Marshall Islands $ 9,100,000 2000 217 Sao Tome and Principe $ 8,000,000 2005 est. 218 Saint Pierre and Miquelon $ 7,000,000 2004 est. 219 Palau $ 5,882,000 2004 est. 220 Cook Islands $ 5,222,000 2005 221 Mayotte $ 4,850,000 2004 222 Cayman Islands $ 2,520,000 2004 223 Norfolk Island $ 1,500,000 FY91/92 224 Tuvalu $ 1,000,000 2004 est. 225 Montserrat $ 700,000 2001 226 Niue $ 201,400 2004 227 Nauru $ 64,000 2005 est. 228 Wallis and Futuna $ 47,450 2004 229 Tokelau $ 0 2002

1 World $ 36,890,000,000,000 2004 est. 2 United States $ 8,837,000,000,000 30 June 2005 est. 3 United Kingdom $ 7,107,000,000,000 30 June 2005 4 Germany $ 3,626,000,000,000 30 June 2005 5 France $ 2,826,000,000,000 30 June 2005 6 Netherlands $ 1,645,000,000,000 30 June 2005 7 Japan $ 1,545,000,000,000 31 December 2004 8 Ireland $ 1,049,000,000,000 30 June 2005 9 Belgium $ 980,100,000,000 30 June 2005 est. 10 Spain $ 970,700,000,000 2005 est. 11 Italy $ 922,500,000,000 2005 est. 12 Switzerland $ 856,000,000,000 30 June 2005 13 Sweden $ 516,100,000,000 30 June 2005 14 Austria $ 510,600,000,000 30 June 2005 est. 15 Canada $ 439,800,000,000 30 November 2005 16 Denmark $ 352,900,000,000 30 June 2005 17 Australia $ 323,400,000,000 2005 est. 18 Portugal $ 287,800,000,000 2005 est. 19 Norway $ 281,000,000,000 30 June 2005 20 China $ 252,800,000,000 2005 est. 21 Russia $ 215,300,000,000 2005 est. 22 Finland $ 211,700,000,000 30 June 2005 23 Brazil $ 188,000,000,000 2005 est. 24 Turkey $ 170,100,000,000 2005 est. 25 Korea, South $ 153,900,000,000 2005 est. 26 Mexico $ 137,200,000,000 2005 est. 27 Indonesia $ 135,000,000,000 2005 est. 28 India $ 125,500,000,000 2005 est. 29 Argentina $ 118,200,000,000 2005 est. 30 Poland $ 101,500,000,000 2005 est. 31 Iraq $ 92,330,000,000 2005 est. 32 Taiwan $ 87,500,000,000 2005 est. 33 Israel $ 75,550,000,000 2005 est. 34 Greece $ 75,180,000,000 2005 est. 35 Hong Kong $ 72,040,000,000 2005 est. 36 Hungary $ 66,220,000,000 2005 est. 37 Philippines $ 65,710,000,000 2005 est. 38 Thailand $ 52,460,000,000 2005 est. 39 Malaysia $ 52,000,000,000 2005 est. 40 Czech Republic $ 49,140,000,000 2005 est. 41 Chile $ 47,450,000,000 2005 est. 42 New Zealand $ 42,840,000,000 2005 est. 43 Kazakhstan $ 41,660,000,000 2005 est. 44 Venezuela $ 41,510,000,000 2005 est. 45 Pakistan $ 38,800,000,000 2005 est. 46 Saudi Arabia $ 36,780,000,000 2005 est. 47 Romania $ 35,680,000,000 2005 est. 48 Egypt $ 35,260,000,000 2005 est. 49 United Arab Emirates $ 34,470,000,000 2005 est. 50 Nigeria $ 32,450,000,000 2005 est. 51 Colombia $ 32,350,000,000 2005 est. 52 Peru $ 30,940,000,000 2005 est. 53 Croatia $ 30,620,000,000 2005 est. 54 South Africa $ 29,970,000,000 2005 est. 55 Sudan $ 27,340,000,000 2005 est. 56 Slovakia $ 26,940,000,000 2005 est. 57 Lebanon $ 26,000,000,000 2005 est. 58 Ukraine $ 23,930,000,000 2005 est. 59 Singapore $ 23,760,000,000 2005 est. 60 Qatar $ 21,130,000,000 2005 est. 61 Bangladesh $ 20,630,000,000 2005 est. 62 Vietnam $ 20,160,000,000 2005 est. 63 Algeria $ 19,450,000,000 2005 est. 64 Iran $ 19,060,000,000 2005 est. 65 Slovenia $ 18,970,000,000 2005 est. 66 Ecuador $ 18,090,000,000 2005 est. 67 Monaco $ 18,000,000,000 2000 est. 68 Kuwait $ 16,120,000,000 2005 est. 69 Tunisia $ 16,090,000,000 2005 est. 70 Morocco $ 15,610,000,000 2005 est. 71 Serbia $ 15,430,000,000 2005 est. 72 Bulgaria $ 15,320,000,000 2005 est. 73 Cote d'Ivoire $ 13,430,000,000 2005 est. 74 Uruguay $ 13,240,000,000 2005 est. 75 Cuba $ 12,560,000,000 2005 est. 76 Korea, North $ 12,000,000,000 1996 est. 77 Lithuania $ 11,700,000,000 2 February 2006 78 Sri Lanka $ 11,050,000,000 2005 est. 79 Estonia $ 11,030,000,000 2005 est. 80 Latvia $ 10,800,000,000 1 January 2006 81 Congo, Democratic Republic of the $ 10,600,000,000 2003 est. 82 Cyprus $ 10,530,000,000 2005 est. 83 Panama $ 9,758,000,000 2005 est. 84 Angola $ 9,401,000,000 2005 est. 85 Cameroon $ 9,168,000,000 2005 est. 86 Syria $ 8,566,000,000 2005 est. 87 Jordan $ 8,528,000,000 2005 est. 88 Tanzania $ 8,178,000,000 2005 est. 89 El Salvador $ 8,087,000,000 2005 est. 90 Afghanistan $ 8,000,000,000 2004 91 Dominican Republic $ 7,687,000,000 2005 est. 92 Kenya $ 7,391,000,000 2005 est. 93 Jamaica $ 7,162,000,000 2005 est. 94 Ghana $ 6,999,000,000 2005 est. 95 Burma $ 6,990,000,000 2005 est. 96 Bahrain $ 6,814,000,000 2005 est. 97 Bolivia $ 6,309,000,000 2005 est. 98 Honduras $ 5,795,000,000 2005 est. 99 Guatemala $ 5,503,000,000 2005 est. 100 Mozambique $ 5,456,000,000 2005 est. 101 Yemen $ 5,347,000,000 2005 est. 102 Zimbabwe $ 5,216,000,000 2005 est. 103 Ethiopia $ 5,101,000,000 2005 est. 104 Costa Rica $ 5,049,000,000 2005 est. 105 Uzbekistan $ 5,032,000,000 2005 est. 106 Congo, Republic of the $ 5,000,000,000 2000 est. 107 Uganda $ 4,973,000,000 2005 est. 108 Belarus $ 4,662,000,000 30 June 2005 est. 109 Zambia $ 4,641,000,000 2005 est. 110 Madagascar $ 4,600,000,000 2002 111 Oman $ 4,361,000,000 2005 est. 112 Libya $ 4,267,000,000 2005 est. 113 Gabon $ 3,903,000,000 2005 est. 114 Senegal $ 3,529,000,000 2005 est. 115 Guinea $ 3,460,000,000 2003 est. 116 Paraguay $ 3,450,000,000 2005 est. 117 Nepal $ 3,340,000,000 March 2005 118 Malawi $ 3,287,000,000 2005 est. 119 Mauritius $ 3,246,000,000 2005 est. 120 Liberia $ 3,200,000,000 2005 est. 121 Nicaragua $ 3,188,000,000 2005 est. 122 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 3,116,000,000 2005 est. 123 Macau $ 3,100,000,000 2004 124 Iceland $ 3,073,000,000 2002 125 Somalia $ 3,000,000,000 2001 est. 126 Mali $ 2,800,000,000 2002 127 Trinidad and Tobago $ 2,767,000,000 2005 est. 128 Netherlands Antilles $ 2,680,000,000 2004 129 Mauritania $ 2,500,000,000 2000 130 Laos $ 2,490,000,000 2001 131 Kyrgyzstan $ 2,428,000,000 31 December 2004 est. 132 Turkmenistan $ 2,400,000,000 2001 est. 133 Macedonia $ 2,190,000,000 2005 est. 134 Niger $ 2,100,000,000 2003 est. 135 Georgia $ 2,040,000,000 2004 136 Togo $ 2,000,000,000 2005 137 Moldova $ 1,986,000,000 2005 est. 138 Papua New Guinea $ 1,882,000,000 2005 est. 139 Azerbaijan $ 1,873,000,000 2005 est. 140 Burkina Faso $ 1,850,000,000 2003 141 Armenia $ 1,819,000,000 20 September 2005 142 Sierra Leone $ 1,610,000,000 2003 est. 143 Benin $ 1,600,000,000 2000 144 Albania $ 1,550,000,000 2004 145 Chad $ 1,500,000,000 2003 est. 146 Rwanda $ 1,400,000,000 2004 est. 147 Belize $ 1,362,000,000 June 2004 est. 148 Mongolia $ 1,360,000,000 2004 149 Haiti $ 1,313,000,000 2005 est. 150 Burundi $ 1,200,000,000 2003 151 Guyana $ 1,200,000,000 2002 152 Central African Republic $ 1,060,000,000 2002 est. 153 Guinea-Bissau $ 941,500,000 2000 est. 154 Tajikistan $ 888,000,000 2004 est. 155 French Guiana $ 800,300,000 2003 156 Cambodia $ 800,000,000 2003 est. 157 Lesotho $ 735,000,000 2002 158 Namibia $ 712,900,000 2005 est. 159 Barbados $ 668,000,000 2003 160 Gambia, The $ 628,800,000 2003 est. 161 Bhutan $ 593,000,000 2004 162 Botswana $ 519,000,000 2005 est. 163 Seychelles $ 508,000,000 2005 est. 164 Suriname $ 504,300,000 2005 est. 165 Aruba $ 478,600,000 2005 est. 166 Antigua and Barbuda $ 427,300,000 2000 167 Djibouti $ 394,000,000 2004 est. 168 Swaziland $ 357,000,000 2003 est. 169 Equatorial Guinea $ 353,000,000 2005 est. 170 Grenada $ 347,000,000 2004 171 Bahamas, The $ 342,600,000 2004 est. 172 Cape Verde $ 325,000,000 2002 173 Sao Tome and Principe $ 318,000,000 2002 174 Saint Kitts and Nevis $ 314,000,000 2004 175 Eritrea $ 311,000,000 2000 est. 176 Maldives $ 304,000,000 2004 est. 177 Saint Lucia $ 257,000,000 2004 178 Comoros $ 232,000,000 2000 est. 179 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $ 223,000,000 2004 180 Dominica $ 213,000,000 2004 181 Malta $ 188,800,000 2005 182 Martinique $ 180,000,000 1994 183 Samoa $ 177,000,000 2004 184 Solomon Islands $ 166,000,000 2004 185 Bermuda $ 160,000,000 FY99/00 186 Cook Islands $ 141,000,000 1996 est. 187 Fiji $ 127,000,000 2004 est. 188 Marshall Islands $ 86,500,000 FY99/00 est. 189 Vanuatu $ 81,200,000 2004 190 Tonga $ 80,700,000 2004 191 New Caledonia $ 79,000,000 1998 est. 192 Cayman Islands $ 70,000,000 1996 193 Faroe Islands $ 64,000,000 1999 194 Micronesia, Federated States of $ 60,800,000 FY05 est. 195 British Virgin Islands $ 36,100,000 1997 196 Nauru $ 33,300,000 2002 197 Greenland $ 25,000,000 1999 198 Kiribati $ 10,000,000 1999 est. 199 Montserrat $ 8,900,000 1997 200 Anguilla $ 8,800,000 1998 201 Wallis and Futuna $ 3,670,000 202 Niue $ 418,000 2002 est. 203 Brunei $ 0 204 Palau $ 0 FY99/00 205 Tokelau $ 0 206 West Bank $ 0 2002 207 East Timor $ 0 208 Gaza Strip $ 0 2002 209 Liechtenstein $ 0 2001

1 World 32,345,165 2002 2 United States 6,407,637 2004 3 European Union 4,634,810 1999-2000 4 India 3,851,440 2002 5 China 1,809,829 2003 6 Brazil 1,724,929 2000 7 Japan 1,183,000 2003 8 Canada 1,042,300 2005 9 France 891,290 2003 10 Russia 871,000 2004 11 Australia 810,641 2004 12 Spain 666,292 2003 13 Italy 479,688 2004 14 Sweden 424,981 2003 15 Poland 423,997 2004 16 United Kingdom 387,674 2004 17 Indonesia 368,360 2002 18 South Africa 362,099 2002 19 Mexico 349,038 2003 20 Turkey 347,553 2004 21 Kazakhstan 258,029 2003 22 Pakistan 255,856 2004 23 Bangladesh 239,226 2003 24 Germany 231,581 2005 25 Argentina 229,144 2004 26 Vietnam 222,179 2004 27 Philippines 200,037 2003 28 Romania 198,817 2003 29 Nigeria 194,394 1999 30 Iran 178,152 2002 31 Ukraine 169,447 2004 32 Hungary 159,568 2005 33 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 157,000 1999 34 Saudi Arabia 152,044 2000 35 Belgium 149,757 2003 36 Netherlands 134,000 2004 37 Austria 133,718 2003 38 Czech Republic 127,747 2003 39 Greece 116,470 1999 40 Colombia 110,000 2000 41 Algeria 104,000 1999 42 Bulgaria 102,016 2003 43 Zimbabwe 97,440 2002 44 Sri Lanka 97,287 2003 45 Korea, South 97,252 2004 46 Venezuela 96,155 1999 47 Ireland 95,736 2002 48 Belarus 93,055 2003 49 New Zealand 92,662 2003 50 Norway 92,513 2005 51 Syria 91,795 2003 52 Zambia 91,440 2001 53 Libya 83,200 1999 54 Uzbekistan 81,600 1999 55 Cameroon 80,932 2002 56 Cote d'Ivoire 80,000 2006 57 Chile 79,605 2001 58 Lithuania 79,497 2005 59 Tanzania 78,891 2003 60 Peru 78,672 2003 61 Finland 78,189 2006 62 Uruguay 77,732 2004 63 Portugal 72,600 2002 64 Denmark 72,257 2005 65 Malaysia 71,814 2001 66 Yemen 71,300 2005 67 Switzerland 71,297 2004 68 Uganda 70,746 2003 69 Latvia 69,919 2003 70 Egypt 64,000 1999 71 Kenya 63,000 2004 72 Cuba 60,858 1999 73 Bolivia 60,762 2003 74 Morocco 57,694 2002 75 Thailand 57,403 2000 76 Estonia 56,849 2003 77 Angola 51,429 2001 78 Madagascar 49,827 1999 79 Mongolia 49,250 2002 80 Iraq 45,550 1999 81 Guinea 44,348 2003 82 Ecuador 43,197 2003 83 Slovakia 42,993 2003 84 Ghana 42,623 2004 85 Namibia 42,237 2002 86 Slovenia 38,400 2003 87 Serbia 37,887 2002 88 Taiwan 37,299 2002 89 Costa Rica 35,889 2003 90 Oman 34,965 2001 91 Afghanistan 34,789 2003 92 Ethiopia 33,856 2003 93 Chad 33,400 1999 94 Laos 32,620 2002 95 Gabon 32,333 2003 96 Korea, North 31,200 1999 est. 97 Mozambique 30,400 1999 98 Paraguay 29,500 1999 99 Malawi 28,400 1999 100 Croatia 28,344 2004 101 Tajikistan 27,767 2000 102 Azerbaijan 27,016 2003 103 Burma 27,000 2005 104 Puerto Rico 25,645 2004 105 Botswana 25,233 2003 106 Turkmenistan 24,000 1999 107 Central African Republic 23,810 1999 108 Somalia 22,100 1999 109 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21,846 2005 110 Georgia 20,247 2003 111 Papua New Guinea 19,600 1999 112 Nicaragua 19,036 2005 113 Tunisia 18,997 2001 114 Jamaica 18,700 1999 115 Kyrgyzstan 18,500 1999 116 Albania 18,000 2002 117 Israel 17,364 2004 118 Benin 16,000 2005 119 Nepal 15,905 2003 120 Mali 15,100 1999 121 Cyprus 14,496 2005/1996 est. 122 Burundi 14,480 1999 123 Guatemala 14,095 1999 124 Honduras 13,603 1999 125 Senegal 13,576 2003 126 Iceland 13,028 2005 127 Congo, Republic of the 12,800 1999 128 Moldova 12,730 2003 129 Dominican Republic 12,600 1999 130 Burkina Faso 12,506 1999 131 Cambodia 12,323 2000 132 Rwanda 12,000 1999 133 Sudan 11,900 1999 134 Panama 11,643 2000 135 Sierra Leone 11,300 2002 136 Liberia 10,600 1999 137 Niger 10,100 1999 138 El Salvador 10,029 1999 139 Macedonia 8,684 1999 140 Trinidad and Tobago 8,320 1999 141 Bhutan 8,050 2003 142 Guyana 7,970 1999 143 Mauritania 7,660 1999 144 Armenia 7,633 2003 145 Togo 7,520 1999 146 Jordan 7,364 2003 147 Montenegro 7,353 2005 148 Lebanon 7,300 1999 149 Lesotho 5,940 1999 150 New Caledonia 5,432 2000 151 Luxembourg 5,210 2002 152 East Timor 5,000 2005 153 Suriname 4,492 2002 154 Kuwait 4,450 1999 155 Guinea-Bissau 4,400 1999 156 Haiti 4,160 1999 157 West Bank 4,158 2003 158 Eritrea 4,010 1999 159 Gambia, The 3,742 2003 160 Swaziland 3,594 2002 161 Bahrain 3,498 2003 162 Fiji 3,440 1999 163 Singapore 3,234 2005 164 Djibouti 2,890 1999 165 Equatorial Guinea 2,880 1999 166 Belize 2,872 1999 167 Bahamas, The 2,693 1999 168 French Polynesia 2,590 1999 169 Brunei 2,525 2000 170 Malta 2,227 2004 171 Martinique 2,105 2000 172 Mauritius 2,020 2005 173 Hong Kong 1,955 2005 174 Barbados 1,600 2003 175 Solomon Islands 1,360 1999 176 Cape Verde 1,350 2000 177 Virgin Islands 1,257 2004 178 Qatar 1,230 1999 179 Reunion 1,214 2001 180 Antigua and Barbuda 1,165 2002 181 Grenada 1,127 1999 182 United Arab Emirates 1,088 1999 183 Vanuatu 1,070 1999 184 Guam 977 2004 185 Guadeloupe 947 2002 186 Saint Lucia 910 2000 187 Comoros 880 1999 188 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 829 2003 189 French Guiana 817 1998 190 Isle of Man 800 1999 191 Samoa 790 1999 192 Cayman Islands 785 2002 193 Dominica 780 1999 194 Tonga 680 1999 195 Kiribati 670 1999 196 Northern Mariana Islands 536 2004 197 Faroe Islands 458 2003 198 Seychelles 458 2003 199 Bermuda 447 2002 200 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 440 2003 201 Macau 368 2005 202 Cook Islands 320 2003 203 Sao Tome and Principe 320 1999 204 Saint Kitts and Nevis 320 1999 est 205 Andorra 269 206 Micronesia, Federated States of 240 1999 207 Niue 234 2001 208 Montserrat 227 2003 209 Saint Helena 198 2002 210 American Samoa 185 2004 211 British Virgin Islands 177 2002 212 Christmas Island 142 2006 213 Turks and Caicos Islands 121 2003 214 Anguilla 105 2002 215 San Marino 104 2003 216 Maldives 88 2006 217 Norfolk Island 80 2002 218 Marshall Islands 65 2002 219 Monaco 50 1999 220 Gibraltar 29 2002 221 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 22 2006 222 Tuvalu 8 2002

1 World $ 10,300,000,000,000 2004 est. 2 United States $ 1,727,000,000,000 2005 est. 3 European Union $ 1,402,000,000,000 2004 4 Germany $ 801,000,000,000 2005 est. 5 China $ 631,800,000,000 2005 est. 6 United Kingdom $ 483,700,000,000 2005 est. 7 France $ 473,300,000,000 2005 est. 8 Japan $ 451,100,000,000 2005 est. 9 Italy $ 369,200,000,000 2005 est. 10 Netherlands $ 326,600,000,000 2005 est. 11 Canada $ 317,700,000,000 2005 est. 12 Hong Kong $ 291,600,000,000 2005 est. 13 Spain $ 271,800,000,000 2005 est. 14 Belgium $ 264,500,000,000 2005 est. 15 Korea, South $ 256,000,000,000 2005 est. 16 Mexico $ 223,700,000,000 2005 est. 17 Singapore $ 188,300,000,000 2005 est. 18 Taiwan $ 181,600,000,000 2005 est. 19 Switzerland $ 135,000,000,000 2005 est. 20 Russia $ 125,000,000,000 2005 est. 21 Australia $ 119,600,000,000 2005 est. 22 Austria $ 118,800,000,000 2005 est. 23 Malaysia $ 118,700,000,000 2005 est. 24 India $ 113,100,000,000 2005 est. 25 Thailand $ 107,000,000,000 2005 est. 26 Sweden $ 104,400,000,000 2005 est. 27 Turkey $ 101,200,000,000 2005 est. 28 Poland $ 95,670,000,000 2005 est. 29 Brazil $ 78,020,000,000 2005 est. 30 Czech Republic $ 76,590,000,000 2005 est. 31 Denmark $ 74,690,000,000 2005 est. 32 Ireland $ 65,470,000,000 2005 est. 33 Hungary $ 64,830,000,000 2005 est. 34 Indonesia $ 62,020,000,000 2005 est. 35 Portugal $ 60,350,000,000 2005 est. 36 United Arab Emirates $ 60,150,000,000 2005 est. 37 Norway $ 58,120,000,000 2005 est. 38 Finland $ 56,450,000,000 2005 est. 39 South Africa $ 52,970,000,000 2005 est. 40 Greece $ 48,200,000,000 2005 est. 41 Saudi Arabia $ 44,930,000,000 2005 est. 42 Israel $ 43,190,000,000 2005 est. 43 Philippines $ 42,660,000,000 2005 est. 44 Iran $ 42,500,000,000 2005 est. 45 Romania $ 41,000,000,000 2005 46 Ukraine $ 37,180,000,000 2005 est. 47 Vietnam $ 36,880,000,000 2005 est. 48 Slovakia $ 32,900,000,000 2005 est. 49 Chile $ 30,090,000,000 2005 est. 50 Puerto Rico $ 29,100,000,000 2001 51 Argentina $ 28,800,000,000 2005 est. 52 Nigeria $ 25,950,000,000 2005 est. 53 Venezuela $ 24,630,000,000 2005 est. 54 New Zealand $ 24,570,000,000 2005 est. 55 Egypt $ 24,100,000,000 2005 est. 56 Algeria $ 22,530,000,000 2005 est. 57 Pakistan $ 21,260,000,000 2005 est. 58 Slovenia $ 19,620,000,000 2005 est. 59 Iraq $ 19,570,000,000 2004 60 Croatia $ 18,930,000,000 2005 est. 61 Luxembourg $ 18,740,000,000 2005 est. 62 Morocco $ 18,150,000,000 2005 est. 63 Colombia $ 18,000,000,000 2005 est. 64 Kazakhstan $ 17,510,000,000 2005 est. 65 Belarus $ 16,940,000,000 2005 est. 66 Bulgaria $ 16,780,000,000 2005 67 Lithuania $ 15,500,000,000 2005 est. 68 Bangladesh $ 12,970,000,000 2005 est. 69 Tunisia $ 12,860,000,000 2005 est. 70 Kuwait $ 12,230,000,000 2005 est. 71 Peru $ 12,150,000,000 2005 est. 72 Libya $ 10,820,000,000 2005 est. 73 Serbia $ 10,580,000,000 2005 est. 74 Dominican Republic $ 9,747,000,000 2005 est. 75 Costa Rica $ 9,690,000,000 2005 est. 76 Estonia $ 9,189,000,000 2005 est. 77 Lebanon $ 8,855,000,000 2005 est. 78 Panama $ 8,734,000,000 2005 est. 79 Oman $ 8,709,000,000 2005 est. 80 Jordan $ 8,681,000,000 2005 est. 81 Ecuador $ 8,436,000,000 2005 est. 82 Sri Lanka $ 8,370,000,000 2005 est. 83 Latvia $ 8,190,000,000 2005 84 Angola $ 8,165,000,000 2005 est. 85 Bahrain $ 7,830,000,000 2005 est. 86 Guatemala $ 7,744,000,000 2005 est. 87 Cuba $ 6,916,000,000 2005 est. 88 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 6,800,000,000 2005 est. 89 Qatar $ 6,706,000,000 2005 est. 90 El Salvador $ 6,678,000,000 2005 est. 91 Trinidad and Tobago $ 6,011,000,000 2005 est. 92 Syria $ 5,973,000,000 2005 est. 93 Cyprus $ 5,552,000,000 2005 est. 94 Kenya $ 5,126,000,000 2005 est. 95 Sudan $ 5,028,000,000 2005 est. 96 Liberia $ 4,839,000,000 2004 est. 97 Cote d'Ivoire $ 4,759,000,000 2005 est. 98 Azerbaijan $ 4,656,000,000 2005 est. 99 Virgin Islands $ 4,609,000,000 100 Iceland $ 4,582,000,000 2005 est. 101 Netherlands Antilles $ 4,383,000,000 2004 est. 102 Ghana $ 4,273,000,000 2005 est. 103 Yemen $ 4,190,000,000 2005 est. 104 Turkmenistan $ 4,175,000,000 2005 est. 105 Honduras $ 4,161,000,000 2005 est. 106 Jamaica $ 4,093,000,000 2004 est. 107 Afghanistan $ 3,870,000,000 2005 est. 108 Malta $ 3,859,000,000 2005 est. 109 Paraguay $ 3,832,000,000 2005 est. 110 Uzbekistan $ 3,800,000,000 2005 est. 111 Uruguay $ 3,540,000,000 2005 est. 112 Cambodia $ 3,538,000,000 2005 est. 113 Macau $ 3,478,000,000 2004 114 Burma $ 3,454,000,000 2004 115 Botswana $ 3,370,000,000 2005 est. 116 Reunion $ 3,306,000,000 2002 117 Macedonia $ 3,196,000,000 2005 est. 118 Gibraltar $ 2,967,000,000 2004 est. 119 Nicaragua $ 2,865,000,000 2005 est. 120 Korea, North $ 2,819,000,000 2004 est. 121 Ethiopia $ 2,722,000,000 2005 est. 122 Cameroon $ 2,514,000,000 2005 est. 123 Mauritius $ 2,507,000,000 2005 est. 124 Georgia $ 2,500,000,000 2005 est. 125 Albania $ 2,473,000,000 2005 est. 126 Senegal $ 2,405,000,000 2005 est. 127 Tanzania $ 2,391,000,000 2005 est. 128 Namibia $ 2,350,000,000 2005 est. 129 Martinique $ 2,307,000,000 2002 130 Moldova $ 2,230,000,000 2005 est. 131 Swaziland $ 2,149,000,000 2005 est. 132 Zimbabwe $ 2,059,000,000 2005 est. 133 Mozambique $ 2,041,000,000 2005 est. 134 Nepal $ 2,000,000,000 2005 est. 135 Gaza Strip $ 1,952,000,000 2003 136 West Bank $ 1,952,000,000 2003 137 Zambia $ 1,934,000,000 2005 est. 138 Equatorial Guinea $ 1,864,000,000 2005 est. 139 Mali $ 1,858,000,000 2004 est. 140 Bolivia $ 1,845,000,000 2005 est. 141 Bahamas, The $ 1,820,000,000 2004 est. 142 Guadeloupe $ 1,766,000,000 2002 143 French Polynesia $ 1,706,000,000 2005 est. 144 Papua New Guinea $ 1,651,000,000 2005 est. 145 Brunei $ 1,641,000,000 2004 est. 146 New Caledonia $ 1,636,000,000 2004 est. 147 Uganda $ 1,608,000,000 2005 est. 148 Gabon $ 1,533,000,000 2005 est. 149 Armenia $ 1,500,000,000 2005 est. 150 Barbados $ 1,476,000,000 2004 est. 151 Haiti $ 1,471,000,000 2005 est. 152 Fiji $ 1,462,000,000 2005 153 Madagascar $ 1,400,000,000 2005 est. 154 Congo, Democratic Republic of the $ 1,319,000,000 2004 est. 155 Tajikistan $ 1,250,000,000 2005 est. 156 Lesotho $ 1,166,000,000 2005 est. 157 Mauritania $ 1,124,000,000 2004 est. 158 Andorra $ 1,077,000,000 1998 159 Togo $ 1,047,000,000 2005 est. 160 Benin $ 1,043,000,000 2005 est. 161 Mongolia $ 1,011,000,000 2004 est. 162 Burkina Faso $ 992,000,000 2005 est. 163 Djibouti $ 987,000,000 2004 est. 164 Bermuda $ 982,000,000 2004 est. 165 Kyrgyzstan $ 937,400,000 2005 est. 166 Liechtenstein $ 917,300,000 1996 167 Aruba $ 875,000,000 2004 est. 168 Cayman Islands $ 866,900,000 2004 169 Congo, Republic of the $ 806,500,000 2005 est. 170 Suriname $ 750,000,000 2004 est. 171 Chad $ 749,100,000 2005 est. 172 Guam $ 701,000,000 2004 est. 173 Guyana $ 681,600,000 2005 est. 174 Guinea $ 680,000,000 2005 est. 175 Eritrea $ 676,500,000 2005 est. 176 Malawi $ 645,000,000 2005 est. 177 Faroe Islands $ 639,000,000 2004 est. 178 Monaco $ 636,600,000 179 French Guiana $ 625,000,000 2002 est. 180 Belize $ 622,400,000 2005 est. 181 Montenegro $ 601,700,000 2003 182 Greenland $ 601,000,000 2004 est. 183 Niger $ 588,000,000 2004 est. 184 Somalia $ 576,000,000 2004 est. 185 Maldives $ 567,000,000 2004 est. 186 Laos $ 541,000,000 2005 est. 187 Sierra Leone $ 531,000,000 2004 est. 188 Cape Verde $ 500,000,000 2005 est. 189 Seychelles $ 459,900,000 2005 est. 190 Cyprus $ 415,200,000 2005 est. 191 Saint Lucia $ 410,000,000 2004 est. 192 Saint Kitts and Nevis $ 405,000,000 2004 est. 193 Antigua and Barbuda $ 378,000,000 2004 est. 194 American Samoa $ 308,800,000 FY04 est. 195 Samoa $ 285,000,000 2004 est. 196 Grenada $ 276,000,000 2004 est. 197 Mayotte $ 256,700,000 2004 198 Rwanda $ 243,000,000 2005 est. 199 Dominica $ 234,000,000 2004 est. 200 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $ 225,000,000 2004 est. 201 Northern Mariana Islands $ 214,400,000 202 Central African Republic $ 203,000,000 2004 est. 203 East Timor $ 202,000,000 2004 est. 204 Burundi $ 200,000,000 2005 est. 205 Gambia, The $ 197,000,000 2005 est. 206 Bhutan $ 196,000,000 2000 est. 207 British Virgin Islands $ 187,000,000 2002 est. 208 Guinea-Bissau $ 176,000,000 2004 est. 209 Turks and Caicos Islands $ 175,600,000 2000 210 Solomon Islands $ 159,000,000 2004 est. 211 Micronesia, Federated States of $ 132,700,000 2004 212 Anguilla $ 129,900,000 2005 est. 213 Tonga $ 122,000,000 2004 est. 214 Vanuatu $ 117,100,000 2004 est. 215 Comoros $ 115,000,000 2004 est. 216 Palau $ 107,300,000 2004 est. 217 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) $ 90,000,000 2004 est. 218 Cook Islands $ 81,040,000 2005 219 Saint Pierre and Miquelon $ 70,000,000 2004 est. 220 Kiribati $ 62,000,000 2004 est. 221 Wallis and Futuna $ 61,170,000 2004 222 Marshall Islands $ 54,700,000 2000 223 Saint Helena $ 45,000,000 2004 est. 224 Sao Tome and Principe $ 38,000,000 2005 est. 225 Nauru $ 20,000,000 2004 est. 226 Norfolk Island $ 17,900,000 FY91/92 227 Montserrat $ 17,000,000 2001 228 Tuvalu $ 9,186,000 2004 est. 229 Niue $ 9,038,000 2004 230 Tokelau $ 969,200 2002

1 Azerbaijan 40.00 2005 est. 2 Equatorial Guinea 30.00 2002 est. 3 China 29.50 2005 est. 4 Cambodia 22.00 2002 est. 5 Turkmenistan 22.00 2003 est. 6 Burundi 18.00 2001 7 Vietnam 17.20 2005 est. 8 Moldova 17.00 2003 est. 9 Belarus 15.60 2005 est. 10 Lesotho 15.50 1999 11 Cote d'Ivoire 15.00 1998 est. 12 Iceland 14.20 2005 est. 13 Burkina Faso 14.00 2001 est. 14 Angola 13.50 2004 15 Kuwait 13.10 2005 est. 16 Laos 13.00 2005 est. 17 Pakistan 10.70 2005 est. 18 Qatar 10.00 2003 est. 19 Estonia 9.70 2005 est. 20 Singapore 9.50 2005 est. 21 Bhutan 9.30 1996 est. 22 Thailand 9.10 2005 est. 23 Trinidad and Tobago 9.00 2005 est. 24 Uganda 9.00 2005 est. 25 Sudan 8.50 1999 est. 26 East Timor 8.50 27 Uruguay 8.50 2005 est. 28 Tanzania 8.40 1999 est. 29 Benin 8.30 2001 est. 30 Sri Lanka 8.20 2005 est. 31 Tajikistan 8.20 2002 est. 32 Algeria 8.00 2005 est. 33 Mauritius 8.00 2000 est. 34 Faroe Islands 8.00 1999 est. 35 Bulgaria 7.90 2005 36 Malawi 7.90 2005 est. 37 Zambia 7.90 2005 est. 38 India 7.90 2005 est. 39 Argentina 7.70 2005 est. 40 Uzbekistan 7.70 2005 est. 41 Honduras 7.70 2003 est. 42 Armenia 7.50 2005 est. 43 Jordan 7.50 2005 est. 44 Botswana 7.50 2005 est. 45 Brunei 7.30 2003 est. 46 Hungary 7.30 2005 est. 47 Lithuania 7.30 2005 est. 48 Venezuela 7.20 2005 est. 49 Kyrgyzstan 7.10 2004 est. 50 Rwanda 7.00 2001 est. 51 Syria 7.00 2002 est. 52 Peru 6.90 2005 est. 53 Macedonia 6.80 2005 est. 54 Bangladesh 6.70 2005 est. 55 Ethiopia 6.70 2001 est. 56 Suriname 6.50 1994 est. 57 Antigua and Barbuda 6.00 1997 est. 58 San Marino 6.00 1997 est. 59 Korea, South 5.90 2005 est. 60 Turkey 5.90 2005 est. 61 Bolivia 5.70 2004 est. 62 Costa Rica 5.70 2005 est. 63 Czech Republic 5.70 2005 64 Latvia 5.60 2005 est. 65 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.50 2003 est. 66 Saudi Arabia 5.30 2005 est. 67 Cuba 5.10 2005 est. 68 Niger 5.10 2003 est. 69 Croatia 5.10 2005 est. 70 Chad 5.00 1995 71 Egypt 5.00 2005 est. 72 Indonesia 4.80 2005 est. 73 Austria 4.70 2005 est. 74 Guinea-Bissau 4.70 2003 est. 75 Belize 4.60 1999 76 Kazakhstan 4.60 2005 est. 77 Kenya 4.60 2005 est. 78 Luxembourg 4.50 2005 est. 79 Cameroon 4.20 1999 est. 80 Guatemala 4.10 1999 81 Oman 4.10 2005 est. 82 Taiwan 4.10 2005 est. 83 Malaysia 4.10 2005 est. 84 Mongolia 4.10 2002 est. 85 United Arab Emirates 4.00 2000 86 Russia 4.00 2005 est. 87 Morocco 4.00 88 Ghana 3.80 2000 est. 89 Nepal 3.80 FY04/05 90 Nigeria 3.80 2005 est. 91 Slovakia 3.80 2005 est. 92 Colombia 3.70 2005 est. 93 Poland 3.70 2005 est. 94 Swaziland 3.70 FY95/96 95 South Africa 3.60 2005 est. 96 Zimbabwe 3.60 2005 est. 97 Brazil 3.40 2005 est. 98 Chile 3.40 2005 est. 99 Mozambique 3.40 2000 100 Isle of Man 3.20 FY96/97 101 Ukraine 3.20 2005 est. 102 United States 3.20 2005 est. 103 Albania 3.10 2004 est. 104 Anguilla 3.10 1997 est. 105 Slovenia 3.10 2005 est. 106 Senegal 3.10 2005 est. 107 Central African Republic 3.00 2002 108 Djibouti 3.00 1996 est. 109 Ireland 3.00 2005 est. 110 Iran 3.00 2005 est. 111 Madagascar 3.00 2000 est. 112 Switzerland 3.00 2005 est. 113 Yemen 3.00 2003 est. 114 World 3.00 2003 est. 115 Georgia 3.00 2000 116 Germany 2.90 2005 est. 117 Israel 2.80 2005 est. 118 Samoa 2.80 2000 119 Canada 2.60 2005 est. 120 Nicaragua 2.40 2005 est. 121 Philippines 2.20 2005 est. 122 Ecuador 2.10 2005 est. 123 Bahrain 2.00 2000 est. 124 Dominican Republic 2.00 2001 est. 125 Mauritania 2.00 2000 est. 126 Mexico 1.90 2005 est. 127 Romania 1.90 2005 est. 128 Panama 1.70 2005 est. 129 Denmark 1.60 2005 est. 130 Sweden 1.60 2005 est. 131 Gabon 1.60 2002 est. 132 El Salvador 1.50 2005 est. 133 Japan 1.50 2005 est. 134 Serbia 1.40 2006 est. 135 European Union 1.30 2005 est. 136 Australia 1.10 2005 est. 137 Cook Islands 1.00 2002 138 Tonga 1.00 2003 est. 139 Vanuatu 1.00 1997 est. 140 Tunisia 0.90 2005 est. 141 Grenada 0.70 1997 est. 142 Spain 0.70 2005 est. 143 Kiribati 0.70 1991 est. 144 Cyprus 0.40 145 France 0.20 2005 est. 146 Congo, Republic of the 0.00 2002 est. 147 Paraguay 0.00 2000 est. 148 Portugal 0.00 2005 est. 149 Belgium -0.20 2005 est. 150 Cyprus -0.30 151 Greece -0.30 2005 est. 152 Norway -0.50 2005 est. 153 Hong Kong -0.60 2005 est. 154 New Caledonia -0.60 1996 155 Maldives -0.90 2004 est. 156 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -0.90 1997 est. 157 Italy -1.00 2005 est. 158 Netherlands -1.40 2005 est. 159 United Kingdom -1.90 2005 est. 160 Comoros -2.00 1999 est. 161 Finland -2.00 2005 est. 162 Jamaica -2.00 2000 est. 163 New Zealand -2.50 2005 est. 164 Barbados -3.20 2000 est. 165 Saint Lucia -8.90 1997 est. 166 Dominica -10.00 1997 est.

Rank Country Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) Date of Information

1 Angola 185.36 2006 est. 2 Sierra Leone 160.39 2006 est. 3 Afghanistan 160.23 2006 est. 4 Liberia 155.76 2006 est. 5 Mozambique 129.24 2006 est. 6 Niger 118.25 2006 est. 7 Somalia 114.89 2006 est. 8 Mali 107.58 2006 est. 9 Tajikistan 106.49 2006 est. 10 Guinea-Bissau 105.21 2006 est. 11 Djibouti 102.44 2006 est. 12 Bhutan 98.41 2006 est. 13 Nigeria 97.14 2006 est. 14 Tanzania 96.48 2006 est. 15 Malawi 94.37 2006 est. 16 Ethiopia 93.62 2006 est. 17 Chad 91.45 2006 est. 18 Burkina Faso 91.35 2006 est. 19 Guinea 90.00 2006 est. 20 Rwanda 89.61 2006 est. 21 Equatorial Guinea 89.21 2006 est. 22 Cote d'Ivoire 89.11 2006 est. 23 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 88.62 2006 est. 24 Lesotho 87.24 2006 est. 25 Zambia 86.84 2006 est. 26 Central African Republic 85.63 2006 est. 27 Congo, Republic of the 85.29 2006 est. 28 Laos 83.31 2006 est. 29 Benin 79.56 2006 est. 30 Azerbaijan 79.00 2006 est. 31 Madagascar 75.21 2006 est. 32 Comoros 72.85 2006 est. 33 Turkmenistan 72.56 2006 est. 34 Swaziland 71.85 2006 est. 35 Haiti 71.65 2006 est. 36 Gambia, The 71.58 2006 est. 37 Pakistan 70.45 2006 est. 38 Uzbekistan 69.99 2006 est. 39 Mauritania 69.48 2006 est. 40 Cambodia 68.78 2006 est. 41 Uganda 66.15 2006 est. 42 Nepal 65.32 2006 est. 43 Cameroon 63.52 2006 est. 44 Burundi 63.13 2006 est. 45 Burma 61.85 2006 est. 46 Sudan 61.05 2006 est. 47 Bangladesh 60.83 2006 est. 48 Mayotte 60.76 2006 est. 49 South Africa 60.66 2006 est. 50 Togo 60.63 2006 est. 51 Yemen 59.88 2006 est. 52 Kenya 59.26 2006 est. 53 Ghana 55.02 2006 est. 54 Maldives 54.89 2006 est. 55 India 54.63 2006 est. 56 Gabon 54.51 2006 est. 57 Vanuatu 53.80 2006 est. 58 Botswana 53.70 2006 est. 59 Senegal 52.94 2006 est. 60 Mongolia 52.12 2006 est. 61 Bolivia 51.77 2006 est. 62 Zimbabwe 51.71 2006 est. 63 Papua New Guinea 49.96 2006 est. 64 World 48.87 2006 est. 65 Iraq 48.64 2006 est. 66 Namibia 48.10 2006 est. 67 Kiribati 47.27 2006 est. 68 Cape Verde 46.52 2006 est. 69 Eritrea 46.30 2006 est. 70 East Timor 45.89 2006 est. 71 Sao Tome and Principe 41.83 2006 est. 72 Iran 40.30 2006 est. 73 Morocco 40.24 2006 est. 74 Turkey 39.69 2006 est. 75 Moldova 38.38 2006 est. 76 Kyrgyzstan 34.49 2006 est. 77 Indonesia 34.39 2006 est. 78 Guyana 32.19 2006 est. 79 Egypt 31.33 2006 est. 80 Guatemala 30.94 2006 est. 81 Peru 30.94 2006 est. 82 Algeria 29.87 2006 est. 83 Micronesia, Federated States of 29.16 2006 est. 84 Syria 28.61 2006 est. 85 Brazil 28.60 2006 est. 86 Marshall Islands 28.43 2006 est. 87 Kazakhstan 28.30 2006 est. 88 Dominican Republic 28.25 2006 est. 89 Nicaragua 28.11 2006 est. 90 Samoa 26.85 2006 est. 91 Honduras 25.82 2006 est. 92 Romania 25.50 2006 est. 93 Vietnam 25.14 2006 est. 94 Trinidad and Tobago 25.05 2006 est. 95 Belize 24.89 2006 est. 96 Paraguay 24.78 2006 est. 97 Bahamas, The 24.68 2006 est. 98 El Salvador 24.39 2006 est. 99 Tunisia 23.84 2006 est. 100 Lebanon 23.72 2006 est. 101 Libya 23.71 2006 est. 102 Korea, North 23.29 2006 est. 103 China 23.12 2006 est. 104 Suriname 23.02 2006 est. 105 Ecuador 22.87 2006 est. 106 Philippines 22.81 2006 est. 107 Armenia 22.47 2006 est. 108 Gaza Strip 22.40 2006 est. 109 Venezuela 21.54 2006 est. 110 Albania 20.75 2006 est. 111 Solomon Islands 20.63 2006 est. 112 Colombia 20.35 2006 est. 113 Anguilla 20.32 2006 est. 114 Mexico 20.26 2006 est. 115 Bulgaria 19.85 2006 est. 116 Thailand 19.49 2006 est. 117 Tuvalu 19.47 2006 est. 118 West Bank 19.15 2006 est. 119 Oman 18.89 2006 est. 120 Antigua and Barbuda 18.86 2006 est. 121 Saint Helena 18.34 2006 est. 122 Qatar 18.04 2006 est. 123 Georgia 17.97 2006 est. 124 Malaysia 17.16 2006 est. 125 Bahrain 16.80 2006 est. 126 Jordan 16.76 2006 est. 127 British Virgin Islands 16.72 2006 est. 128 Panama 16.37 2006 est. 129 Jamaica 15.98 2006 est. 130 Greenland 15.40 2006 est. 131 Turks and Caicos Islands 15.18 2006 est. 132 Seychelles 15.14 2006 est. 133 Russia 15.13 2006 est. 134 Argentina 14.73 2006 est. 135 Mauritius 14.59 2006 est. 136 Palau 14.46 2006 est. 137 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14.40 2006 est. 138 Grenada 14.27 2006 est. 139 Saint Kitts and Nevis 14.12 2006 est. 140 United Arab Emirates 14.09 2006 est. 141 Sri Lanka 13.97 2006 est. 142 Dominica 13.71 2006 est. 143 Saint Lucia 13.17 2006 est. 144 Belarus 13.00 2006 est. 145 Saudi Arabia 12.81 2006 est. 146 Fiji 12.30 2006 est. 147 Tonga 12.30 2006 est. 148 Brunei 12.25 2006 est. 149 Barbados 11.77 2006 est. 150 French Guiana 11.76 2006 est. 151 Uruguay 11.61 2006 est. 152 Ukraine 9.90 2006 est. 153 Bosnia and Herzegovina 9.82 2006 est. 154 Macedonia 9.81 2006 est. 155 Nauru 9.78 2006 est. 156 Netherlands Antilles 9.76 2006 est. 157 Kuwait 9.71 2006 est. 158 Costa Rica 9.70 2006 est. 159 Latvia 9.35 2006 est. 160 Puerto Rico 9.14 2006 est. 161 American Samoa 9.07 2006 est. 162 Chile 8.58 2006 est. 163 Guadeloupe 8.41 2006 est. 164 Hungary 8.39 2006 est. 165 Bermuda 8.30 2006 est. 166 French Polynesia 8.29 2006 est. 167 Cayman Islands 8.00 2006 est. 168 Virgin Islands 7.86 2006 est. 169 Estonia 7.73 2006 est. 170 Reunion 7.63 2006 est. 171 New Caledonia 7.57 2006 est. 172 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7.38 2006 est. 173 Slovakia 7.26 2006 est. 174 Poland 7.22 2006 est. 175 Montserrat 7.19 2006 est. 176 Cyprus 7.04 2006 est. 177 Northern Mariana Islands 6.98 2006 est. 178 Martinique 6.95 2006 est. 179 Israel 6.89 2006 est. 180 Guam 6.81 2006 est. 181 Lithuania 6.78 2006 est. 182 Croatia 6.72 2006 est. 183 United States 6.43 2006 est. 184 Taiwan 6.29 2006 est. 185 Cuba 6.22 2006 est. 186 Korea, South 6.16 2006 est. 187 Faroe Islands 6.12 2006 est. 188 Italy 5.83 2006 est. 189 Isle of Man 5.82 2006 est. 190 Aruba 5.79 2006 est. 191 New Zealand 5.76 2006 est. 192 San Marino 5.63 2006 est. 193 Greece 5.43 2006 est. 194 Monaco 5.35 2006 est. 195 Ireland 5.31 2006 est. 196 Jersey 5.16 2006 est. 197 European Union 5.10 2006 est. 198 United Kingdom 5.08 2006 est. 199 Gibraltar 5.06 2006 est. 200 Portugal 4.98 2006 est. 201 Netherlands 4.96 2006 est. 202 Luxembourg 4.74 2006 est. 203 Canada 4.69 2006 est. 204 Guernsey 4.65 2006 est. 205 Liechtenstein 4.64 2006 est. 206 Australia 4.63 2006 est. 207 Belgium 4.62 2006 est. 208 Austria 4.60 2006 est. 209 Denmark 4.51 2006 est. 210 Slovenia 4.40 2006 est. 211 Spain 4.37 2006 est. 212 Macau 4.35 2006 est. 213 Switzerland 4.34 2006 est. 214 France 4.21 2006 est. 215 Germany 4.12 2006 est. 216 Andorra 4.04 2006 est. 217 Czech Republic 3.89 2006 est. 218 Malta 3.86 2006 est. 219 Norway 3.67 2006 est. 220 Finland 3.55 2006 est. 221 Iceland 3.29 2006 est. 222 Japan 3.24 2006 est. 223 Hong Kong 2.95 2006 est. 224 Sweden 2.76 2006 est. 225 Singapore 2.29 2006 est.

1 Nauru -3.60 1993 2 San Marino -1.70 2001 3 Vanuatu -1.60 2005 est. 4 Northern Mariana Islands -0.80 2000 5 New Caledonia -0.60 2000 est. 6 Barbados -0.50 2003 est. 7 Japan -0.30 2005 est. 8 Dominica -0.10 2005 est. 9 Gabon -0.10 2005 est. 10 Macedonia 0.00 2005 est. 11 Niger 0.20 2004 est. 12 Cape Verde 0.40 2005 est. 13 Singapore 0.40 2005 est. 14 Saudi Arabia 0.40 2005 est. 15 Kiribati 0.50 2005 est. 16 Sweden 0.50 2005 est. 17 Armenia 0.60 2005 est. 18 Antigua and Barbuda 0.90 2005 est. 19 Brunei 0.90 2004 20 Hong Kong 0.90 2005 est. 21 Finland 0.90 2005 est. 22 French Guiana 1.00 2003 23 Morocco 1.00 2005 est. 24 Liechtenstein 1.00 2001 25 Sierra Leone 1.00 2002 est. 26 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1.00 2005 est. 27 French Polynesia 1.10 2006 est. 28 Bahamas, The 1.20 2004 29 Switzerland 1.20 2005 est. 30 Oman 1.20 2005 est. 31 Israel 1.30 2005 est. 32 East Timor 1.40 2005 33 Gibraltar 1.50 1998 34 Greenland 1.60 1999 est. 35 Norway 1.60 2005 est. 36 Peru 1.60 2005 est. 37 Seychelles 1.60 2005 est. 38 France 1.70 2005 est. 39 Papua New Guinea 1.70 2005 est. 40 Senegal 1.70 2005 est. 41 Netherlands 1.70 2005 est. 42 China 1.80 2005 est. 43 Denmark 1.80 2005 est. 44 Algeria 1.90 2005 est. 45 Czech Republic 1.90 2005 est. 46 Monaco 1.90 2000 47 Cameroon 2.00 2005 est. 48 Germany 2.00 2005 est. 49 British Virgin Islands 2.00 2005 50 Italy 2.00 2005 est. 51 Cook Islands 2.10 2005 est. 52 United Kingdom 2.10 2005 est. 53 Tunisia 2.10 2005 est. 54 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2.10 1991-96 average 55 Ecuador 2.10 2005 est. 56 Netherlands Antilles 2.10 2003 est. 57 Canada 2.20 2005 est. 58 Poland 2.20 2005 est. 59 European Union 2.20 2005 est. 60 Virgin Islands 2.20 2003 61 Micronesia, Federated States of 2.20 2005 62 Congo, Republic of the 2.20 2005 est. 63 Austria 2.30 2005 est. 64 Namibia 2.30 2005 est. 65 Taiwan 2.30 2005 est. 66 Portugal 2.30 2005 est. 67 Albania 2.40 2005 est. 68 Ireland 2.40 2005 est. 69 Lebanon 2.40 2005 est. 70 Guam 2.50 2005 est. 71 Luxembourg 2.50 2005 est. 72 Slovenia 2.50 2005 est. 73 Cyprus 2.60 74 Montserrat 2.60 2002 est. 75 Australia 2.70 2005 est. 76 Bahrain 2.70 2005 est. 77 Isle of Man 2.70 2003 est. 78 Palau 2.70 2005 est. 79 Slovakia 2.70 2005 est. 80 Lithuania 2.70 2005 81 Bermuda 2.80 November 2005 82 Belgium 2.80 2005 est. 83 Wallis and Futuna 2.80 84 Korea, South 2.80 2005 est. 85 Panama 2.90 2005 est. 86 Saint Lucia 2.90 2005 est. 87 Belize 3.00 2005 est. 88 Chad 3.00 2005 est. 89 Djibouti 3.00 2005 est. 90 Fiji 3.00 2005 91 Malaysia 3.00 2005 est. 92 Marshall Islands 3.00 2005 est. 93 New Zealand 3.00 2005 est. 94 Malta 3.00 2005 est. 95 Grenada 3.00 2005 est. 96 Comoros 3.00 2005 est. 97 Chile 3.10 2005 est. 98 Saint Helena 3.20 1997 est. 99 United States 3.20 2005 est. 100 Croatia 3.30 2005 est. 101 Samoa 3.30 2005 102 Aruba 3.40 2005 103 Spain 3.40 2005 est. 104 Montenegro 3.40 2004 105 Libya 3.40 2005 est. 106 Andorra 3.40 2004 107 Benin 3.50 2005 est. 108 Greece 3.50 2005 est. 109 Central African Republic 3.60 2001 est. 110 Hungary 3.60 2005 est. 111 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 3.60 1998 112 Tuvalu 3.70 2003 est. 113 Macau 3.80 2nd quarter, 2005 114 Cote d'Ivoire 3.90 2005 est. 115 Iceland 4.00 2005 est. 116 Guinea-Bissau 4.00 2002 est. 117 Niue 4.00 2005 118 Mexico 4.00 2005 est. 119 South Africa 4.00 2005 est. 120 Turks and Caicos Islands 4.00 1995 121 Swaziland 4.00 2005 est. 122 Estonia 4.10 2005 est. 123 Kuwait 4.10 2005 est. 124 Dominican Republic 4.20 2005 est. 125 India 4.20 2005 est. 126 Tanzania 4.30 2005 est. 127 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.40 2005 est. 128 Cayman Islands 4.40 2004 129 Jordan 4.50 2005 est. 130 Thailand 4.50 2005 est. 131 Mali 4.50 2002 est. 132 El Salvador 4.70 2005 est. 133 Lesotho 4.70 2005 est. 134 Uruguay 4.70 2005 est. 135 Egypt 4.90 2005 est. 136 Guernsey 4.90 2004 est. 137 Bulgaria 5.00 2005 138 Equatorial Guinea 5.00 2005 est. 139 Colombia 5.00 2005 est. 140 Mauritius 5.00 2005 est. 141 Syria 5.00 2005 est. 142 Faroe Islands 5.10 1999 143 Kyrgyzstan 5.20 2005 est. 144 Anguilla 5.30 145 Jersey 5.30 2004 146 Bolivia 5.40 2005 est. 147 Cambodia 5.80 2005 est. 148 Maldives 6.00 2005 est. 149 Togo 6.00 2005 est. 150 Burkina Faso 6.40 2005 est. 151 Mozambique 6.50 2005 est. 152 Puerto Rico 6.50 2003 est. 153 Solomon Islands 6.60 2005 est. 154 Latvia 6.80 2005 est. 155 Paraguay 6.80 2005 est. 156 Brazil 6.90 2005 est. 157 Guyana 6.90 2005 est. 158 Uzbekistan 6.90 2005 est. 159 Trinidad and Tobago 6.90 2005 est. 160 Bangladesh 7.00 2005 est. 161 West Bank 7.00 2003 est. 162 Cuba 7.00 2005 est. 163 Bhutan 7.00 2005 est. 164 Gaza Strip 7.00 2003 165 Mauritania 7.00 2003 est. 166 Laos 7.00 2005 est. 167 Tajikistan 7.10 2005 est. 168 Kazakhstan 7.60 2005 est. 169 Philippines 7.60 2005 est. 170 Nepal 7.80 October 2005 est. 171 Rwanda 8.00 2005 est. 172 Uganda 8.10 2005 est. 173 Georgia 8.20 2005 est. 174 Turkey 8.20 2005 est. 175 Vietnam 8.30 2005 est. 176 Botswana 8.60 2005 est. 177 Saint Kitts and Nevis 8.70 2005 est. 178 Gambia, The 8.80 2005 est. 179 Honduras 8.80 2005 est. 180 Qatar 8.80 2005 est. 181 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 9.00 2004 est. 182 Sudan 9.00 2005 est. 183 Romania 9.00 2005 184 Cyprus 9.10 185 Guatemala 9.10 2005 est. 186 Pakistan 9.10 2005 est. 187 Mongolia 9.50 2005 est. 188 Suriname 9.50 2005 est. 189 Azerbaijan 9.60 2005 est. 190 Argentina 9.60 2005 est. 191 Nicaragua 9.60 2005 est. 192 Belarus 10.30 2005 est. 193 Kenya 10.30 2005 est. 194 United Arab Emirates 10.50 2005 est. 195 Indonesia 10.50 2005 est. 196 Turkmenistan 10.50 2005 est. 197 Tonga 11.10 2005 est. 198 Sri Lanka 11.60 2005 est. 199 Ethiopia 11.60 2005 est. 200 Yemen 11.80 2005 est. 201 Moldova 11.90 2005 est. 202 Russia 12.70 2005 est. 203 Iran 13.50 2005 est. 204 Nigeria 13.50 2005 est. 205 Ukraine 13.50 2005 est. 206 Costa Rica 13.80 2005 est. 207 Eritrea 15.00 2005 est. 208 Liberia 15.00 2003 est. 209 Madagascar 15.00 2005 est. 210 Ghana 15.10 2005 est. 211 Sao Tome and Principe 15.20 2005 est. 212 Jamaica 15.30 2005 est. 213 Malawi 15.40 2005 est. 214 Serbia 15.50 2005 est. 215 Haiti 15.70 2005 est. 216 Burundi 16.00 2005 est. 217 Venezuela 16.00 2005 est. 218 Afghanistan 16.30 2005 est. 219 Zambia 18.30 2005 est. 220 Burma 20.20 2005 est. 221 Angola 23.00 2005 est. 222 Guinea 25.00 2005 est. 223 Iraq 33.00 2005 est. 224 Zimbabwe 266.80 2005 est.

1 World 671,886 2004 2 China 123,964 2003 3 Russia 102,000 2005 4 European Union 53,512 5 Brazil 50,000 2005 6 United States 41,009 2004 7 Indonesia 21,579 2005 8 Colombia 18,000 2005 9 Vietnam 17,702 2005 10 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 15,000 2005 11 India 14,500 2005 12 Burma 12,800 2005 13 Argentina 11,000 2005 14 Papua New Guinea 10,940 2003 15 Bolivia 10,000 2005 16 Peru 8,808 2005 17 Nigeria 8,600 2005 18 France 8,500 2000 19 Bangladesh 8,372 2005 20 Finland 7,842 2005 21 Germany 7,467 2005 22 Malaysia 7,200 2005 23 Venezuela 7,100 2005 24 Netherlands 6,183 2005 25 Iraq 5,279 2004 26 Laos 4,600 2005 27 Congo, Republic of the 4,385 2005 28 Sudan 4,068 2005 29 Kazakhstan 4,000 2005 30 Thailand 4,000 2005 31 Poland 3,997 2005 32 French Guiana 3,760 2003 33 Egypt 3,500 2005 34 Philippines 3,219 2005 35 United Kingdom 3,200 2003 36 Paraguay 3,100 2005 37 Mexico 2,900 2005 38 Central African Republic 2,800 2005 39 Belarus 2,500 2003 40 Cambodia 2,400 2005 41 Italy 2,400 2004 42 Ukraine 2,253 2006 43 Korea, North 2,250 2006 44 Zambia 2,250 2005 45 Nicaragua 2,220 2005 46 Sweden 2,052 2005 47 Belgium 2,043 2003 48 Australia 2,000 2002 49 Mali 1,815 2005 50 Japan 1,770 2006 51 Romania 1,731 2005 52 Hungary 1,622 2006 53 Korea, South 1,608 2006 54 Gabon 1,600 2005 55 Uruguay 1,600 2005 56 Norway 1,577 2002 57 Ecuador 1,500 2005 58 Angola 1,300 2005 59 Turkmenistan 1,300 2006 60 Guinea 1,300 2005 61 Ghana 1,293 2005 62 Afghanistan 1,200 2005 63 Turkey 1,200 2005 64 Suriname 1,200 2005 65 Uzbekistan 1,100 2006 66 Senegal 1,000 2005 67 Spain 1,000 2003 68 Guatemala 990 2004 69 Cote d'Ivoire 980 2005 70 Syria 900 2005 71 Iran 850 2006 72 Belize 825 2005 73 Panama 800 2005 74 Sierra Leone 800 2005 75 Croatia 785 2006 76 Ireland 753 2005 77 Costa Rica 730 2005 78 Malawi 700 2006 79 Czech Republic 664 2005 80 Canada 631 2003 81 Kyrgyzstan 600 2006 82 Madagascar 600 2005 83 Serbia 587 2005 84 Mongolia 580 2004 85 Estonia 500 2005 86 Bulgaria 470 2006 87 Honduras 465 2005 88 Mozambique 460 2002 89 Lithuania 425 2005 90 Moldova 424 2005 91 Denmark 400 2001 92 Gambia, The 390 2004 93 Austria 358 2003 94 Latvia 300 2005 95 Niger 300 2005 96 Cuba 240 2005 97 Portugal 210 2003 98 Brunei 209 2005 99 Fiji 203 2004 100 Tajikistan 200 2006 101 Slovakia 172 2005 102 Sri Lanka 160 2005 103 Benin 150 2005 104 Switzerland 65 2003 105 Togo 50 2005 106 Albania 43 2006 107 Luxembourg 37 2003 108 Liechtenstein 28 2005 109 Greece 6 2006 110 Kiribati 5 2003

1 World 3,001,000,000 2005 est. 2 China 791,400,000 2005 est. 3 India 496,400,000 2005 est. 4 European Union 218,500,000 2005 est. 5 United States 149,300,000 2005 est. 6 Indonesia 94,200,000 2005 est. 7 Brazil 90,410,000 2005 est. 8 Russia 74,220,000 2005 est. 9 Bangladesh 66,600,000 2005 est. 10 Japan 66,400,000 2005 est. 11 Nigeria 57,210,000 2005 est. 12 Pakistan 46,840,000 2005 est. 13 Vietnam 44,390,000 2005 est. 14 Mexico 43,400,000 2005 est. 15 Germany 43,320,000 2005 est. 16 Philippines 36,730,000 2005 est. 17 Thailand 35,360,000 2005 est. 18 United Kingdom 30,070,000 2005 est. 19 Burma 27,750,000 2005 est. 20 France 27,720,000 2005 est. 21 Ethiopia 27,270,000 22 Turkey 24,700,000 2005 est. 23 Italy 24,490,000 2005 est. 24 Iran 23,680,000 2005 est. 25 Korea, South 23,530,000 2005 est. 26 Ukraine 22,670,000 2005 est. 27 Egypt 21,340,000 2005 est. 28 Spain 20,670,000 2005 est. 29 Colombia 20,520,000 2005 30 Tanzania 19,220,000 2005 est. 31 Poland 17,100,000 2005 est. 32 Canada 16,300,000 December 2005 33 Argentina 15,340,000 2005 est. 34 South Africa 15,230,000 2005 est. 35 Afghanistan 15,000,000 2004 est. 36 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 14,510,000 37 Uzbekistan 14,260,000 2005 est. 38 Uganda 13,170,000 2005 est. 39 Venezuela 12,310,000 2005 est. 40 Kenya 11,850,000 2005 est. 41 Morocco 11,190,000 2005 est. 42 Malaysia 10,670,000 2005 est. 43 Ghana 10,620,000 2005 est. 44 Taiwan 10,600,000 2005 est. 45 Australia 10,420,000 2005 est. 46 Nepal 10,400,000 2004 est. 47 Algeria 10,150,000 2005 est. 48 Korea, North 9,600,000 49 Romania 9,310,000 2005 est. 50 Mozambique 9,200,000 2000 est. 51 Peru 9,060,000 2005 est. 52 Sri Lanka 8,080,000 2005 est. 53 Kazakhstan 7,850,000 2005 est. 54 Netherlands 7,530,000 2005 est. 55 Sudan 7,415,000 1996 est. 56 Iraq 7,400,000 2004 est. 57 Madagascar 7,300,000 2000 58 Cambodia 7,000,000 2003 est. 59 Cote d'Ivoire 6,950,000 2005 est. 60 Cameroon 6,860,000 2005 est. 61 Saudi Arabia 6,760,000 2005 est. 62 Chile 6,300,000 2005 est. 63 Yemen 5,830,000 2005 est. 64 Angola 5,580,000 2005 est. 65 Portugal 5,520,000 2005 est. 66 Azerbaijan 5,450,000 2005 est. 67 Czech Republic 5,270,000 2005 est. 68 Syria 5,120,000 2004 est. 69 Burkina Faso 5,000,000 2003 70 Senegal 4,820,000 2005 est. 71 Zambia 4,800,000 2005 est. 72 Belgium 4,770,000 2005 est. 73 Greece 4,720,000 2005 est. 74 Cuba 4,600,000 2005 est. 75 Rwanda 4,600,000 2000 76 Ecuador 4,600,000 2005 est. 77 Malawi 4,500,000 2001 est. 78 Sweden 4,490,000 2005 est. 79 Belarus 4,300,000 31 December 2005 80 Bolivia 4,220,000 2005 est. 81 Hungary 4,180,000 2005 est. 82 Zimbabwe 3,940,000 2005 est. 83 Mali 3,930,000 2001 est. 84 Switzerland 3,800,000 2005 est. 85 Guatemala 3,760,000 2005 est. 86 Somalia 3,700,000 87 Tajikistan 3,700,000 2003 88 Hong Kong 3,610,000 October 2005 89 Haiti 3,600,000 1995 90 Austria 3,490,000 2005 est. 91 Tunisia 3,410,000 2005 est. 92 Bulgaria 3,340,000 2005 est. 93 Benin 3,211,000 94 Guinea 3,000,000 1999 95 Burundi 2,990,000 2002 96 Serbia 2,961,000 2002 est. 97 Denmark 2,900,000 2005 est. 98 El Salvador 2,810,000 2005 est. 99 United Arab Emirates 2,800,000 2005 est. 100 Laos 2,800,000 2002 est. 101 Chad 2,719,000 102 Kyrgyzstan 2,700,000 2000 103 Paraguay 2,680,000 2005 est. 104 Finland 2,610,000 2005 est. 105 Lebanon 2,600,000 2001 est. 106 Honduras 2,540,000 2005 est. 107 Israel 2,420,000 2005 est. 108 Papua New Guinea 2,413,000 2004 109 Norway 2,400,000 2005 est. 110 Turkmenistan 2,320,000 2003 est. 111 Singapore 2,280,000 September 2005 est. 112 Slovakia 2,240,000 30 September 2005 est. 113 New Zealand 2,130,000 2005 est. 114 Georgia 2,040,000 2004 est. 115 Ireland 2,030,000 2005 est. 116 Nicaragua 2,010,000 2005 est. 117 Costa Rica 1,820,000 2005 est. 118 Croatia 1,710,000 2005 est. 119 Kuwait 1,670,000 2005 est. 120 Libya 1,640,000 2005 est. 121 Lithuania 1,610,000 2005 est. 122 Uruguay 1,520,000 2005 est. 123 Mongolia 1,488,000 2003 124 Jordan 1,460,000 2005 est. 125 Panama 1,390,000 2005 est. 126 Sierra Leone 1,369,000 1981 est. 127 Moldova 1,340,000 2005 est. 128 Togo 1,302,000 1998 129 Puerto Rico 1,300,000 2000 130 Armenia 1,200,000 2005 131 Jamaica 1,200,000 2005 est. 132 Latvia 1,110,000 2005 est. 133 Albania 1,090,000 2004 est. 134 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,026,000 2001 135 Oman 920,000 2002 est. 136 Slovenia 920,000 2005 est. 137 Macedonia 855,000 2004 est. 138 Lesotho 838,000 2000 139 Namibia 820,000 2005 est. 140 Mauritania 786,000 2001 141 Estonia 670,000 2005 est. 142 Gabon 640,000 2005 est. 143 Trinidad and Tobago 620,000 2005 est. 144 West Bank 614,000 April-June 2005 145 Mauritius 570,000 2005 est. 146 Guinea-Bissau 480,000 1999 147 Qatar 440,000 2005 est. 148 Guyana 418,000 2001 est. 149 Gambia, The 400,000 1996 150 Bahrain 380,000 2005 est. 151 Cyprus 370,000 2005 est. 152 Luxembourg 316,500 2005 est. 153 Reunion 299,000 2002 154 Botswana 288,400 2004 155 Djibouti 282,000 2000 156 Gaza Strip 278,000 April-June 2005 157 Montenegro 259,100 2004 158 Macau 251,200 3rd Quarter, 2005 159 Solomon Islands 249,200 1999 160 Guadeloupe 191,400 1999 161 Bahamas, The 176,300 2004 162 Iceland 165,900 2005 est. 163 Martinique 165,900 1998 164 Malta 160,000 2005 est. 165 Suriname 156,700 2004 166 Swaziland 155,700 2003 167 Brunei 146,300 2003 est. 168 Comoros 144,500 1996 est. 169 Fiji 137,000 1999 170 Barbados 128,500 2001 est. 171 Cape Verde 120,600 172 Cyprus 95,025 2005 est. 173 Belize 90,000 2001 est. 174 Samoa 90,000 2000 est. 175 Maldives 88,000 2000 176 Netherlands Antilles 83,600 2005 177 New Caledonia 78,990 2004 178 Vanuatu 76,410 179 Niger 70,000 2002 est. 180 French Polynesia 65,870 December 2005 181 French Guiana 62,630 1999 182 Guam 62,050 2002 est. 183 Jersey 52,790 2004 184 Andorra 48,740 2004 185 Mayotte 44,560 2002 186 Northern Mariana Islands 44,470 2000 187 Virgin Islands 43,980 2004 est. 188 Saint Lucia 43,800 2001 est. 189 Grenada 42,300 1996 190 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 41,680 1991 est. 191 Aruba 41,500 2004 est. 192 Monaco 41,110 2004 193 Isle of Man 39,690 2001 194 Bermuda 38,360 2004 195 Micronesia, Federated States of 37,410 196 Sao Tome and Principe 35,050 197 Tonga 33,910 2003 198 Guernsey 32,290 2001 199 Seychelles 30,900 1996 200 Antigua and Barbuda 30,000 201 Liechtenstein 29,500 31 December 2001 202 Dominica 25,000 1999 est. 203 Greenland 24,500 1999 est. 204 Faroe Islands 24,250 October 2000 205 Cayman Islands 23,450 2004 206 San Marino 19,970 2003 207 Saint Kitts and Nevis 18,170 June 1995 208 American Samoa 17,630 2005 209 Marshall Islands 14,680 2000 210 British Virgin Islands 12,770 2004 211 Gibraltar 12,690 2001 212 Western Sahara 12,000 213 Palau 9,777 2005 214 Kiribati 7,870 2001 est. 215 Cook Islands 6,820 2001 216 Anguilla 6,049 2001 217 Turks and Caicos Islands 4,848 1990 est. 218 Montserrat 4,521 2000 est. 219 Tuvalu 3,615 2004 est. 220 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 3,261 1999 221 Wallis and Futuna 3,104 222 Saint Helena 2,486 1998 est. 223 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 1,724 224 Norfolk Island 1,345 225 Niue 663 226 Tokelau 440 227 Pitcairn Islands 15 2004

1 Andorra 83.51 2006 est. 2 Macau 82.19 2006 est. 3 San Marino 81.71 2006 est. 4 Singapore 81.71 2006 est. 5 Hong Kong 81.59 2006 est. 6 Japan 81.25 2006 est. 7 Sweden 80.51 2006 est. 8 Switzerland 80.51 2006 est. 9 Australia 80.50 2006 est. 10 Guernsey 80.42 2006 est. 11 Iceland 80.31 2006 est. 12 Canada 80.22 2006 est. 13 Cayman Islands 80.07 2006 est. 14 Italy 79.81 2006 est. 15 Gibraltar 79.80 2006 est. 16 France 79.73 2006 est. 17 Monaco 79.69 2006 est. 18 Liechtenstein 79.68 2006 est. 19 Spain 79.65 2006 est. 20 Norway 79.54 2006 est. 21 Israel 79.46 2006 est. 22 Jersey 79.38 2006 est. 23 Faroe Islands 79.35 2006 est. 24 Aruba 79.28 2006 est. 25 Greece 79.24 2006 est. 26 Martinique 79.18 2006 est. 27 Austria 79.07 2006 est. 28 Virgin Islands 79.05 2006 est. 29 Malta 79.01 2006 est. 30 Netherlands 78.96 2006 est. 31 Luxembourg 78.89 2006 est. 32 Montserrat 78.85 2006 est. 33 New Zealand 78.81 2006 est. 34 Germany 78.80 2006 est. 35 Belgium 78.77 2006 est. 36 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 78.61 2006 est. 37 Guam 78.58 2006 est. 38 United Kingdom 78.54 2006 est. 39 Finland 78.50 2006 est. 40 Isle of Man 78.49 2006 est. 41 Jordan 78.40 2006 est. 42 Puerto Rico 78.40 2006 est. 43 European Union 78.30 2006 est. 44 Guadeloupe 78.06 2006 est. 45 Bosnia and Herzegovina 78.00 2006 est. 46 Bermuda 77.96 2006 est. 47 Saint Helena 77.93 2006 est. 48 United States 77.85 2006 est. 49 Cyprus 77.82 2006 est. 50 Denmark 77.79 2006 est. 51 Ireland 77.73 2006 est. 52 Portugal 77.70 2006 est. 53 Albania 77.43 2006 est. 54 Taiwan 77.43 2006 est. 55 Cuba 77.41 2006 est. 56 Anguilla 77.28 2006 est. 57 French Guiana 77.27 2006 est. 58 Kuwait 77.20 2006 est. 59 Korea, South 77.04 2006 est. 60 Costa Rica 77.02 2006 est. 61 Chile 76.77 2006 est. 62 Libya 76.69 2006 est. 63 British Virgin Islands 76.68 2006 est. 64 Ecuador 76.42 2006 est. 65 Slovenia 76.33 2006 est. 66 Uruguay 76.33 2006 est. 67 Czech Republic 76.22 2006 est. 68 Argentina 76.12 2006 est. 69 French Polynesia 76.10 2006 est. 70 Northern Mariana Islands 76.09 2006 est. 71 Georgia 76.09 2006 est. 72 American Samoa 76.05 2006 est. 73 Netherlands Antilles 76.03 2006 est. 74 Saudi Arabia 75.67 2006 est. 75 United Arab Emirates 75.44 2006 est. 76 Mexico 75.41 2006 est. 77 Panama 75.22 2006 est. 78 Tunisia 75.12 2006 est. 79 Paraguay 75.10 2006 est. 80 Brunei 75.01 2006 est. 81 Poland 74.97 2006 est. 82 Dominica 74.87 2006 est. 83 Slovakia 74.73 2006 est. 84 Turks and Caicos Islands 74.73 2006 est. 85 Croatia 74.68 2006 est. 86 Venezuela 74.54 2006 est. 87 Bahrain 74.45 2006 est. 88 New Caledonia 74.27 2006 est. 89 Lithuania 74.20 2006 est. 90 Reunion 74.18 2006 est. 91 Serbia 74.00 92 Macedonia 73.97 2006 est. 93 Qatar 73.90 2006 est. 94 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 73.85 2006 est. 95 Saint Lucia 73.84 2006 est. 96 Sri Lanka 73.41 2006 est. 97 Oman 73.37 2006 est. 98 West Bank 73.27 2006 est. 99 Algeria 73.26 2006 est. 100 Jamaica 73.24 2006 est. 101 Solomon Islands 72.91 2006 est. 102 Lebanon 72.88 2006 est. 103 Barbados 72.79 2006 est. 104 Hungary 72.66 2006 est. 105 Mauritius 72.63 2006 est. 106 Turkey 72.62 2006 est. 107 China 72.58 2006 est. 108 Malaysia 72.50 2006 est. 109 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.40 2006 est. 110 Bulgaria 72.30 2006 est. 111 Thailand 72.25 2006 est. 112 Antigua and Barbuda 72.16 2006 est. 113 Seychelles 72.08 2006 est. 114 Estonia 72.04 2006 est. 115 Colombia 71.99 2006 est. 116 Brazil 71.97 2006 est. 117 Gaza Strip 71.97 2006 est. 118 Armenia 71.84 2006 est. 119 Dominican Republic 71.73 2006 est. 120 Korea, North 71.65 2006 est. 121 Romania 71.63 2006 est. 122 El Salvador 71.49 2006 est. 123 Latvia 71.33 2006 est. 124 Egypt 71.29 2006 est. 125 Samoa 71.00 2006 est. 126 Morocco 70.94 2006 est. 127 Vietnam 70.85 2006 est. 128 Cape Verde 70.73 2006 est. 129 Nicaragua 70.63 2006 est. 130 Palau 70.42 2006 est. 131 Syria 70.32 2006 est. 132 Marshall Islands 70.31 2006 est. 133 Iran 70.26 2006 est. 134 Philippines 70.21 2006 est. 135 Micronesia, Federated States of 70.05 2006 est. 136 Ukraine 69.98 2006 est. 137 Greenland 69.94 2006 est. 138 Indonesia 69.87 2006 est. 139 Peru 69.84 2006 est. 140 Fiji 69.82 2006 est. 141 Tonga 69.82 2006 est. 142 Guatemala 69.38 2006 est. 143 Honduras 69.33 2006 est. 144 Belarus 69.08 2006 est. 145 Iraq 69.01 2006 est. 146 Suriname 69.01 2006 est. 147 Kyrgyzstan 68.49 2006 est. 148 Tuvalu 68.32 2006 est. 149 Belize 68.30 2006 est. 150 Sao Tome and Principe 67.31 2006 est. 151 Russia 67.08 2006 est. 152 Kazakhstan 66.89 2006 est. 153 Trinidad and Tobago 66.76 2006 est. 154 East Timor 66.26 2006 est. 155 Guyana 65.86 2006 est. 156 Bolivia 65.84 2006 est. 157 Moldova 65.65 2006 est. 158 Bahamas, The 65.60 2006 est. 159 Papua New Guinea 65.28 2006 est. 160 Tajikistan 64.94 2006 est. 161 Mongolia 64.89 2006 est. 162 Grenada 64.87 2006 est. 163 World 64.77 2006 est. 164 India 64.71 2006 est. 165 Uzbekistan 64.58 2006 est. 166 Maldives 64.41 2006 est. 167 Azerbaijan 63.85 2006 est. 168 Pakistan 63.39 2006 est. 169 Nauru 63.08 2006 est. 170 Vanuatu 62.85 2006 est. 171 Bangladesh 62.46 2006 est. 172 Comoros 62.33 2006 est. 173 Yemen 62.12 2006 est. 174 Kiribati 62.08 2006 est. 175 Turkmenistan 61.83 2006 est. 176 Mayotte 61.76 2006 est. 177 Burma 60.97 2006 est. 178 Nepal 60.18 2006 est. 179 Cambodia 59.29 2006 est. 180 Senegal 59.25 2006 est. 181 Eritrea 59.03 2006 est. 182 Sudan 58.92 2006 est. 183 Ghana 58.87 2006 est. 184 Togo 57.42 2006 est. 185 Madagascar 57.34 2006 est. 186 Laos 55.49 2006 est. 187 Bhutan 54.78 2006 est. 188 Gabon 54.49 2006 est. 189 Gambia, The 54.14 2006 est. 190 Haiti 53.23 2006 est. 191 Mauritania 53.12 2006 est. 192 Benin 53.04 2006 est. 193 Congo, Republic of the 52.80 2006 est. 194 Uganda 52.67 2006 est. 195 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 51.46 2006 est. 196 Cameroon 51.16 2006 est. 197 Burundi 50.81 2006 est. 198 Equatorial Guinea 49.54 2006 est. 199 Guinea 49.50 2006 est. 200 Ethiopia 49.03 2006 est. 201 Mali 49.00 2006 est. 202 Kenya 48.93 2006 est. 203 Burkina Faso 48.85 2006 est. 204 Cote d'Ivoire 48.82 2006 est. 205 Somalia 48.47 2006 est. 206 Chad 47.52 2006 est. 207 Rwanda 47.30 2006 est. 208 Nigeria 47.08 2006 est. 209 Guinea-Bissau 46.87 2006 est. 210 Tanzania 45.64 2006 est. 211 Niger 43.76 2006 est. 212 Central African Republic 43.54 2006 est. 213 Namibia 43.39 2006 est. 214 Afghanistan 43.34 2006 est. 215 Djibouti 43.17 2006 est. 216 South Africa 42.73 2006 est. 217 Malawi 41.70 2006 est. 218 Sierra Leone 40.22 2006 est. 219 Zambia 40.03 2006 est. 220 Mozambique 39.82 2006 est. 221 Liberia 39.65 2006 est. 222 Zimbabwe 39.29 2006 est. 223 Angola 38.62 2006 est. 224 Lesotho 34.40 2006 est. 225 Botswana 33.74 2006 est. 226 Swaziland 32.62 2006 est.

1 World 33,222 2006 2 Panama 5,473 2006 3 China 1,723 2006 4 Liberia 1,687 2006 5 Malta 1,220 2006 6 Russia 1,178 2006 7 Bahamas, The 1,177 2006 8 Singapore 1,063 2006 9 Antigua and Barbuda 1,011 2006 10 Hong Kong 924 2006 11 Cyprus 884 2006 12 Indonesia 824 2006 13 Greece 817 2006 14 Marshall Islands 795 2006 15 Norway 724 2006 16 Japan 683 2006 17 Korea, South 669 2006 18 Italy 591 2006 19 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 589 2006 20 Netherlands 558 2006 21 Turkey 545 2006 22 Cambodia 544 2006 23 United States 465 2006 24 United Kingdom 449 2006 25 Philippines 403 2006 26 Thailand 400 2006 27 Germany 394 2006 28 India 316 2006 29 Malaysia 312 2006 30 Isle of Man 305 2006 31 Denmark 293 2006 32 Belize 285 2006 33 Vietnam 267 2006 34 Korea, North 232 2006 35 Georgia 222 2006 36 Ukraine 202 2006 37 Sweden 198 2006 38 Gibraltar 180 2006 39 Canada 173 2006 40 Spain 169 2006 41 Netherlands Antilles 152 2006 42 Iran 141 2006 43 Brazil 137 2006 44 Honduras 136 2006 45 Bermuda 132 2006 46 Cayman Islands 132 2006 47 Comoros 121 2006 48 Taiwan 112 2006 49 Portugal 111 2006 50 Syria 108 2006 51 Finland 87 2006 52 Azerbaijan 84 2006 53 French Southern and Antarctic Lands 77 2006 54 Monaco 77 2006 55 Egypt 76 2006 56 Bulgaria 75 2006 57 Croatia 72 2006 58 Belgium 66 2006 59 France 61 2006 60 Mongolia 61 2006 61 Saudi Arabia 60 2006 62 United Arab Emirates 58 2006 63 Barbados 58 2006 64 Mexico 56 2006 65 Venezuela 56 2006 66 Sierra Leone 54 2006 67 Australia 53 2006 68 Nigeria 52 2006 69 Tuvalu 52 2006 70 Vanuatu 51 2006 71 Saint Kitts and Nevis 50 2006 72 Lithuania 49 2006 73 Dominica 48 2006 74 Chile 46 2006 75 Slovakia 43 2006 76 Bangladesh 42 2006 77 Luxembourg 42 2006 78 Algeria 41 2006 79 Argentina 41 2006 80 Morocco 41 2006 81 Lebanon 39 2006 82 Kuwait 38 2006 83 Estonia 35 2006 84 Burma 34 2006 85 Ecuador 31 2006 86 Switzerland 27 2006 87 Slovenia 26 2006 88 Jordan 25 2006 89 Albania 24 2006 90 Bolivia 24 2006 91 Papua New Guinea 24 2006 92 Ireland 23 2006 93 Romania 23 2006 94 Qatar 23 2006 95 Sri Lanka 22 2006 96 Latvia 21 2006 97 Paraguay 21 2006 98 Faroe Islands 18 2006 99 Israel 18 2006 100 Libya 18 2006 101 Colombia 17 2006 102 Maldives 17 2006 103 Pakistan 16 2006 104 Tonga 16 2006 105 French Polynesia 13 2006 106 Uruguay 13 2006 107 New Zealand 13 2006 108 Iraq 13 2006 109 Cuba 11 2006 110 Poland 11 2006 111 Jamaica 10 2006 112 Madagascar 9 2006 113 Tunisia 9 2006 114 Tanzania 9 2006 115 Austria 8 2006 116 Wallis and Futuna 8 2006 117 Turkmenistan 8 2006 118 Sao Tome and Principe 8 2006 119 Trinidad and Tobago 8 2006 120 Ethiopia 8 2006 121 Bahrain 8 2006 122 Brunei 8 2006 123 Cape Verde 7 2006 124 Fiji 7 2006 125 Moldova 7 2006 126 Guyana 7 2006 127 Cook Islands 6 2006 128 Mauritius 6 2006 129 Kazakhstan 6 2006 130 Eritrea 6 2006 131 Gambia, The 5 2006 132 Seychelles 5 2006 133 Angola 4 2006 134 Peru 4 2006 135 Yemen 4 2006 136 Montenegro 4 2006 137 Ghana 4 2006 138 Greenland 3 2006 139 South Africa 3 2006 140 Kenya 3 2006 141 Puerto Rico 3 2006 142 Costa Rica 2 2006 143 Togo 2 2006 144 Sudan 2 2006 145 New Caledonia 2 2006 146 Mozambique 2 2006 147 Kiribati 2 2006 148 Gabon 2 2006 149 Micronesia, Federated States of 2 2006 150 Anguilla 1 2006 151 Cameroon 1 2006 152 Djibouti 1 2006 153 Laos 1 2006 154 Samoa 1 2006 155 Namibia 1 2006 156 British Virgin Islands 1 2006 157 Somalia 1 2006 158 Reunion 1 2006 159 Suriname 1 2006 160 Oman 1 2006 161 Iceland 1 2006 162 Dominican Republic 1 2006 163 Czech Republic 1 2006 164 Equatorial Guinea 1 2006 165 Congo, Republic of the 1 2006 166 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1 2006

1 World 6,525,170,264 July 2006 est. 2 China 1,313,973,713 July 2006 est. 3 India 1,095,351,995 July 2006 est. 4 European Union 456,953,258 July 2006 est. 5 United States 298,444,215 July 2006 est. 6 Indonesia 245,452,739 July 2006 est. 7 Brazil 188,078,227 July 2006 est. 8 Pakistan 165,803,560 July 2006 est. 9 Bangladesh 147,365,352 July 2006 est. 10 Russia 142,893,540 July 2006 est. 11 Nigeria 131,859,731 July 2006 est. 12 Japan 127,463,611 July 2006 est. 13 Mexico 107,449,525 July 2006 est. 14 Philippines 89,468,677 July 2006 est. 15 Vietnam 84,402,966 July 2006 est. 16 Germany 82,422,299 July 2006 est. 17 Egypt 78,887,007 July 2006 est. 18 Ethiopia 74,777,981 July 2006 est. 19 Turkey 70,413,958 July 2006 est. 20 Iran 68,688,433 July 2006 est. 21 Thailand 64,631,595 July 2006 est. 22 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 62,660,551 July 2006 est. 23 France 60,876,136 July 2006 est. 24 United Kingdom 60,609,153 July 2006 est. 25 Italy 58,133,509 July 2006 est. 26 Korea, South 48,846,823 July 2006 est. 27 Burma 47,382,633 July 2006 est. 28 Ukraine 46,710,816 July 2006 est. 29 South Africa 44,187,637 July 2006 est. 30 Colombia 43,593,035 July 2006 est. 31 Sudan 41,236,378 July 2006 est. 32 Spain 40,397,842 July 2006 est. 33 Argentina 39,921,833 July 2006 est. 34 Poland 38,536,869 July 2006 est. 35 Tanzania 37,445,392 July 2006 est. 36 Kenya 34,707,817 July 2006 est. 37 Morocco 33,241,259 July 2006 est. 38 Canada 33,098,932 July 2006 est. 39 Algeria 32,930,091 July 2006 est. 40 Afghanistan 31,056,997 July 2006 est. 41 Peru 28,302,603 July 2006 est. 42 Nepal 28,287,147 July 2006 est. 43 Uganda 28,195,754 July 2006 est. 44 Uzbekistan 27,307,134 July 2006 est. 45 Saudi Arabia 27,019,731 July 2006 est. 46 Iraq 26,783,383 July 2006 est. 47 Venezuela 25,730,435 July 2006 est. 48 Malaysia 24,385,858 July 2006 est. 49 Korea, North 23,113,019 July 2006 est. 50 Taiwan 23,036,087 July 2006 est. 51 Ghana 22,409,572 July 2006 est. 52 Romania 22,303,552 July 2006 est. 53 Yemen 21,456,188 July 2006 est. 54 Australia 20,264,082 July 2006 est. 55 Sri Lanka 20,222,240 July 2006 est. 56 Mozambique 19,686,505 July 2006 est. 57 Syria 18,881,361 July 2006 est. 58 Madagascar 18,595,469 July 2006 est. 59 Cote d'Ivoire 17,654,843 July 2006 est. 60 Cameroon 17,340,702 July 2006 est. 61 Netherlands 16,491,461 July 2006 est. 62 Chile 16,134,219 July 2006 est. 63 Kazakhstan 15,233,244 July 2006 est. 64 Burkina Faso 13,902,972 July 2006 est. 65 Cambodia 13,881,427 July 2006 est. 66 Ecuador 13,547,510 July 2006 est. 67 Malawi 13,013,926 July 2006 est. 68 Niger 12,525,094 July 2006 est. 69 Guatemala 12,293,545 July 2006 est. 70 Zimbabwe 12,236,805 July 2006 est. 71 Angola 12,127,071 July 2006 est. 72 Senegal 11,987,121 July 2006 est. 73 Mali 11,716,829 July 2006 est. 74 Zambia 11,502,010 July 2006 est. 75 Cuba 11,382,820 July 2006 est. 76 Greece 10,688,058 July 2006 est. 77 Portugal 10,605,870 July 2006 est. 78 Belgium 10,379,067 July 2006 est. 79 Belarus 10,293,011 July 2006 est. 80 Czech Republic 10,235,455 July 2006 est. 81 Tunisia 10,175,014 July 2006 est. 82 Hungary 9,981,334 July 2006 est. 83 Chad 9,944,201 July 2006 est. 84 Guinea 9,690,222 July 2006 est. 85 Serbia 9,396,411 2002 census 86 Dominican Republic 9,183,984 July 2006 est. 87 Sweden 9,016,596 July 2006 est. 88 Bolivia 8,989,046 July 2006 est. 89 Somalia 8,863,338 July 2006 est. 90 Rwanda 8,648,248 July 2006 est. 91 Haiti 8,308,504 July 2006 est. 92 Austria 8,192,880 July 2006 est. 93 Burundi 8,090,068 July 2006 est. 94 Azerbaijan 7,961,619 July 2006 est. 95 Benin 7,862,944 July 2006 est. 96 Switzerland 7,523,934 July 2006 est. 97 Bulgaria 7,385,367 July 2006 est. 98 Honduras 7,326,496 July 2006 est. 99 Tajikistan 7,320,815 July 2006 est. 100 Hong Kong 6,940,432 July 2006 est. 101 El Salvador 6,822,378 July 2006 est. 102 Paraguay 6,506,464 July 2006 est. 103 Laos 6,368,481 July 2006 est. 104 Israel 6,352,117 July 2006 est. 105 Sierra Leone 6,005,250 July 2006 est. 106 Jordan 5,906,760 July 2006 est. 107 Libya 5,900,754 July 2006 est. 108 Papua New Guinea 5,670,544 July 2006 est. 109 Nicaragua 5,570,129 July 2006 est. 110 Togo 5,548,702 July 2006 est. 111 Denmark 5,450,661 July 2006 est. 112 Slovakia 5,439,448 July 2006 est. 113 Finland 5,231,372 July 2006 est. 114 Kyrgyzstan 5,213,898 July 2006 est. 115 Turkmenistan 5,042,920 July 2006 est. 116 Eritrea 4,786,994 July 2006 est. 117 Georgia 4,661,473 July 2006 est. 118 Norway 4,610,820 July 2006 est. 119 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4,498,976 July 2006 est. 120 Croatia 4,494,749 July 2006 est. 121 Singapore 4,492,150 July 2006 est. 122 Moldova 4,466,706 July 2006 est. 123 Central African Republic 4,303,356 July 2006 est. 124 New Zealand 4,076,140 July 2006 est. 125 Costa Rica 4,075,261 July 2006 est. 126 Ireland 4,062,235 July 2006 est. 127 Puerto Rico 3,927,188 July 2006 est. 128 Lebanon 3,874,050 July 2006 est. 129 Congo, Republic of the 3,702,314 July 2006 est. 130 Lithuania 3,585,906 July 2006 est. 131 Albania 3,581,655 July 2006 est. 132 Uruguay 3,431,932 July 2006 est. 133 Panama 3,191,319 July 2006 est. 134 Mauritania 3,177,388 July 2006 est. 135 Oman 3,102,229 July 2006 est. 136 Liberia 3,042,004 July 2006 est. 137 Armenia 2,976,372 July 2006 est. 138 Mongolia 2,832,224 July 2006 est. 139 Jamaica 2,758,124 July 2006 est. 140 United Arab Emirates 2,602,713 July 2006 est. 141 West Bank 2,460,492 142 Kuwait 2,418,393 July 2006 est. 143 Bhutan 2,279,723 July 2006 est. 144 Latvia 2,274,735 July 2006 est. 145 Macedonia 2,050,554 July 2006 est. 146 Namibia 2,044,147 July 2006 est. 147 Lesotho 2,022,331 July 2006 est. 148 Slovenia 2,010,347 July 2006 est. 149 Gambia, The 1,641,564 July 2006 est. 150 Botswana 1,639,833 July 2006 est. 151 Guinea-Bissau 1,442,029 July 2006 est. 152 Gaza Strip 1,428,757 July 2006 est. 153 Gabon 1,424,906 July 2006 est. 154 Estonia 1,324,333 July 2006 est. 155 Mauritius 1,240,827 July 2006 est. 156 Swaziland 1,136,334 July 2006 est. 157 Trinidad and Tobago 1,065,842 July 2006 est. 158 East Timor 1,062,777 July 2006 est. 159 Fiji 905,949 July 2006 est. 160 Qatar 885,359 July 2006 est. 161 Reunion 787,584 July 2006 est. 162 Cyprus 784,301 July 2006 est. 163 Guyana 767,245 July 2006 est. 164 Bahrain 698,585 July 2006 est. 165 Comoros 690,948 July 2006 est. 166 Montenegro 630,548 2004 167 Solomon Islands 552,438 July 2006 est. 168 Equatorial Guinea 540,109 July 2006 est. 169 Djibouti 486,530 July 2006 est. 170 Luxembourg 474,413 July 2006 est. 171 Macau 453,125 July 2006 est. 172 Guadeloupe 452,776 July 2006 est. 173 Suriname 439,117 July 2006 est. 174 Martinique 436,131 July 2006 est. 175 Cape Verde 420,979 July 2006 est. 176 Malta 400,214 July 2006 est. 177 Brunei 379,444 July 2006 est. 178 Maldives 359,008 July 2006 est. 179 Bahamas, The 303,770 July 2006 est. 180 Iceland 299,388 July 2006 est. 181 Belize 287,730 July 2006 est. 182 Barbados 279,912 July 2006 est. 183 French Polynesia 274,578 July 2006 est. 184 Western Sahara 273,008 July 2006 est. 185 Netherlands Antilles 221,736 July 2006 est. 186 New Caledonia 219,246 July 2006 est. 187 Vanuatu 208,869 July 2006 est. 188 Mayotte 201,234 July 2006 est. 189 French Guiana 199,509 July 2006 est. 190 Sao Tome and Principe 193,413 July 2006 est. 191 Samoa 176,908 July 2006 est. 192 Guam 171,019 July 2006 est. 193 Saint Lucia 168,458 July 2006 est. 194 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 117,848 July 2006 est. 195 Tonga 114,689 July 2006 est. 196 Virgin Islands 108,605 July 2006 est. 197 Micronesia, Federated States of 108,004 July 2006 est. 198 Kiribati 105,432 July 2006 est. 199 Jersey 91,084 July 2006 est. 200 Grenada 89,703 July 2006 est. 201 Northern Mariana Islands 82,459 July 2006 est. 202 Seychelles 81,541 July 2006 est. 203 Isle of Man 75,441 July 2006 est. 204 Aruba 71,891 July 2006 est. 205 Andorra 71,201 July 2006 est. 206 Antigua and Barbuda 69,108 July 2006 est. 207 Dominica 68,910 July 2006 est. 208 Bermuda 65,773 July 2006 est. 209 Guernsey 65,409 July 2006 est. 210 Marshall Islands 60,422 July 2006 est. 211 American Samoa 57,794 July 2006 est. 212 Greenland 56,361 July 2006 est. 213 Faroe Islands 47,246 July 2006 est. 214 Cayman Islands 45,436 July 2006 est. 215 Saint Kitts and Nevis 39,129 July 2006 est. 216 Liechtenstein 33,987 July 2006 est. 217 Monaco 32,543 July 2006 est. 218 San Marino 29,251 July 2006 est. 219 Gibraltar 27,928 July 2006 est. 220 British Virgin Islands 23,098 July 2006 est. 221 Cook Islands 21,388 July 2006 est. 222 Turks and Caicos Islands 21,152 July 2006 est. 223 Palau 20,579 July 2006 est. 224 Wallis and Futuna 16,025 July 2006 est. 225 Anguilla 13,477 July 2006 est. 226 Nauru 13,287 July 2006 est. 227 Tuvalu 11,810 July 2006 est. 228 Montserrat 9,439 July 2006 est. 229 Saint Helena 7,502 July 2006 est. 230 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7,026 July 2006 est. 231 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 2,967 July 2006 est. 232 Svalbard 2,701 July 2006 est. 233 Niue 2,166 July 2006 est. 234 Norfolk Island 1,828 July 2006 est. 235 Christmas Island 1,493 236 Tokelau 1,392 July 2006 est. 237 Holy See (Vatican City) 932 July 2006 est. 238 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 574 July 2006 est. 239 Pitcairn Islands 45 July 2006 est.

1 World 1,115,205 2003 2 United States 226,605 2004 3 European Union 222,293 2003 4 Russia 87,157 2005 5 China 74,408 2004 6 India 63,230 2005 7 Canada 48,467 2005 8 Australia 47,738 2005 9 Germany 47,201 2005 10 Argentina 31,902 2005 11 Brazil 29,252 2005 12 France 29,085 2005 13 Japan 23,556 2005 14 Poland 23,072 2005 15 Ukraine 22,473 2005 16 South Africa 20,872 2005 17 Italy 19,459 2005 18 Mexico 17,562 2005 19 United Kingdom 17,156 2005 20 Spain 14,873 2005 21 Kazakhstan 13,700 2005 22 Sweden 11,481 2005 23 Romania 11,385 2005 24 Czech Republic 9,572 2005 25 Turkey 8,697 2005 26 Pakistan 8,163 2004 27 Hungary 7,937 2005 28 Iran 7,256 2005 29 Chile 6,585 2005 30 Indonesia 6,458 2005 31 Austria 6,011 2005 32 Sudan 5,978 2005 33 Finland 5,741 2005 34 Belarus 5,512 2005 35 Korea, North 5,214 2005 36 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 5,138 2005 37 Egypt 5,063 2005 38 Switzerland 4,583 2005 39 Bulgaria 4,294 2005 40 Cuba 4,226 2005 41 Serbia 4,135 2005 42 New Zealand 4,128 2005 43 Norway 4,077 2005 44 Thailand 4,071 2005 45 Algeria 3,973 2005 46 Burma 3,955 2005 47 Uzbekistan 3,950 2005 48 Tanzania 3,690 2005 49 Slovakia 3,662 2005 50 Belgium 3,521 2005 51 Bolivia 3,519 2005 52 Nigeria 3,505 2005 53 Korea, South 3,472 2005 54 Peru 3,462 2005 55 Ireland 3,312 2005 56 Colombia 3,304 2005 57 Mozambique 3,123 2005 58 Zimbabwe 3,077 2005 59 Azerbaijan 2,957 2005 60 Portugal 2,850 2005 61 Netherlands 2,808 2005 62 Kenya 2,778 2005 63 Bangladesh 2,768 2005 64 Angola 2,761 2005 65 Croatia 2,726 2005 66 Syria 2,711 2005 67 Denmark 2,673 2005 68 Vietnam 2,600 2005 69 Greece 2,571 2005 70 Taiwan 2,497 2005 71 Turkmenistan 2,440 2005 72 Namibia 2,382 2005 73 Latvia 2,303 2005 74 Iraq 2,200 2005 75 Zambia 2,173 2005 76 Tunisia 2,153 2005 77 Uruguay 2,073 2005 78 Morocco 1,907 2005 79 Malaysia 1,890 2005 80 Mongolia 1,810 2005 81 Lithuania 1,771 2005 82 Georgia 1,612 2005 83 Sri Lanka 1,449 2005 84 Saudi Arabia 1,392 2005 85 Uganda 1,244 2005 86 Slovenia 1,229 2005 87 Moldova 1,138 2005 88 Cameroon 987 2005 89 Ecuador 966 2005 90 Estonia 958 2005 91 Ghana 953 2005 92 Senegal 906 2005 93 Philippines 897 2005 94 Congo, Republic of the 894 2005 95 Botswana 888 2005 96 Guatemala 886 2005 97 Madagascar 854 2005 98 Israel 853 2005 99 Armenia 845 2005 100 Guinea 837 2005 101 Gabon 814 2005 102 Malawi 797 2005 103 Mali 729 2005 104 Honduras 699 2005 105 Macedonia 699 2005 106 Venezuela 682 2005 107 Ethiopia 681 2005 108 Cote d'Ivoire 660 2005 109 Burkina Faso 622 2005 110 Bosnia and Herzegovina 608 2005 111 Cambodia 602 2005 112 Fiji 597 2005 113 Benin 578 2005 114 Togo 568 2005 115 Dominican Republic 517 2005 116 Jordan 505 2005 117 Liberia 490 2005 118 Tajikistan 482 2005 119 Kyrgyzstan 470 2005 120 Albania 447 2005 121 Lebanon 401 2006 122 Panama 355 2005 123 Eritrea 306 2005 124 Swaziland 301 2005 125 El Salvador 283 2005 126 Costa Rica 278 2005 127 Luxembourg 274 2005 128 Jamaica 272 2003 129 Montenegro 250 2005 130 Guyana 187 2001 est. 131 Djibouti 100 2005 132 Puerto Rico 96 2005 133 Isle of Man 65 2006 134 Nepal 59 2005 135 Saint Kitts and Nevis 50 2005 136 Paraguay 36 2005 137 Nicaragua 6 2005

1 Niger 7.46 2006 est. 2 Mali 7.42 2006 est. 3 Somalia 6.76 2006 est. 4 Uganda 6.71 2006 est. 5 Afghanistan 6.69 2006 est. 6 Yemen 6.58 2006 est. 7 Burundi 6.55 2006 est. 8 Burkina Faso 6.47 2006 est. 9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.45 2006 est. 10 Angola 6.35 2006 est. 11 Chad 6.25 2006 est. 12 Sierra Leone 6.08 2006 est. 13 Congo, Republic of the 6.07 2006 est. 14 Liberia 6.02 2006 est. 15 Malawi 5.92 2006 est. 16 Mauritania 5.86 2006 est. 17 Guinea 5.79 2006 est. 18 Mayotte 5.79 2006 est. 19 Gaza Strip 5.78 2006 est. 20 Oman 5.77 2006 est. 21 Madagascar 5.62 2006 est. 22 Sao Tome and Principe 5.62 2006 est. 23 Nigeria 5.49 2006 est. 24 Rwanda 5.43 2006 est. 25 Zambia 5.39 2006 est. 26 Djibouti 5.31 2006 est. 27 Gambia, The 5.30 2006 est. 28 Ethiopia 5.22 2006 est. 29 Benin 5.20 2006 est. 30 Eritrea 5.08 2006 est. 31 Comoros 5.03 2006 est. 32 Tanzania 4.97 2006 est. 33 Togo 4.96 2006 est. 34 Haiti 4.94 2006 est. 35 Kenya 4.91 2006 est. 36 Maldives 4.90 2006 est. 37 Guinea-Bissau 4.86 2006 est. 38 Bhutan 4.74 2006 est. 39 Gabon 4.74 2006 est. 40 Sudan 4.72 2006 est. 41 Laos 4.68 2006 est. 42 Mozambique 4.62 2006 est. 43 Equatorial Guinea 4.55 2006 est. 44 Cote d'Ivoire 4.50 2006 est. 45 Central African Republic 4.41 2006 est. 46 Cameroon 4.39 2006 est. 47 Senegal 4.38 2006 est. 48 West Bank 4.28 2006 est. 49 Iraq 4.18 2006 est. 50 Kiribati 4.16 2006 est. 51 Nepal 4.10 2006 est. 52 Pakistan 4.00 2006 est. 53 Saudi Arabia 4.00 2006 est. 54 Tajikistan 4.00 2006 est. 55 Ghana 3.99 2006 est. 56 Solomon Islands 3.91 2006 est. 57 Paraguay 3.89 2006 est. 58 Papua New Guinea 3.88 2006 est. 59 Marshall Islands 3.85 2006 est. 60 Guatemala 3.82 2006 est. 61 Belize 3.60 2006 est. 62 Honduras 3.59 2006 est. 63 East Timor 3.53 2006 est. 64 Swaziland 3.53 2006 est. 65 Syria 3.40 2006 est. 66 Cape Verde 3.38 2006 est. 67 Cambodia 3.37 2006 est. 68 Turkmenistan 3.37 2006 est. 69 Lesotho 3.28 2006 est. 70 Libya 3.28 2006 est. 71 American Samoa 3.16 2006 est. 72 Micronesia, Federated States of 3.16 2006 est. 73 Zimbabwe 3.13 2006 est. 74 El Salvador 3.12 2006 est. 75 Bangladesh 3.11 2006 est. 76 Philippines 3.11 2006 est. 77 Nauru 3.11 2006 est. 78 Namibia 3.06 2006 est. 79 Turks and Caicos Islands 3.05 2006 est. 80 Malaysia 3.04 2006 est. 81 Tonga 3.00 2006 est. 82 French Guiana 2.98 2006 est. 83 Tuvalu 2.98 2006 est. 84 Samoa 2.94 2006 est. 85 Kuwait 2.91 2006 est. 86 Uzbekistan 2.91 2006 est. 87 United Arab Emirates 2.88 2006 est. 88 Bolivia 2.85 2006 est. 89 Dominican Republic 2.83 2006 est. 90 Egypt 2.83 2006 est. 91 Qatar 2.81 2006 est. 92 Botswana 2.79 2006 est. 93 Nicaragua 2.75 2006 est. 94 Fiji 2.73 2006 est. 95 India 2.73 2006 est. 96 Vanuatu 2.70 2006 est. 97 Kyrgyzstan 2.69 2006 est. 98 Ecuador 2.68 2006 est. 99 Morocco 2.68 2006 est. 100 Panama 2.68 2006 est. 101 Jordan 2.63 2006 est. 102 Bahrain 2.60 2006 est. 103 World 2.59 2006 est. 104 Guam 2.58 2006 est. 105 Colombia 2.54 2006 est. 106 Peru 2.51 2006 est. 107 Azerbaijan 2.46 2006 est. 108 Palau 2.46 2006 est. 109 Reunion 2.45 2006 est. 110 Mexico 2.42 2006 est. 111 Israel 2.41 2006 est. 112 Jamaica 2.41 2006 est. 113 Greenland 2.40 2006 est. 114 Indonesia 2.40 2006 est. 115 Grenada 2.34 2006 est. 116 Suriname 2.32 2006 est. 117 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.31 2006 est. 118 Brunei 2.28 2006 est. 119 New Caledonia 2.28 2006 est. 120 Mongolia 2.25 2006 est. 121 Antigua and Barbuda 2.24 2006 est. 122 Costa Rica 2.24 2006 est. 123 Venezuela 2.23 2006 est. 124 South Africa 2.20 2006 est. 125 Bahamas, The 2.18 2006 est. 126 Saint Lucia 2.18 2006 est. 127 Faroe Islands 2.17 2006 est. 128 Virgin Islands 2.17 2006 est. 129 Argentina 2.16 2006 est. 130 Korea, North 2.10 2006 est. 131 United States 2.09 2006 est. 132 Guyana 2.04 2006 est. 133 Albania 2.03 2006 est. 134 French Polynesia 2.01 2006 est. 135 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2.01 2006 est. 136 Chile 2.00 2006 est. 137 Netherlands Antilles 1.99 2006 est. 138 Burma 1.98 2006 est. 139 Mauritius 1.95 2006 est. 140 Dominica 1.94 2006 est. 141 Iceland 1.92 2006 est. 142 Turkey 1.92 2006 est. 143 Brazil 1.91 2006 est. 144 Vietnam 1.91 2006 est. 145 Cayman Islands 1.90 2006 est. 146 Guadeloupe 1.90 2006 est. 147 Lebanon 1.90 2006 est. 148 Algeria 1.89 2006 est. 149 Kazakhstan 1.89 2006 est. 150 Uruguay 1.89 2006 est. 151 Bermuda 1.89 2006 est. 152 Ireland 1.86 2006 est. 153 Moldova 1.85 2006 est. 154 Sri Lanka 1.84 2006 est. 155 France 1.84 2006 est. 156 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1.83 2006 est. 157 Cyprus 1.82 2006 est. 158 Iran 1.80 2006 est. 159 Aruba 1.79 2006 est. 160 New Zealand 1.79 2006 est. 161 Martinique 1.79 2006 est. 162 Luxembourg 1.78 2006 est. 163 Norway 1.78 2006 est. 164 Serbia 1.78 2006 est. 165 Montserrat 1.77 2006 est. 166 Australia 1.76 2006 est. 167 Monaco 1.76 2006 est. 168 Puerto Rico 1.75 2006 est. 169 Denmark 1.74 2006 est. 170 Tunisia 1.74 2006 est. 171 Seychelles 1.74 2006 est. 172 Trinidad and Tobago 1.74 2006 est. 173 Anguilla 1.73 2006 est. 174 China 1.73 2006 est. 175 Finland 1.73 2006 est. 176 British Virgin Islands 1.72 2006 est. 177 Cuba 1.66 2006 est. 178 United Kingdom 1.66 2006 est. 179 Sweden 1.66 2006 est. 180 Netherlands 1.66 2006 est. 181 Barbados 1.65 2006 est. 182 Isle of Man 1.65 2006 est. 183 Gibraltar 1.65 2006 est. 184 Belgium 1.64 2006 est. 185 Thailand 1.64 2006 est. 186 Canada 1.61 2006 est. 187 Jersey 1.58 2006 est. 188 Macedonia 1.57 2006 est. 189 Taiwan 1.57 2006 est. 190 Saint Helena 1.55 2006 est. 191 Liechtenstein 1.51 2006 est. 192 Malta 1.50 2006 est. 193 European Union 1.47 2006 est. 194 Portugal 1.47 2006 est. 195 Belarus 1.43 2006 est. 196 Switzerland 1.43 2006 est. 197 Georgia 1.42 2006 est. 198 Estonia 1.40 2006 est. 199 Japan 1.40 2006 est. 200 Croatia 1.40 2006 est. 201 Guernsey 1.39 2006 est. 202 Germany 1.39 2006 est. 203 Bulgaria 1.38 2006 est. 204 Romania 1.37 2006 est. 205 Austria 1.36 2006 est. 206 Greece 1.34 2006 est. 207 San Marino 1.34 2006 est. 208 Armenia 1.33 2006 est. 209 Slovakia 1.33 2006 est. 210 Hungary 1.32 2006 est. 211 Andorra 1.30 2006 est. 212 Italy 1.28 2006 est. 213 Spain 1.28 2006 est. 214 Russia 1.28 2006 est. 215 Korea, South 1.27 2006 est. 216 Latvia 1.27 2006 est. 217 Poland 1.25 2006 est. 218 Slovenia 1.25 2006 est. 219 Northern Mariana Islands 1.24 2006 est. 220 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.22 2006 est. 221 Czech Republic 1.21 2006 est. 222 Lithuania 1.20 2006 est. 223 Ukraine 1.17 2006 est. 224 Singapore 1.06 2006 est. 225 Macau 1.02 2006 est. 226 Hong Kong 0.95 2006 est.

1 Andorra 0.00 1996 est. 2 Norfolk Island 0.00 3 Guernsey 0.50 1999 est. 4 Isle of Man 0.60 2004 est. 5 Uzbekistan 0.70 2005 est. 6 Jersey 0.90 2004 est. 7 Faroe Islands 1.00 October 2000 8 Azerbaijan 1.10 2005 est. 9 Liechtenstein 1.30 September 2002 10 Belarus 1.60 2005 11 Vanuatu 1.70 12 Thailand 1.80 2005 est. 13 Cuba 1.90 2005 est. 14 Gibraltar 2.00 2001 est. 15 Kiribati 2.00 1992 est. 16 Bermuda 2.10 2004 est. 17 Iceland 2.10 2005 est. 18 Kuwait 2.20 2004 est. 19 United Arab Emirates 2.40 2001 20 Laos 2.40 2005 est. 21 Vietnam 2.40 2005 est. 22 Bangladesh 2.50 2005 est. 23 Cambodia 2.50 2000 est. 24 San Marino 2.60 2001 25 Qatar 2.70 2001 26 Papua New Guinea 2.80 2004 27 Nigeria 2.90 2005 est. 28 Singapore 3.10 2005 est. 29 Ukraine 3.10 2005 est. 30 Mexico 3.60 2005 est. 31 British Virgin Islands 3.60 1997 32 Malaysia 3.60 2005 est. 33 Korea, South 3.70 2005 est. 34 New Zealand 3.70 2005 est. 35 Switzerland 3.80 2005 est. 36 Northern Mariana Islands 3.90 37 Cyprus 4.00 38 Macau 4.10 3rd Quarter 2005 39 Taiwan 4.10 2005 est. 40 Palau 4.20 2005 est. 41 Ireland 4.30 2005 est. 42 Cayman Islands 4.40 2004 43 Japan 4.40 2005 est. 44 Luxembourg 4.50 2005 est. 45 Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.50 1997 46 Norway 4.60 2005 est. 47 United Kingdom 4.70 2005 est. 48 Brunei 4.80 2004 49 Burma 5.00 2005 est. 50 Australia 5.10 2005 est. 51 United States 5.10 2005 est. 52 Austria 5.20 2005 est. 53 Hong Kong 5.50 2005 est. 54 Cyprus 5.60 55 Nicaragua 5.60 2005 est. 56 Denmark 5.70 2005 est. 57 Sweden 5.80 2005 est. 58 Montserrat 6.00 1998 est. 59 Virgin Islands 6.20 2004 60 Slovenia 6.30 2005 est. 61 El Salvador 6.50 2005 est. 62 Costa Rica 6.60 2005 est. 63 Netherlands 6.60 2005 est. 64 Pakistan 6.60 2005 est. 65 Mongolia 6.70 2003 66 Canada 6.80 2005 est. 67 Aruba 6.90 2005 est. 68 Hungary 7.20 2005 69 Guatemala 7.50 2003 est. 70 Latvia 7.50 2005 est. 71 Fiji 7.60 1999 72 Russia 7.60 2005 est. 73 Portugal 7.60 2005 est. 74 Peru 7.60 2005 est. 75 Sri Lanka 7.70 2005 est. 76 Romania 7.70 2005 est. 77 Italy 7.70 2005 est. 78 Estonia 7.80 2005 79 Malta 7.80 2005 est. 80 Czech Republic 7.90 2005 81 Anguilla 8.00 2002 82 Central African Republic 8.00 2001 est. 83 Bolivia 8.00 2005 est. 84 Trinidad and Tobago 8.00 2005 est. 85 Moldova 8.00 2002 est. 86 Chile 8.10 2005 est. 87 Kazakhstan 8.10 2005 est. 88 Lithuania 8.20 2005 89 Belgium 8.40 2005 est. 90 Finland 8.40 2005 est. 91 Philippines 8.70 2005 est. 92 India 8.90 2005 est. 93 China 9.00 2005 est. 94 Israel 9.00 2005 est. 95 Spain 9.20 2005 est. 96 European Union 9.40 2005 est. 97 Egypt 9.50 2005 est. 98 Suriname 9.50 2004 99 Mauritius 9.60 2005 est. 100 Brazil 9.80 2005 est. 101 Panama 9.80 2005 est. 102 Bulgaria 9.90 2005 103 France 9.90 2005 est. 104 Greece 9.90 2005 est. 105 Greenland 10.00 2000 est. 106 Turks and Caicos Islands 10.00 1997 est. 107 Bahamas, The 10.20 2005 est. 108 Turkey 10.20 2005 est. 109 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 10.30 1999 110 Barbados 10.70 2003 est. 111 Ecuador 10.70 2005 est. 112 Antigua and Barbuda 11.00 2001 est. 113 Morocco 11.00 2005 est. 114 Iran 11.20 2004 est. 115 Guam 11.40 2002 est. 116 Jamaica 11.50 2005 est. 117 Argentina 11.60 2005 est. 118 Germany 11.70 2005 est. 119 Colombia 11.80 2005 est. 120 Indonesia 11.80 2005 est. 121 French Polynesia 11.80 1994 122 Niue 12.00 123 Tajikistan 12.00 2004 est. 124 Puerto Rico 12.00 2002 125 Uruguay 12.20 2005 est. 126 Venezuela 12.20 2005 est. 127 Syria 12.30 2004 est. 128 Grenada 12.50 2000 129 Jordan 12.50 2004 est. 130 Georgia 12.60 2004 est. 131 Belize 12.90 2003 132 Cote d'Ivoire 13.00 1998 133 Saudi Arabia 13.00 2004 est. 134 Tonga 13.00 FY03/04 est. 135 Cook Islands 13.10 2005 136 Saint Helena 14.00 1998 est. 137 Tunisia 14.20 2005 est. 138 Albania 14.30 2005 est. 139 Mali 14.60 2001 est. 140 Bahrain 15.00 2005 est. 141 Oman 15.00 2004 est. 142 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15.00 2001 est. 143 Wallis and Futuna 15.20 144 Paraguay 16.00 2005 est. 145 Slovakia 16.40 2005 est. 146 Dominican Republic 17.00 2005 est. 147 Netherlands Antilles 17.00 2002 est. 148 Algeria 17.10 2005 est. 149 New Caledonia 17.10 2004 150 Croatia 18.00 2005 est. 151 Lebanon 18.00 1997 est. 152 Kyrgyzstan 18.00 2004 est. 153 Poland 18.20 2005 est. 154 Sudan 18.70 2002 est. 155 French Guiana 19.20 December 2003 156 West Bank 19.90 January-September 2005 157 Comoros 20.00 1996 est. 158 Ghana 20.00 1997 est. 159 Saint Lucia 20.00 2003 est. 160 Mauritania 20.00 2004 est. 161 Cape Verde 21.00 2000 est. 162 Mozambique 21.00 1997 est. 163 Gabon 21.00 1997 est. 164 Micronesia, Federated States of 22.00 2000 est. 165 Monaco 22.00 1999 166 Dominica 23.00 2000 est. 167 Botswana 23.80 2004 168 Iraq 25.00 2005 est. 169 South Africa 26.60 2005 est. 170 Guadeloupe 26.90 2003 171 Martinique 27.20 1998 172 Montenegro 27.70 2005 173 Honduras 28.00 2005 est. 174 American Samoa 29.80 2005 175 Cameroon 30.00 2001 est. 176 World 30.00 177 Libya 30.00 2004 est. 178 Equatorial Guinea 30.00 1998 est. 179 Marshall Islands 30.90 2000 est. 180 Gaza Strip 31.00 January-September 2005 avg. 181 Reunion 31.00 2002 182 Armenia 31.60 2004 est. 183 Serbia 31.60 2005 est. 184 Mayotte 32.80 2003 185 Namibia 35.00 1998 186 Yemen 35.00 2003 est. 187 Macedonia 37.30 2005 est. 188 Afghanistan 40.00 2005 est. 189 Kenya 40.00 2001 est. 190 Swaziland 40.00 2005 est. 191 Nepal 42.00 2004 est. 192 Lesotho 45.00 2002 193 Bosnia and Herzegovina 45.50 31 December 2004 est. 194 Senegal 48.00 2001 est. 195 Djibouti 50.00 2004 est. 196 Zambia 50.00 2000 est. 197 East Timor 50.00 2001 est. 198 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 60.00 2000 est. 199 Turkmenistan 60.00 2004 est. 200 Zimbabwe 80.00 2005 est. 201 Liberia 85.00 2003 est. 202 Nauru 90.00 2004 est.

1 World 510,072,000 2 Pacific Ocean 155,557,000 3 Atlantic Ocean 76,762,000 4 Indian Ocean 68,556,000 5 Southern Ocean 20,327,000 6 Russia 17,075,200 7 Arctic Ocean 14,056,000 8 Antarctica 14,000,000 9 Canada 9,984,670 10 United States 9,631,420 11 China 9,596,960 12 Brazil 8,511,965 13 Australia 7,686,850 14 European Union 3,976,372 15 India 3,287,590 16 Argentina 2,766,890 17 Kazakhstan 2,717,300 18 Sudan 2,505,810 19 Algeria 2,381,740 20 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2,345,410 21 Greenland 2,166,086 22 Mexico 1,972,550 23 Saudi Arabia 1,960,582 24 Indonesia 1,919,440 25 Libya 1,759,540 26 Iran 1,648,000 27 Mongolia 1,564,116 28 Peru 1,285,220 29 Chad 1,284,000 30 Niger 1,267,000 31 Angola 1,246,700 32 Mali 1,240,000 33 South Africa 1,219,912 34 Colombia 1,138,910 35 Ethiopia 1,127,127 36 Bolivia 1,098,580 37 Mauritania 1,030,700 38 Egypt 1,001,450 39 Tanzania 945,087 40 Nigeria 923,768 41 Venezuela 912,050 42 Namibia 825,418 43 Pakistan 803,940 44 Mozambique 801,590 45 Turkey 780,580 46 Chile 756,950 47 Zambia 752,614 48 Burma 678,500 49 Afghanistan 647,500 50 Somalia 637,657 51 Central African Republic 622,984 52 Ukraine 603,700 53 Botswana 600,370 54 Madagascar 587,040 55 Kenya 582,650 56 France 547,030 57 Yemen 527,970 58 Thailand 514,000 59 Spain 504,782 60 Turkmenistan 488,100 61 Cameroon 475,440 62 Papua New Guinea 462,840 63 Sweden 449,964 64 Uzbekistan 447,400 65 Morocco 446,550 66 Iraq 437,072 67 Paraguay 406,750 68 Zimbabwe 390,580 69 Japan 377,835 70 Germany 357,021 71 Congo, Republic of the 342,000 72 Finland 338,145 73 Malaysia 329,750 74 Vietnam 329,560 75 Norway 323,802 76 Cote d'Ivoire 322,460 77 Poland 312,685 78 Italy 301,230 79 Philippines 300,000 80 Ecuador 283,560 81 Burkina Faso 274,200 82 New Zealand 268,680 83 Gabon 267,667 84 Western Sahara 266,000 85 Guinea 245,857 86 United Kingdom 244,820 87 Ghana 239,460 88 Romania 237,500 89 Laos 236,800 90 Uganda 236,040 91 Guyana 214,970 92 Oman 212,460 93 Belarus 207,600 94 Kyrgyzstan 198,500 95 Senegal 196,190 96 Syria 185,180 97 Cambodia 181,040 98 Uruguay 176,220 99 Tunisia 163,610 100 Suriname 163,270 101 Nepal 147,181 102 Bangladesh 144,000 103 Tajikistan 143,100 104 Greece 131,940 105 Nicaragua 129,494 106 Eritrea 121,320 107 Korea, North 120,540 108 Malawi 118,480 109 Benin 112,620 110 Honduras 112,090 111 Liberia 111,370 112 Bulgaria 110,910 113 Cuba 110,860 114 Guatemala 108,890 115 Iceland 103,000 116 Korea, South 98,480 117 Hungary 93,030 118 Portugal 92,391 119 Jordan 92,300 120 French Guiana 91,000 121 Serbia 88,361 122 Azerbaijan 86,600 123 Austria 83,870 124 United Arab Emirates 82,880 125 Czech Republic 78,866 126 Panama 78,200 127 Sierra Leone 71,740 128 Ireland 70,280 129 Georgia 69,700 130 Sri Lanka 65,610 131 Lithuania 65,200 132 Latvia 64,589 133 Svalbard 61,020 134 Togo 56,785 135 Croatia 56,542 136 British Indian Ocean Territory 54,400 137 Bosnia and Herzegovina 51,129 138 Costa Rica 51,100 139 Slovakia 48,845 140 Dominican Republic 48,730 141 Bhutan 47,000 142 Estonia 45,226 143 Denmark 43,094 144 Netherlands 41,526 145 Switzerland 41,290 146 Guinea-Bissau 36,120 147 Taiwan 35,980 148 Moldova 33,843 149 Belgium 30,528 150 Lesotho 30,355 151 Armenia 29,800 152 Albania 28,748 153 Solomon Islands 28,450 154 Equatorial Guinea 28,051 155 Burundi 27,830 156 Haiti 27,750 157 Rwanda 26,338 158 Macedonia 25,333 159 Djibouti 23,000 160 Belize 22,966 161 El Salvador 21,040 162 Israel 20,770 163 Slovenia 20,273 164 New Caledonia 19,060 165 Fiji 18,270 166 Kuwait 17,820 167 Swaziland 17,363 168 East Timor 15,007 169 Montenegro 14,026 170 Bahamas, The 13,940 171 Puerto Rico 13,790 172 Vanuatu 12,200 173 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 12,173 174 Marshall Islands 11,854 175 Qatar 11,437 176 Gambia, The 11,300 177 Jamaica 10,991 178 Lebanon 10,400 179 Cyprus 9,250 180 French Southern and Antarctic Lands 7,829 181 West Bank 5,860 182 Brunei 5,770 183 Trinidad and Tobago 5,128 184 French Polynesia 4,167 185 Cape Verde 4,033 186 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 3,903 187 Samoa 2,944 188 Luxembourg 2,586 189 Reunion 2,517 190 Comoros 2,170 191 Mauritius 2,040 192 Virgin Islands 1,910 193 Guadeloupe 1,780 194 Faroe Islands 1,399 195 Martinique 1,100 196 Hong Kong 1,092 197 Sao Tome and Principe 1,001 198 Netherlands Antilles 960 199 Kiribati 811 200 Dominica 754 201 Tonga 748 202 Micronesia, Federated States of 702 203 Singapore 693 204 Bahrain 665 205 Saint Lucia 616 206 Isle of Man 572 207 Guam 541 208 Northern Mariana Islands 477 209 Andorra 468 210 Palau 458 211 Seychelles 455 212 Antigua and Barbuda 443 213 Barbados 431 214 Turks and Caicos Islands 430 215 Saint Helena 413 216 Heard Island and McDonald Islands 412 217 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 389 218 Jan Mayen 377 219 Mayotte 374 220 Gaza Strip 360 221 Grenada 344 222 Malta 316 223 Maldives 300 224 Wallis and Futuna 274 225 Cayman Islands 262 226 Saint Kitts and Nevis 261 227 Niue 260 228 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 242 229 Cook Islands 237 230 American Samoa 199 231 Aruba 193 232 Liechtenstein 160 233 British Virgin Islands 153 234 Christmas Island 135 235 Dhekelia 131 236 Akrotiri 123 237 Jersey 116 238 Anguilla 102 239 Montserrat 102 240 Iles Eparses 80 241 Guernsey 78 242 San Marino 61 243 Bermuda 53 244 Bouvet Island 49 245 Pitcairn Islands 47 246 Norfolk Island 35 247 Macau 28 248 Europa Island 28 249 Tuvalu 26 250 United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges 22 251 Nauru 21 252 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 14 253 Palmyra Atoll 12 254 Tokelau 10 255 Gibraltar 7 256 Wake Island 7 257 Midway Islands 6 258 Clipperton Island 6 259 Navassa Island 5 260 Ashmore and Cartier Islands 5 261 Glorioso Islands 5 262 Spratly Islands 5 263 Jarvis Island 5 264 Juan de Nova Island 4 265 Coral Sea Islands 3 266 Johnston Atoll 3 267 Monaco 2 268 Howland Island 2 269 Baker Island 1 270 Kingman Reef 1 271 Tromelin Island 1 272 Holy See (Vatican City) 0 273 Bassas da India 0

1 World 1,263,367,600 2005 2 China 350,433,000 2005 3 United States 268,000,000 2003 4 European Union 238,763,162 2002 5 Japan 58,780,000 2005 6 Germany 55,046,000 2005 7 India 49,750,000 2005 8 Brazil 42,382,000 2004 9 Russia 40,100,000 2005 10 France 35,700,000 2005 11 United Kingdom 32,943,000 2005 12 Italy 25,049,000 2005 13 Korea, South 23,745,000 2005 14 Mexico 19,512,000 2005 15 Iran 18,986,000 2005 16 Turkey 18,978,000 2005 17 Spain 18,322,000 2005 18 Canada 18,276,000 2005 19 Vietnam 15,845,000 2005 20 Taiwan 13,615,000 2005 21 Indonesia 12,772,000 2005 22 Ukraine 12,142,000 2004 23 Poland 11,803,000 2005 24 Australia 11,460,000 2005 25 Egypt 10,396,100 2005 26 Argentina 8,800,000 2005 27 Colombia 7,678,800 2005 28 Netherlands 7,600,000 2005 29 Thailand 7,035,000 2005 30 Sweden 6,447,000 2004 31 Greece 6,303,000 2005 32 Pakistan 5,277,500 2005 33 Switzerland 5,123,000 2005 34 Belgium 4,801,000 2004 35 South Africa 4,729,000 2005 36 Romania 4,391,000 2005 37 Malaysia 4,366,000 2005 38 Portugal 4,234,000 2005 39 Saudi Arabia 3,800,000 2005 40 Hong Kong 3,794,600 2005 41 Austria 3,705,000 2005 42 Venezuela 3,605,500 2005 43 Philippines 3,437,500 2004 44 Chile 3,435,900 2005 45 Hungary 3,356,000 2005 46 Denmark 3,350,000 2005 47 Belarus 3,284,300 2005 48 Czech Republic 3,217,300 2005 49 Israel 2,936,300 2005 50 Syria 2,903,000 2005 51 Serbia 2,685,400 2004 52 Algeria 2,572,000 2005 53 Kazakhstan 2,500,000 2004 54 Bulgaria 2,483,500 2005 55 Peru 2,250,500 2005 56 Norway 2,129,000 2005 57 Finland 2,120,000 2005 58 Ireland 2,033,000 2005 59 Croatia 1,889,500 2005 60 Singapore 1,848,000 2005 61 New Zealand 1,800,500 2004 62 Uzbekistan 1,717,100 2003 63 Ecuador 1,701,500 2005 64 Costa Rica 1,388,500 2005 65 Morocco 1,341,200 2005 66 Tunisia 1,257,500 2005 67 Sri Lanka 1,244,000 2005 68 United Arab Emirates 1,237,000 2005 69 Nigeria 1,223,300 2005 70 Slovakia 1,197,000 2005 71 Guatemala 1,132,100 2004 72 Puerto Rico 1,111,900 2004 73 Azerbaijan 1,091,400 2005 74 Bangladesh 1,070,000 2005 75 Iraq 1,034,200 2004 76 Uruguay 1,000,000 2004 77 Lebanon 990,000 2005 78 Korea, North 980,000 2003 79 El Salvador 971,500 2005 80 Bosnia and Herzegovina 968,900 2005 81 Moldova 929,400 2005 82 Dominican Republic 894,500 2005 83 Cuba 849,900 2005 84 Slovenia 816,400 2005 85 Lithuania 801,100 2005 86 Yemen 798,100 2004 87 Libya 750,000 2003 88 Latvia 731,000 2005 89 Georgia 683,200 2004 90 Sudan 670,000 2005 91 Bolivia 646,300 2005 92 Jordan 617,300 2004 93 Ethiopia 610,300 2005 94 Armenia 582,500 2004 95 Macedonia 533,200 2005 96 Kuwait 510,300 2005 97 Honduras 494,400 2005 98 Burma 476,200 2005 99 Nepal 448,600 2005 100 Estonia 442,000 2005 101 Panama 440,100 2005 102 Kyrgyzstan 438,200 2005 103 Cyprus 420,000 104 Turkmenistan 376,100 2003 105 Mauritius 359,000 2005 106 West Bank 357,300 2004 107 Gaza Strip 349,000 2005 108 Jamaica 342,000 2005 109 Zimbabwe 328,000 2005 110 Trinidad and Tobago 323,500 2005 111 Ghana 321,500 2005 112 Paraguay 320,300 2005 113 Reunion 300,000 2001 114 Kenya 281,800 2005 115 Senegal 266,600 2005 116 Oman 265,200 2005 117 Cote d'Ivoire 257,900 2004 118 Albania 255,000 2003 119 Tajikistan 245,200 2004 120 Luxembourg 244,500 2005 121 Nicaragua 220,900 2005 122 Guadeloupe 210,000 2001 123 Qatar 205,400 2005 124 Malta 202,100 2005 125 Bahrain 196,500 2005 126 Iceland 193,900 2005 127 Montenegro 177,663 2005 128 Macau 174,400 2005 129 Martinique 172,000 2001 130 Mongolia 156,000 2005 131 Tanzania 148,400 2004 132 Haiti 140,000 2004 133 Bahamas, The 139,900 2004 134 Barbados 134,900 2005 135 Botswana 132,000 2005 136 Namibia 127,900 2004 137 Guyana 110,100 2005 138 Malawi 102,700 2005 139 Fiji 102,000 2003 140 Uganda 100,800 2005 141 Afghanistan 100,000 2005 142 Somalia 100,000 2005 143 Cameroon 99,400 2004 144 Burkina Faso 97,400 2005 145 Zambia 94,700 2005 146 Angola 94,300 2005 147 Laos 90,067 2006 148 Brunei 90,000 2002 149 Cyprus 86,228 150 Guam 84,134 2001 151 Suriname 81,100 2004 152 Netherlands Antilles 81,000 2001 153 Benin 76,300 2005 154 Mali 75,000 2005 155 Jersey 73,900 2001 156 Cape Verde 71,400 2005 157 Virgin Islands 70,900 2004 158 Mozambique 69,700 2004 159 Madagascar 66,900 2005 160 Papua New Guinea 62,000 2002 161 Togo 58,600 2005 162 Bermuda 56,000 2002 163 New Caledonia 55,300 2005 164 Guernsey 55,100 2004 165 French Polynesia 53,400 2005 166 Saint Lucia 51,100 2002 167 French Guiana 51,000 2001 168 Isle of Man 51,000 1999 169 Lesotho 48,000 2005 170 Gambia, The 44,000 2005 171 Mauritania 41,000 2005 172 Gabon 39,100 2005 173 Antigua and Barbuda 38,000 2004 174 Cayman Islands 38,000 2002 175 Eritrea 37,700 2005 176 Aruba 37,100 2002 177 Cambodia 36,400 2003 178 Andorra 35,400 2005 179 Swaziland 35,000 2005 180 Monaco 33,700 2002 181 Belize 33,300 2005 182 Bhutan 32,700 2005 183 Grenada 32,700 2004 184 Maldives 32,300 2005 185 Burundi 27,700 2004 186 Guinea 26,200 2003 187 Greenland 25,300 2002 188 Saint Kitts and Nevis 25,000 2004 189 Gibraltar 24,512 2002 190 Niger 24,000 2005 191 Sierra Leone 24,000 2002 192 Faroe Islands 23,800 2005 193 Rwanda 23,000 2004 194 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22,500 2005 195 Seychelles 21,400 2005 196 Northern Mariana Islands 21,000 2000 197 Dominica 21,000 2004 198 San Marino 20,600 2002 199 Liechtenstein 19,900 2002 200 Comoros 16,900 2005 201 American Samoa 15,000 2001 202 Congo, Republic of the 13,800 2004 203 Samoa 13,300 2003 204 Chad 13,000 2004 205 Micronesia, Federated States of 12,400 2005 206 British Virgin Islands 11,700 2002 207 Tonga 11,200 2002 208 Djibouti 11,100 2004 209 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 10,600 2005 210 Guinea-Bissau 10,600 2003 211 Central African Republic 10,000 2004 212 Equatorial Guinea 10,000 2005 213 Mayotte 10,000 2002 214 Solomon Islands 7,400 2005 215 Sao Tome and Principe 7,000 2004 216 Liberia 6,900 2002 217 Vanuatu 6,800 2004 218 Palau 6,700 2002 219 Anguilla 6,200 2002 220 Cook Islands 6,200 2002 221 Turks and Caicos Islands 5,700 2002 222 Marshall Islands 5,510 2004 223 Holy See (Vatican City) 5,120 2005 224 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4,800 2002 225 Kiribati 4,500 2002 226 Norfolk Island 2,532 2004 227 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 2,400 2002 228 Saint Helena 2,200 2002 229 Nauru 1,900 2002 230 Wallis and Futuna 1,900 2002 231 Niue 1,100 2002 232 Tuvalu 700 2002 233 Tokelau 300 2002 234 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 287 1992 235 Pitcairn Islands 1 2004 236 Antarctica 0 2001

1 World 2,168,433,600 2005 2 China 393,428,000 2005 3 European Union 314,644,700 2002 4 United States 219,400,000 2005 5 Russia 120,000,000 2005 6 Japan 94,745,000 2005 7 Brazil 86,210,000 2005 8 Germany 79,200,000 2005 9 Italy 72,200,000 2005 10 India 69,193,321 2006 11 United Kingdom 61,091,000 2004 12 France 48,058,000 2005 13 Mexico 47,462,000 2005 14 Indonesia 46,910,000 2005 15 Turkey 43,609,000 2005 16 Spain 41,328,000 2005 17 Korea, South 38,342,000 2005 18 South Africa 33,960,000 2005 19 Philippines 32,810,000 2005 20 Poland 29,166,400 2005 21 Thailand 27,379,000 2005 22 Taiwan 22,170,000 2005 23 Argentina 22,100,000 2005 24 Colombia 21,850,000 2005 25 Nigeria 21,571,131 2006 26 Malaysia 19,545,000 2005 27 Australia 18,420,000 2005 28 Ukraine 17,214,000 2005 29 Canada 16,600,000 2005 30 Netherlands 15,834,000 2005 31 Egypt 14,045,134 2005 32 Algeria 13,661,000 2005 33 Romania 13,354,000 2005 34 Saudi Arabia 13,300,000 2005 35 Pakistan 12,771,000 2005 36 Venezuela 12,496,000 2005 37 Morocco 12,393,000 2005 38 Czech Republic 11,776,000 2005 39 Portugal 11,448,000 2005 40 Chile 10,570,000 2005 41 Greece 10,043,000 2005 42 Vietnam 9,593,000 2005 43 Belgium 9,460,000 2005 44 Hungary 9,320,000 2005 45 Bangladesh 9,000,000 2005 46 Hong Kong 8,693,000 2005 47 Sweden 8,436,000 2005 48 Austria 8,160,000 2005 49 Israel 7,757,000 2005 50 Iran 7,222,000 2005 51 Switzerland 6,847,000 2005 52 Ecuador 6,246,000 2005 53 Bulgaria 6,245,000 2005 54 Tunisia 5,681,000 2005 55 Peru 5,583,000 2005 56 Denmark 5,469,000 2005 57 Finland 5,231,000 2005 58 Serbia 5,229,000 2005 59 Kazakhstan 4,955,000 2005 60 Norway 4,755,000 2005 61 Kenya 4,612,000 2005 62 Slovakia 4,540,000 2005 63 United Arab Emirates 4,535,000 2005 64 Singapore 4,385,000 2005 65 Lithuania 4,353,000 2005 66 Ireland 4,210,000 2005 67 Belarus 4,098,000 2005 68 Dominican Republic 3,623,000 2005 69 New Zealand 3,530,000 2005 70 Sri Lanka 3,362,000 2005 71 Guatemala 3,168,300 2004 72 Croatia 2,984,000 2005 73 Syria 2,950,000 2005 74 Ghana 2,842,000 2005 75 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2,746,000 2005 76 Jamaica 2,700,000 2005 77 Puerto Rico 2,682,000 2004 78 Bolivia 2,421,000 2005 79 El Salvador 2,412,000 2005 80 Kuwait 2,380,000 2005 81 Cameroon 2,259,000 2005 82 Azerbaijan 2,242,000 2005 83 Cote d'Ivoire 2,190,000 2005 84 Yemen 2,000,000 2005 85 Tanzania 1,942,000 2005 86 Paraguay 1,887,000 2005 87 Latvia 1,872,000 2005 88 Sudan 1,828,000 2005 89 Slovenia 1,759,000 2005 90 Senegal 1,730,000 2005 91 Jordan 1,594,500 2004 92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,594,000 2005 93 Uganda 1,525,000 2005 94 Georgia 1,459,000 2005 95 Estonia 1,445,000 2005 96 Panama 1,352,000 2005 97 Oman 1,333,000 2005 98 Honduras 1,282,000 2005 99 Macedonia 1,261,000 2005 100 Albania 1,259,000 2004 101 Mozambique 1,220,000 2005 102 Afghanistan 1,200,000 2005 103 Nicaragua 1,119,000 2005 104 Costa Rica 1,101,000 2005 105 Gaza Strip 1,095,000 2005 106 West Bank 1,095,000 2005 107 Angola 1,094,100 2005 108 Moldova 1,090,000 2005 109 Cambodia 1,062,000 2005 110 Lebanon 990,000 2005 111 Zambia 946,600 2005 112 Mali 869,600 2005 113 Botswana 823,100 2005 114 Trinidad and Tobago 800,000 2005 115 Bahrain 748,700 2005 116 Mauritania 745,600 2005 117 Luxembourg 720,000 2005 118 Uzbekistan 720,000 2005 119 Cyprus 718,800 120 Qatar 716,800 2005 121 Mauritius 713,300 2005 122 Zimbabwe 699,000 2005 123 Gabon 649,800 2005 124 Uruguay 600,000 2004 125 Reunion 579,200 2004 126 Iraq 574,000 2004 127 Burkina Faso 572,200 2005 128 Mongolia 557,200 2005 129 Montenegro 543,220 2005 130 Kyrgyzstan 541,700 2005 131 Macau 532,800 2005 132 Laos 520,546 2006 133 Madagascar 504,700 2005 134 Somalia 500,000 2005 135 Namibia 495,000 2005 136 Congo, Republic of the 490,000 2005 137 Togo 443,600 2005 138 Malawi 429,300 2005 139 Ethiopia 410,600 2005 140 Haiti 400,000 2004 141 Benin 386,700 2005 142 Malta 324,000 2005 143 Armenia 320,000 2005 144 Martinique 319,900 2002 145 Guadeloupe 314,700 2004 146 Iceland 304,000 2005 147 Niger 299,900 2005 148 Rwanda 290,000 2005 149 Guyana 281,400 2005 150 Tajikistan 265,000 2005 151 Nepal 248,800 2005 152 Gambia, The 247,500 2005 153 Lesotho 245,100 2005 154 Libya 234,800 2004 155 Suriname 232,800 2005 156 Chad 210,000 2005 157 Barbados 206,200 2005 158 Brunei 205,900 2004 159 Netherlands Antilles 200,000 2004 160 Swaziland 200,000 2005 161 Guinea 189,000 2005 162 Bahamas, The 186,000 2004 163 Burma 183,400 2005 164 Liberia 160,000 2005 165 Maldives 153,400 2005 166 Burundi 153,000 2005 167 Cyprus 143,178 168 Fiji 142,200 2004 169 Cuba 134,500 2005 170 New Caledonia 134,300 2005 171 Sierra Leone 113,200 2003 172 Aruba 98,400 2004 173 French Guiana 98,000 2004 174 Guam 98,000 2004 175 Equatorial Guinea 96,900 2005 176 Belize 93,100 2005 177 Saint Lucia 93,000 2004 178 French Polynesia 87,000 2005 179 Jersey 83,900 2004 180 Cape Verde 81,700 2005 181 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 70,600 2005 182 Guinea-Bissau 67,000 2005 183 Andorra 64,600 2005 184 Virgin Islands 64,200 2004 185 Central African Republic 60,000 2004 186 Seychelles 57,000 2005 187 Antigua and Barbuda 54,000 2004 188 Turkmenistan 52,000 2004 189 Bermuda 49,000 2004 190 Mayotte 48,100 2004 191 Guernsey 43,800 2004 192 Grenada 43,300 2004 193 Faroe Islands 42,500 2005 194 Dominica 41,800 2004 195 Eritrea 40,400 2005 196 Bhutan 37,800 2005 197 Djibouti 34,500 2004 198 Greenland 32,200 2004 199 Papua New Guinea 26,000 2005 200 Samoa 24,000 2005 201 Northern Mariana Islands 20,500 2004 202 Monaco 19,300 2002 203 Cayman Islands 17,000 2002 204 San Marino 16,800 2002 205 Tonga 16,400 2004 206 Comoros 16,100 2005 207 Micronesia, Federated States of 14,100 2005 208 Vanuatu 12,700 2005 209 Sao Tome and Principe 12,000 2005 210 Liechtenstein 11,400 2002 211 Saint Kitts and Nevis 10,000 2004 212 Gibraltar 9,797 2002 213 British Virgin Islands 8,000 2002 214 Solomon Islands 6,000 2005 215 American Samoa 2,377 1999 216 Anguilla 1,800 2002 217 Turks and Caicos Islands 1,700 1999 218 Cook Islands 1,500 2002 219 Nauru 1,500 2002 220 Marshall Islands 1,198 2004 221 Palau 1,000 2002 222 Kiribati 600 2004 223 Niue 400 2002 224 Montserrat 70 1994 225 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 2001 226 Western Sahara 0 1999 227 Wallis and Futuna 0 1994 228 Norfolk Island 0 2002 229 Tuvalu 0 2004 230 Tokelau 0 2001

1 World 1,018,057,389 2005 2 European Union 239,881,917 2006 3 United States 205,326,680 2005 4 China 123,000,000 2006 5 Japan 86,300,000 2005 6 India 60,000,000 2005 7 Germany 50,616,000 2006 8 United Kingdom 37,600,000 2005 9 Korea, South 33,900,000 2005 10 France 29,521,000 2006 11 Italy 28,870,000 2005 12 Brazil 25,900,000 2005 13 Russia 23,700,000 2005 14 Canada 21,900,000 2005 15 Spain 19,204,771 2006 16 Mexico 18,622,500 2005 17 Indonesia 16,000,000 2005 18 Turkey 16,000,000 2005 19 Australia 14,663,622 2006 20 Taiwan 13,210,000 2005 21 Vietnam 13,100,000 2006 22 Malaysia 11,016,000 2005 23 Netherlands 10,806,328 2004 24 Poland 10,600,000 2005 25 Pakistan 10,500,000 2005 26 Argentina 10,000,000 2005 27 Thailand 8,420,000 2005 28 Philippines 7,820,000 2005 29 Portugal 7,782,700 2006 30 Iran 7,500,000 2005 31 Sweden 6,800,000 2005 32 Chile 6,700,000 2005 33 Ukraine 5,278,100 2005 34 Belgium 5,100,000 2005 35 South Africa 5,100,000 2005 36 Czech Republic 5,100,000 2005 37 Switzerland 5,097,822 2005 38 Egypt 5,000,000 2005 39 Nigeria 5,000,000 2005 40 Romania 4,940,000 2005 41 Hong Kong 4,878,713 2005 42 Colombia 4,739,000 2005 43 Austria 4,650,000 2005 44 Morocco 4,600,000 2005 45 Peru 4,600,000 2005 46 Greece 3,800,000 2005 47 Denmark 3,762,500 2005 48 Israel 3,700,000 2006 49 Belarus 3,394,400 2005 50 Finland 3,286,000 2005 51 New Zealand 3,200,000 2005 52 Norway 3,140,000 2005 53 Hungary 3,050,000 2005 54 Venezuela 3,040,000 2005 55 Sudan 2,800,000 2005 56 Saudi Arabia 2,540,000 2005 57 Slovakia 2,500,000 2005 58 Singapore 2,421,800 2005 59 Bulgaria 2,200,000 2005 60 Ireland 2,060,000 2005 61 Algeria 1,920,000 2005 62 Croatia 1,451,100 2005 63 Serbia 1,400,000 2006 64 United Arab Emirates 1,397,200 2005 65 Lithuania 1,221,700 2005 66 Syria 1,100,000 2005 67 Slovenia 1,090,000 2005 68 Jamaica 1,067,000 2005 69 Kenya 1,054,900 2005 70 Latvia 1,030,000 2005 71 Costa Rica 1,000,000 2005 72 Zimbabwe 1,000,000 2005 73 Puerto Rico 1,000,000 2005 74 Tunisia 953,800 2005 75 Dominican Republic 938,300 2005 76 Uzbekistan 880,000 2005 77 Bosnia and Herzegovina 806,400 2005 78 Guatemala 756,000 2005 79 Kuwait 700,000 2005 80 Lebanon 700,000 2005 81 Estonia 690,000 2005 82 Uruguay 680,000 2005 83 Azerbaijan 678,800 2005 84 El Salvador 637,100 2005 85 Jordan 629,500 2005 86 Ecuador 616,000 2005 87 Senegal 540,000 2005 88 Haiti 500,000 2005 89 Uganda 500,000 2005 90 Bolivia 480,000 2005 91 Benin 425,000 2005 92 Moldova 406,000 2005 93 Ghana 401,300 2005 94 Kazakhstan 400,000 2005 95 Macedonia 392,671 2005 96 Tanzania 333,000 2005 97 Luxembourg 315,000 2005 98 Bangladesh 300,000 2005 99 Panama 300,000 2005 100 Togo 300,000 2005 101 Cyprus 298,000 2005 102 Sri Lanka 280,000 2005 103 Kyrgyzstan 280,000 2005 104 Mongolia 268,300 2005 105 Iceland 258,000 2005 106 Oman 245,000 2005 107 Gaza Strip 243,000 2005 108 West Bank 243,000 2005 109 Zambia 231,000 2005 110 Honduras 223,000 2005 111 Yemen 220,000 2005 112 Qatar 219,000 2005 113 Libya 205,000 2005 114 Macau 201,000 2004 115 Paraguay 200,000 2005 116 Reunion 200,000 2005 117 Cuba 190,000 2005 118 Mauritius 180,000 2005 119 Georgia 175,600 2005 120 Nepal 175,000 2005 121 Angola 172,000 2005 122 Papua New Guinea 170,000 2005 123 Cameroon 167,000 2005 124 Barbados 160,000 2005 125 Guyana 160,000 2005 126 Trinidad and Tobago 160,000 2005 127 Cote d'Ivoire 160,000 2005 128 Bahrain 152,700 2005 129 Armenia 150,000 2005 130 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 140,600 2005 131 Nicaragua 140,000 2005 132 Mozambique 138,000 2005 133 Malta 127,200 2005 134 Ethiopia 113,000 2005 135 Martinique 107,000 2005 136 Bahamas, The 93,000 2005 137 Madagascar 90,000 2005 138 Somalia 90,000 2005 139 Guadeloupe 79,000 2005 140 Guam 79,000 2004 141 Burma 78,000 2005 142 New Caledonia 76,000 2005 143 Albania 75,000 2005 144 Namibia 75,000 2005 145 Eritrea 70,000 2005 146 Gabon 67,000 2005 147 Burkina Faso 64,600 2005 148 Fiji 61,000 2004 149 Botswana 60,000 2002 150 Mali 60,000 2005 151 Brunei 56,000 2005 152 French Polynesia 55,000 2005 153 Saint Lucia 55,000 2005 154 Malawi 52,500 2005 155 Montenegro 50,000 2004 156 Gambia, The 49,000 2005 157 Guinea 46,000 2005 158 Lesotho 43,000 2005 159 Cambodia 41,000 2005 160 Bermuda 39,000 2005 161 French Guiana 38,000 2005 162 Greenland 38,000 2005 163 Rwanda 38,000 2005 164 Congo, Republic of the 36,000 2005 165 Guernsey 36,000 2005 166 Turkmenistan 36,000 2005 167 Swaziland 36,000 2005 168 Iraq 36,000 2005 169 Belize 35,000 2005 170 Chad 35,000 2005 171 Faroe Islands 33,000 2005 172 Afghanistan 30,000 2005 173 Virgin Islands 30,000 2002 174 Suriname 30,000 2005 175 Jersey 27,000 2005 176 Guinea-Bissau 26,000 2005 177 Bhutan 25,000 2005 178 Laos 25,000 2005 179 Cape Verde 25,000 2005 180 Burundi 25,000 2005 181 Aruba 24,000 2002 182 Niger 24,000 2005 183 Andorra 21,900 2005 184 Dominica 20,500 2005 185 Antigua and Barbuda 20,000 2005 186 Sao Tome and Principe 20,000 2005 187 Seychelles 20,000 2005 188 Liechtenstein 20,000 2002 189 Comoros 20,000 2005 190 Grenada 19,000 2005 191 Maldives 19,000 2005 192 Monaco 16,000 2002 193 San Marino 14,300 2002 194 Micronesia, Federated States of 14,000 2005 195 Mauritania 14,000 2005 196 Northern Mariana Islands 10,000 2003 197 Sierra Leone 10,000 2005 198 Saint Kitts and Nevis 10,000 2002 199 Cayman Islands 9,909 2003 200 Central African Republic 9,000 2005 201 Djibouti 9,000 2005 202 Solomon Islands 8,400 2005 203 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8,000 2005 204 Vanuatu 7,500 2004 205 Gibraltar 6,200 2002 206 Samoa 6,000 2004 207 Equatorial Guinea 5,000 2005 208 Tajikistan 5,000 2005 209 British Virgin Islands 4,000 2002 210 Cook Islands 3,600 2002 211 Anguilla 3,000 2002 212 Tonga 3,000 2004 213 Kiribati 2,000 2004 214 Netherlands Antilles 2,000 2000 215 Marshall Islands 2,000 2005 216 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 1,900 2002 217 Tuvalu 1,300 2002 218 Liberia 1,000 2002 219 East Timor 1,000 2004 220 Saint Helena 1,000 2003 221 Niue 900 2002 222 Wallis and Futuna 900 2002 223 Norfolk Island 700 224 Christmas Island 464 2001 225 Nauru 300 2002 226 Holy See (Vatican City) 93 2000

1 Swaziland 38.80 2003 est. 2 Botswana 37.30 2003 est. 3 Lesotho 28.90 2003 est. 4 Zimbabwe 24.60 2001 est. 5 South Africa 21.50 2003 est. 6 Namibia 21.30 2003 est. 7 Zambia 16.50 2003 est. 8 Malawi 14.20 2003 est. 9 Central African Republic 13.50 2003 est. 10 Mozambique 12.20 2003 est. 11 Guinea-Bissau 10.00 2003 est. 12 Tanzania 8.80 2003 est. 13 Gabon 8.10 2003 est. 14 Cote d'Ivoire 7.00 2003 est. 15 Sierra Leone 7.00 2001 est. 16 Cameroon 6.90 2003 est. 17 Kenya 6.70 2003 est. 18 Burundi 6.00 2003 est. 19 Liberia 5.90 2003 est. 20 Haiti 5.60 2003 est. 21 Nigeria 5.40 2003 est. 22 Rwanda 5.10 2003 est. 23 Congo, Republic of the 4.90 2003 est. 24 Chad 4.80 2003 est. 25 Ethiopia 4.40 2003 est. 26 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 4.20 2003 est. 27 Burkina Faso 4.20 2003 est. 28 Togo 4.10 2003 est. 29 Uganda 4.10 2003 est. 30 Angola 3.90 2003 est. 31 Equatorial Guinea 3.40 2001 est. 32 Guinea 3.20 2003 est. 33 Trinidad and Tobago 3.20 2003 est. 34 Ghana 3.10 2003 est. 35 Bahamas, The 3.00 2003 est. 36 Djibouti 2.90 2003 est. 37 Eritrea 2.70 2003 est. 38 Cambodia 2.60 2003 est. 39 Guyana 2.50 2003 est. 40 Belize 2.40 2003 est. 41 Sudan 2.30 2001 est. 42 Benin 1.90 2003 est. 43 Mali 1.90 2003 est. 44 Honduras 1.80 2003 est. 45 Dominican Republic 1.70 2003 est. 46 Madagascar 1.70 2003 est. 47 Suriname 1.70 2001 est. 48 Barbados 1.50 2003 est. 49 Thailand 1.50 2003 est. 50 Ukraine 1.40 2003 est. 51 Burma 1.20 2003 est. 52 Niger 1.20 2003 est. 53 Jamaica 1.20 2003 est. 54 Gambia, The 1.20 2003 est. 55 Estonia 1.10 2001 est. 56 Russia 1.10 2001 est. 57 Guatemala 1.10 2003 est. 58 Somalia 1.00 2001 est. 59 India 0.90 2001 est. 60 Panama 0.90 2003 est. 61 Senegal 0.80 2003 est. 62 Argentina 0.70 2001 est. 63 Brazil 0.70 2003 est. 64 Venezuela 0.70 2001 est. 65 Spain 0.70 2001 est. 66 El Salvador 0.70 2003 est. 67 Colombia 0.70 2003 est. 68 Costa Rica 0.60 2003 est. 69 Mauritania 0.60 2003 est. 70 Latvia 0.60 2001 est. 71 United States 0.60 2003 est. 72 Papua New Guinea 0.60 2003 est. 73 Italy 0.50 2001 est. 74 Paraguay 0.50 2003 est. 75 Peru 0.50 2003 est. 76 Nepal 0.50 2001 est. 77 France 0.40 2003 est. 78 Vietnam 0.40 2003 est. 79 Switzerland 0.40 2001 est. 80 Portugal 0.40 2001 est. 81 Malaysia 0.40 2003 est. 82 Austria 0.30 2003 est. 83 Ecuador 0.30 2003 est. 84 Belarus 0.30 2001 est. 85 Uruguay 0.30 2001 est. 86 Chile 0.30 2003 est. 87 Mexico 0.30 2003 est. 88 Libya 0.30 2001 est. 89 Canada 0.30 2003 est. 90 Bermuda 0.30 2005 91 Bahrain 0.20 2001 est. 92 Belgium 0.20 2003 est. 93 United Kingdom 0.20 2001 est. 94 Singapore 0.20 2003 est. 95 Nicaragua 0.20 2003 est. 96 Netherlands 0.20 2001 est. 97 Malta 0.20 2001 est. 98 Moldova 0.20 2001 est. 99 Luxembourg 0.20 2001 est. 100 Kazakhstan 0.20 2001 est. 101 Iceland 0.20 2001 est. 102 Greece 0.20 2001 est. 103 Denmark 0.20 2003 est. 104 United Arab Emirates 0.18 2001 est. 105 Comoros 0.12 2001 est. 106 Kuwait 0.12 2001 est. 107 Algeria 0.10 2001 est. 108 Australia 0.10 2003 est. 109 Bangladesh 0.10 2001 est. 110 Bolivia 0.10 2003 est. 111 Bulgaria 0.10 2001 est. 112 Sri Lanka 0.10 2001 est. 113 Maldives 0.10 2001 est. 114 Oman 0.10 2001 est. 115 Mauritius 0.10 2001 est. 116 Morocco 0.10 2001 est. 117 Macedonia 0.10 2001 est. 118 Georgia 0.10 2001 est. 119 Fiji 0.10 2003 est. 120 Finland 0.10 2003 est. 121 Czech Republic 0.10 2001 est. 122 Ireland 0.10 2001 est. 123 Egypt 0.10 2001 est. 124 Cyprus 0.10 2003 est. 125 Cuba 0.10 2003 est. 126 China 0.10 2003 est. 127 Tajikistan 0.10 2001 est. 128 Syria 0.10 2001 est. 129 Sweden 0.10 2001 est. 130 Slovenia 0.10 2001 est. 131 Philippines 0.10 2003 est. 132 Romania 0.10 2001 est. 133 Poland 0.10 2001 est. 134 Pakistan 0.10 2001 est. 135 Mongolia 0.10 2003 est. 136 Yemen 0.10 2001 est. 137 Uzbekistan 0.10 2001 est. 138 Turkmenistan 0.10 2004 est. 139 Turkey 0.10 2001 est. 140 Tunisia 0.10 2005 est. 141 Slovakia 0.10 2001 est. 142 Lithuania 0.10 2001 est. 143 Lebanon 0.10 2001 est. 144 Laos 0.10 2003 est. 145 Korea, South 0.10 2003 est. 146 Kyrgyzstan 0.10 2001 est. 147 Jordan 0.10 2001 est. 148 Japan 0.10 2003 est. 149 New Zealand 0.10 2003 est. 150 Norway 0.10 2001 est. 151 Iraq 0.10 2001 est. 152 Israel 0.10 2001 est. 153 Iran 0.10 2001 est. 154 Indonesia 0.10 2003 est. 155 Hungary 0.10 2001 est. 156 Croatia 0.10 2001 est. 157 Hong Kong 0.10 2003 est. 158 Germany 0.10 2001 est. 159 Brunei 0.10 2003 est. 160 Bhutan 0.10 2001 est. 161 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.10 2001 est. 162 Azerbaijan 0.10 2003 est. 163 Armenia 0.10 2003 est. 164 Qatar 0.09 2001 est. 165 Cape Verde 0.04 166 Afghanistan 0.01 2001 est. 167 Saudi Arabia 0.01 2001 est. 168 Svalbard 0.00 2001

1 South Africa 5,300,000 2003 est. 2 India 5,100,000 2001 est. 3 Nigeria 3,600,000 2003 est. 4 Zimbabwe 1,800,000 2001 est. 5 Tanzania 1,600,000 2003 est. 6 Ethiopia 1,500,000 2003 est. 7 Mozambique 1,300,000 2003 est. 8 Kenya 1,200,000 2003 est. 9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1,100,000 2003 est. 10 United States 950,000 2003 est. 11 Zambia 920,000 2003 est. 12 Malawi 900,000 2003 est. 13 Russia 860,000 2001 est. 14 China 840,000 2003 est. 15 Brazil 660,000 2003 est. 16 Cote d'Ivoire 570,000 2003 est. 17 Thailand 570,000 2003 est. 18 Cameroon 560,000 2003 est. 19 Uganda 530,000 2001 est. 20 Sudan 400,000 2001 est. 21 Ukraine 360,000 2001 est. 22 Botswana 350,000 2003 est. 23 Ghana 350,000 2003 est. 24 Burma 330,000 2003 est. 25 Lesotho 320,000 2003 est. 26 Burkina Faso 300,000 2003 est. 27 Haiti 280,000 2003 est. 28 Central African Republic 260,000 2003 est. 29 Burundi 250,000 2003 est. 30 Rwanda 250,000 2003 est. 31 Angola 240,000 2003 est. 32 Vietnam 220,000 2003 est. 33 Swaziland 220,000 2003 est. 34 Namibia 210,000 2001 est. 35 Chad 200,000 2003 est. 36 Colombia 190,000 2003 est. 37 Cambodia 170,000 2003 est. 38 Sierra Leone 170,000 2001 est. 39 Mexico 160,000 2003 est. 40 Guinea 140,000 2003 est. 41 Madagascar 140,000 2003 est. 42 Italy 140,000 2001 est. 43 Mali 140,000 2003 est. 44 Spain 140,000 2001 est. 45 Argentina 130,000 2001 est. 46 France 120,000 2003 est. 47 Indonesia 110,000 2003 est. 48 Togo 110,000 2003 est. 49 Venezuela 110,000 1999 est. 50 Liberia 100,000 2003 est. 51 Congo, Republic of the 90,000 2003 est. 52 Dominican Republic 88,000 2003 est. 53 Peru 82,000 2003 est. 54 Guatemala 78,000 2003 est. 55 Pakistan 74,000 2001 est. 56 Niger 70,000 2003 est. 57 Benin 68,000 2003 est. 58 Honduras 63,000 2003 est. 59 Nepal 61,000 2001 est. 60 Eritrea 60,000 2003 est. 61 Canada 56,000 2003 est. 62 Malaysia 52,000 2003 est. 63 United Kingdom 51,000 2001 est. 64 Gabon 48,000 2003 est. 65 Senegal 44,000 2003 est. 66 Germany 43,000 2001 est. 67 Somalia 43,000 2001 est. 68 Iran 31,000 2001 est. 69 El Salvador 29,000 2003 est. 70 Trinidad and Tobago 29,000 2003 est. 71 Chile 26,000 2003 est. 72 Jamaica 22,000 2003 est. 73 Portugal 22,000 2001 est. 74 Ecuador 21,000 2003 est. 75 Netherlands 19,000 2001 est. 76 Guinea-Bissau 17,000 2001 est. 77 Kazakhstan 16,500 2001 est. 78 Panama 16,000 2003 est. 79 Papua New Guinea 16,000 2003 est. 80 Belarus 15,000 2001 est. 81 Morocco 15,000 2001 est. 82 Paraguay 15,000 1999 est. 83 Australia 14,000 2003 est. 84 Poland 14,000 2003 est. 85 Bangladesh 13,000 2001 est. 86 Switzerland 13,000 2001 est. 87 Costa Rica 12,000 2003 est. 88 Yemen 12,000 2001 est. 89 Japan 12,000 2003 est. 90 Egypt 12,000 2001 est. 91 Guyana 11,000 2003 est. 92 Uzbekistan 11,000 2003 est. 93 Austria 10,000 2003 est. 94 Belgium 10,000 2003 est. 95 Libya 10,000 2001 est. 96 Mauritania 9,500 2003 est. 97 Algeria 9,100 2003 est. 98 Greece 9,100 2001 est. 99 Djibouti 9,100 2003 est. 100 Philippines 9,000 2003 est. 101 Korea, South 8,300 2003 est. 102 Estonia 7,800 2003 est. 103 Latvia 7,600 2001 est. 104 Puerto Rico 7,397 105 Gambia, The 6,800 2003 est. 106 Romania 6,500 2001 est. 107 Nicaragua 6,400 2003 est. 108 Uruguay 6,000 2001 est. 109 Equatorial Guinea 5,900 2001 est. 110 Bahamas, The 5,600 2003 est. 111 Moldova 5,500 2001 est. 112 Suriname 5,200 2001 est. 113 Denmark 5,000 2003 est. 114 Bolivia 4,900 2003 est. 115 Singapore 4,100 2003 est. 116 Kyrgyzstan 3,900 2003 est. 117 Belize 3,600 2003 est. 118 Sweden 3,600 2001 est. 119 Sri Lanka 3,500 2001 est. 120 Cuba 3,300 2003 est. 121 Georgia 3,000 2003 est. 122 Israel 3,000 1999 est. 123 Ireland 2,800 2001 est. 124 Lebanon 2,800 2003 est. 125 Hungary 2,800 2001 est. 126 Armenia 2,600 2003 est. 127 Hong Kong 2,600 2003 est. 128 Barbados 2,500 2003 est. 129 Czech Republic 2,500 2001 est. 130 Norway 2,100 2001 est. 131 Laos 1,700 2003 est. 132 Finland 1,500 2003 est. 133 Azerbaijan 1,400 2003 est. 134 New Zealand 1,400 2003 est. 135 Lithuania 1,300 2003 est. 136 Oman 1,300 2001 est. 137 Cyprus 1,000 1999 est. 138 Tunisia 1,000 2003 est. 139 Bosnia and Herzegovina 900 2003 est. 140 Cape Verde 775 141 Mauritius 700 2001 est. 142 Bahrain 600 2003 est. 143 Jordan 600 2003 est. 144 Fiji 600 2003 est. 145 Iraq 500 2003 est. 146 Mongolia 500 2003 est 147 Syria 500 2003 est. 148 Malta 500 2003 est. 149 Luxembourg 500 2003 est. 150 Bulgaria 346 2001 est. 151 Slovenia 280 2001 est. 152 Iceland 220 2001 est. 153 Brunei 200 2003 est. 154 Slovakia 200 2003 est. 155 Croatia 200 2001 est. 156 Macedonia 200 2003 est. 157 Turkmenistan 200 2003 est. 158 Tajikistan 200 2003 est. 159 Bermuda 163 2005 160 Bhutan 100 1999 est. 161 Maldives 100 2001 est. 162 Greenland 100 163 Samoa 12 164 Svalbard 0 2001

1 South Africa 370,000 2003 est. 2 India 310,000 2001 est. 3 Nigeria 310,000 2003 est. 4 Zimbabwe 170,000 2003 est. 5 Tanzania 160,000 2003 est. 6 Kenya 150,000 2003 est. 7 Ethiopia 120,000 2003 est. 8 Mozambique 110,000 2003 est. 9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 100,000 2003 est. 10 Zambia 89,000 2003 est. 11 Malawi 84,000 2003 est. 12 Uganda 78,000 2003 est. 13 Thailand 58,000 2003 est. 14 Cameroon 49,000 2003 est. 15 Cote d'Ivoire 47,000 2003 est. 16 China 44,000 2003 est. 17 Botswana 33,000 2003 est. 18 Ghana 30,000 2003 est. 19 Lesotho 29,000 2003 est. 20 Burkina Faso 29,000 2003 est. 21 Burundi 25,000 2003 est. 22 Haiti 24,000 2003 est. 23 Central African Republic 23,000 2003 est. 24 Sudan 23,000 2003 est. 25 Rwanda 22,000 2003 est. 26 Angola 21,000 2003 est. 27 Burma 20,000 2003 est. 28 Ukraine 20,000 2003 est. 29 Chad 18,000 2003 est. 30 Swaziland 17,000 2003 est. 31 Namibia 16,000 2003 est. 32 Brazil 15,000 2003 est. 33 Cambodia 15,000 2003 est. 34 United States 14,000 2003 est. 35 Mali 12,000 2003 est. 36 Sierra Leone 11,000 2001 est. 37 Togo 10,000 2003 est. 38 Congo, Republic of the 9,700 2003 est. 39 Guinea 9,000 2003 est. 40 Russia 9,000 2001 est. 41 Vietnam 9,000 2003 est. 42 Dominican Republic 7,900 2003 est. 43 Madagascar 7,500 2003 est. 44 Liberia 7,200 2003 est. 45 Eritrea 6,300 2003 est. 46 Benin 5,800 2003 est. 47 Guatemala 5,800 2003 est. 48 Mexico 5,000 2003 est. 49 Pakistan 4,900 2003 est. 50 Niger 4,800 2003 est. 51 Peru 4,200 2003 est. 52 Honduras 4,100 2003 est. 53 Venezuela 4,100 2003 est. 54 Colombia 3,600 2003 est. 55 Senegal 3,500 2003 est. 56 Nepal 3,100 2003 est. 57 Gabon 3,000 2003 est. 58 Indonesia 2,400 2003 est. 59 El Salvador 2,200 2003 est. 60 Malaysia 2,000 2003 est. 61 Trinidad and Tobago 1,900 2003 est. 62 Ecuador 1,700 2003 est. 63 Argentina 1,500 2003 est. 64 Canada 1,500 2003 est. 65 Chile 1,400 2003 est. 66 Guinea-Bissau 1,200 2001 est. 67 Guyana 1,100 2003 est. 68 Belarus 1,000 2001 est. 69 Spain 1,000 2003 est. 70 Portugal 1,000 2003 est. 71 Italy 1,000 2003 est. 72 Germany 1,000 2003 est. 73 France 1,000 2003 est. 74 Costa Rica 900 2003 est. 75 Jamaica 900 2003 est. 76 Iran 800 2003 est. 77 Egypt 700 2003 est. 78 Djibouti 690 2003 est. 79 Bangladesh 650 2001 est. 80 Gambia, The 600 2003 est. 81 Paraguay 600 2003 est. 82 Papua New Guinea 600 2003 est. 83 Algeria 500 2003 est. 84 Japan 500 2003 est. 85 Latvia 500 2003 est. 86 Philippines 500 2003 est. 87 Uzbekistan 500 2003 est. 88 Uruguay 500 2003 est. 89 United Kingdom 500 2003 est. 90 Suriname 500 2003 est. 91 Jordan 500 2003 est. 92 Bermuda 392 2005 93 Equatorial Guinea 370 2001 est. 94 Romania 350 2001 est. 95 Moldova 300 2001 est. 96 Cape Verde 225 97 Armenia 200 2003 est. 98 Lithuania 200 2003 est. 99 Lebanon 200 2003 est. 100 Laos 200 2003 est. 101 Kazakhstan 200 2003 est. 102 Korea, South 200 2003 est. 103 Kyrgyzstan 200 2003 est. 104 Hong Kong 200 2003 est. 105 Georgia 200 2003 est. 106 Fiji 200 2003 est. 107 Tunisia 200 2003 est. 108 Syria 200 2003 est. 109 Singapore 200 2003 est. 110 New Zealand 200 2003 est. 111 Oman 200 2003 est. 112 Mongolia 200 2003 est. 113 Estonia 200 2003 est. 114 Cuba 200 2003 est. 115 Sri Lanka 200 2003 est. 116 Brunei 200 2003 est. 117 Bahamas, The 200 2003 est. 118 Barbados 200 2003 est. 119 Bahrain 200 2003 est. 120 Azerbaijan 100 2001 est. 121 Turkmenistan 100 2004 est. 122 Tajikistan 100 2001 est. 123 Switzerland 100 2003 est. 124 Sweden 100 2003 est. 125 Slovenia 100 2003 est. 126 Poland 100 2001 est. 127 Norway 100 2003 est. 128 Netherlands 100 2003 est. 129 Malta 100 2003 est. 130 Mauritius 100 2001 est. 131 Macedonia 100 2003 est. 132 Luxembourg 100 2003 est. 133 Slovakia 100 2001 est. 134 Israel 100 2001 est. 135 Iceland 100 2003 est. 136 Hungary 100 2001 est. 137 Greece 100 2003 est. 138 Finland 100 2003 est. 139 Bulgaria 100 2001 est. 140 Bosnia and Herzegovina 100 2001 est. 141 Denmark 100 2003 est. 142 Ireland 100 2003 est. 143 Belgium 100 2003 est. 144 Austria 100 2003 est. 145 Czech Republic 10 2001 est. 146 Croatia 10 2001 est. 147 Samoa 3 148 Svalbard 0 2001

1 World 79,650,000 2003 est. 2 Saudi Arabia 9,475,000 2005 est. 3 Russia 9,150,000 2005 est. 4 United States 7,610,000 2005 est. 5 Iran 3,979,000 2005 est. 6 China 3,504,000 2004 7 European Union 3,424,000 2001 8 Mexico 3,420,000 2005 est. 9 Norway 3,220,000 2005 est. 10 Venezuela 3,081,000 2005 est. 11 Nigeria 2,451,000 2005 est. 12 Kuwait 2,418,000 2005 est. 13 Canada 2,400,000 2004 14 United Arab Emirates 2,396,000 2005 est. 15 United Kingdom 2,393,000 2003 est. 16 Iraq 2,093,000 2005 est. 17 Brazil 2,010,000 2005 est. 18 Libya 1,643,000 2005 est. 19 Angola 1,600,000 2005 est. 20 Algeria 1,373,000 2005 est. 21 Kazakhstan 1,300,000 2005 est. 22 Indonesia 1,061,000 2005 est. 23 Qatar 790,500 2005 est. 24 India 785,000 2005 est. 25 Malaysia 770,000 2005 est. 26 Oman 769,000 2005 est. 27 Argentina 745,000 2005 est. 28 Egypt 700,000 2005 est. 29 Australia 530,000 2005 est. 30 Colombia 512,400 2005 est. 31 Ecuador 493,200 2005 est. 32 Azerbaijan 477,000 2005 est. 33 Equatorial Guinea 420,000 2005 est. 34 Syria 403,800 2005 est. 35 Sudan 401,300 2005 est. 36 Vietnam 400,000 2005 est. 37 Yemen 387,500 2005 est. 38 Denmark 376,900 2003 39 Gabon 268,900 2005 est. 40 Congo, Republic of the 267,100 2005 est. 41 Thailand 230,000 2005 est. 42 Chad 225,000 2005 est. 43 South Africa 216,700 2003 est. 44 Turkmenistan 203,400 2003 est. 45 Brunei 200,800 2005 46 Bahrain 188,300 2005 est. 47 Germany 158,700 2003 48 Uzbekistan 152,000 2004 49 Trinidad and Tobago 150,000 2005 est. 50 Italy 136,200 2003 est. 51 Japan 120,700 2003 est. 52 Peru 120,000 2005 est. 53 Romania 119,000 2005 est. 54 Netherlands 94,870 2003 55 Ukraine 85,660 2004 56 Cameroon 82,300 2005 est. 57 France 76,300 2003 est. 58 Tunisia 76,000 2004 est. 59 Cuba 72,000 2005 est. 60 Pakistan 63,000 2005 est. 61 Papua New Guinea 50,000 January 2006 est. 62 Turkey 50,000 2005 est. 63 Hungary 45,190 2005 64 Bolivia 42,000 2005 est. 65 Belarus 36,000 2004 est. 66 Cote d'Ivoire 32,900 2005 est. 67 New Zealand 31,740 2003 est. 68 Spain 24,540 2003 est. 69 Poland 24,530 2003 est. 70 Guatemala 22,300 2005 est. 71 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 22,000 2003 72 Croatia 20,500 2005 est. 73 Burma 18,500 2005 est. 74 Austria 17,810 2004 75 Czech Republic 15,240 2005 76 Serbia 14,660 2003 77 Virgin Islands 14,650 2003 est. 78 Philippines 14,360 2003 est. 79 Nicaragua 14,300 2005 est. 80 Lithuania 14,000 2004 81 Belgium 13,060 2003 82 Suriname 12,000 2004 est. 83 Slovakia 11,480 2005 est. 84 Finland 9,013 2003 est. 85 Taiwan 8,354 2003 est. 86 Singapore 8,290 2003 est. 87 Ghana 7,433 2003 est. 88 Bangladesh 6,825 2003 89 Estonia 6,000 2004 90 Greece 5,805 2003 est. 91 Chile 4,000 2005 est. 92 Albania 3,600 2005 est. 93 Israel 2,740 2003 est. 94 Sweden 2,441 2003 est. 95 Aruba 2,363 2003 96 Kyrgyzstan 1,990 2003 97 Georgia 1,982 2003 98 Switzerland 1,950 2003 est. 99 Barbados 1,000 2003 100 Bulgaria 1,000 2004 101 Mongolia 549 2005 est. 102 Puerto Rico 436 2003 est. 103 Uruguay 435 2003 est. 104 Benin 400 2003 105 Tajikistan 355 2003 est. 106 Cyprus 300 2005 est. 107 Morocco 300 2005 est. 108 Zambia 130 2003 est. 109 Madagascar 89 2003 est. 110 Jordan 40 2004 est. 111 Slovenia 11 2003 est. 112 Sierra Leone 1 2003 est. 113 Antigua and Barbuda 0 2003 114 Botswana 0 2003 115 Bahamas, The 0 2003 116 Solomon Islands 0 2003 est. 117 Liberia 0 2003 est. 118 Latvia 0 2004 119 Lebanon 0 2003 est. 120 Laos 0 2003 est. 121 Korea, South 0 2004 122 Kiribati 0 2003 est. 123 Korea, North 0 2004 est. 124 Kenya 0 2003 est. 125 Jamaica 0 2003 est. 126 Zimbabwe 0 2003 est. 127 Swaziland 0 2004 est. 128 Samoa 0 2003 est. 129 Western Sahara 0 2003 est. 130 Namibia 0 2003 est. 131 British Virgin Islands 0 2003 132 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 2003 est. 133 Burkina Faso 0 2003 134 Uganda 0 2003 est. 135 Tanzania 0 2003 est. 136 Sao Tome and Principe 0 2003 est. 137 Togo 0 2003 est. 138 Tonga 0 2003 est. 139 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 2003 est. 140 Saint Lucia 0 2003 est. 141 Somalia 0 2003 est. 142 Saint Helena 0 2003 est. 143 Senegal 0 2003 est. 144 Seychelles 0 2003 est. 145 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 2003 est. 146 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 2003 est. 147 Rwanda 0 2003 est. 148 Reunion 0 2003 est. 149 Guinea-Bissau 0 2003 est. 150 Portugal 0 2003 est. 151 Panama 0 2004 est. 152 Paraguay 0 2003 est. 153 Netherlands Antilles 0 2003 est. 154 Nauru 0 2003 est. 155 Nepal 0 2005 est. 156 Vanuatu 0 2003 est. 157 Niger 0 2003 est. 158 Niue 0 2003 est. 159 New Caledonia 0 2003 est. 160 Mozambique 0 2003 est. 161 Maldives 0 2003 est. 162 Malta 0 2003 est. 163 Mauritania 0 2005 est. 164 Mauritius 0 2003 est. 165 Mali 0 2003 est. 166 Macedonia 0 2005 est. 167 Malawi 0 2003 est. 168 Montserrat 0 2003 est. 169 Moldova 0 2003 est. 170 Macau 0 2004 est. 171 Martinique 0 2003 est. 172 Luxembourg 0 2003 est. 173 Lesotho 0 2003 est. 174 Iceland 0 2003 est. 175 Honduras 0 2003 est. 176 Hong Kong 0 2003 est. 177 Ireland 0 2003 est. 178 Dominican Republic 0 2003 179 Dominica 0 2003 180 Djibouti 0 2003 181 Cook Islands 0 2003 182 Cape Verde 0 2003 183 Central African Republic 0 2003 184 Costa Rica 0 2003 185 Comoros 0 2003 186 Cayman Islands 0 2003 187 Sri Lanka 0 2003 est. 188 Cambodia 0 2003 189 Burundi 0 2003 190 Haiti 0 2003 est. 191 Guyana 0 2003 est. 192 Guinea 0 2003 est. 193 Guam 0 2003 est. 194 Guadeloupe 0 2003 est. 195 Greenland 0 2003 est. 196 Grenada 0 2003 est. 197 Gibraltar 0 2003 est. 198 Gambia, The 0 2003 est. 199 French Polynesia 0 2003 est. 200 Faroe Islands 0 2003 est. 201 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 2003 est. 202 Fiji 0 2003 est. 203 French Guiana 0 2003 est. 204 Ethiopia 0 2003 est. 205 El Salvador 0 2003 est. 206 Eritrea 0 2003 est. 207 Bhutan 0 2003 208 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 2003 209 Belize 0 2003 210 Bermuda 0 2003 211 Armenia 0 2005 212 American Samoa 0 2003 213 Afghanistan 0 2003

1 World 80,100,000 2003 est. 2 United States 20,030,000 2003 est. 3 European Union 14,590,000 2001 4 China 6,391,000 2004 5 Japan 5,578,000 2003 est. 6 Russia 2,800,000 2005 est. 7 Germany 2,677,000 2003 8 India 2,320,000 2003 est. 9 Canada 2,300,000 2004 10 Korea, South 2,061,000 2004 11 France 2,060,000 2003 est. 12 Italy 1,874,000 2003 est. 13 Saudi Arabia 1,775,000 2003 14 Mexico 1,752,000 2004 est. 15 United Kingdom 1,722,000 2003 est. 16 Brazil 1,610,000 2004 17 Spain 1,544,000 2003 est. 18 Iran 1,425,000 2003 est. 19 Indonesia 1,084,000 2005 est. 20 Netherlands 920,000 2003 est. 21 Taiwan 915,000 2003 est. 22 Australia 875,600 2003 est. 23 Thailand 851,000 2004 est. 24 Singapore 800,000 2005 est. 25 Turkey 715,100 2005 est. 26 Belgium 624,200 2003 est. 27 Egypt 566,000 2003 est. 28 Venezuela 530,000 2003 est. 29 Malaysia 510,000 2003 est. 30 Ukraine 491,700 2004 31 South Africa 484,000 2003 est. 32 Poland 476,200 2003 est. 33 Argentina 450,000 2001 est. 34 Greece 435,700 2005 est. 35 Pakistan 365,000 2004 est. 36 Iraq 351,500 2005 est. 37 Sweden 346,100 2003 est. 38 Philippines 335,000 2003 est. 39 Portugal 326,500 2003 est. 40 United Arab Emirates 310,000 2004 est. 41 Nigeria 310,000 2003 est. 42 Kuwait 305,000 2003 est. 43 Hong Kong 293,000 2004 est. 44 Israel 270,100 2003 est. 45 Colombia 270,000 2003 est. 46 Switzerland 258,900 2003 est. 47 Norway 257,200 2003 est. 48 Belarus 252,000 2003 est. 49 Austria 249,000 2004 est. 50 Algeria 246,000 2004 est. 51 Syria 240,000 2004 est. 52 Libya 237,000 2004 est. 53 Chile 228,000 2003 est. 54 Kazakhstan 221,000 2003 est. 55 Finland 219,700 2003 est. 56 Puerto Rico 218,000 2003 est. 57 Vietnam 216,000 2003 est. 58 Romania 212,000 2004 est. 59 Cuba 205,000 2003 est. 60 Czech Republic 202,000 2004 est. 61 Denmark 188,300 2003 est. 62 Ireland 175,600 2003 est. 63 Morocco 158,000 2003 est. 64 Peru 157,000 2003 est. 65 Ecuador 155,000 2003 est. 66 New Zealand 151,900 2003 est. 67 Hungary 136,000 2004 68 Dominican Republic 128,000 2003 est. 69 Azerbaijan 123,000 2003 est. 70 Uzbekistan 120,000 2004 71 Virgin Islands 105,000 2003 est. 72 Jordan 103,000 2004 est. 73 Lebanon 102,000 2003 est. 74 Bulgaria 98,000 2004 75 Croatia 90,000 2003 est. 76 Tunisia 90,000 2003 est. 77 Serbia 85,000 2003 est. 78 Bangladesh 84,000 2003 est. 79 Turkmenistan 80,000 2003 est. 80 Yemen 80,000 2003 est. 81 Sri Lanka 79,000 2003 est. 82 Panama 78,000 2003 est. 83 Slovakia 74,000 2004 est. 84 Netherlands Antilles 72,500 2003 est. 85 Sudan 70,000 2004 est. 86 Jamaica 69,000 2003 est. 87 Guatemala 66,000 2003 est. 88 Oman 62,000 2003 est. 89 Estonia 60,000 2004 90 Luxembourg 55,700 2003 est. 91 Cyprus 52,000 2003 est. 92 Kenya 52,000 2003 est. 93 Slovenia 52,000 2003 est. 94 Lithuania 52,000 2004 95 Bolivia 48,000 2003 est. 96 Latvia 47,000 2004 97 Angola 46,000 2003 est. 98 Armenia 40,000 2003 est. 99 Costa Rica 40,000 2003 est. 100 El Salvador 40,000 2003 est. 101 Ghana 39,000 2003 est. 102 Uruguay 38,000 2003 est. 103 Honduras 37,000 2003 est. 104 Moldova 37,000 2003 est. 105 Qatar 33,000 2003 est. 106 Burma 32,000 2003 est. 107 Senegal 31,000 2003 est. 108 Trinidad and Tobago 29,000 2003 est. 109 Ethiopia 27,000 2003 est. 110 Bahrain 26,000 2003 est. 111 Albania 25,200 2005 est. 112 Nicaragua 25,200 2005 est. 113 Korea, North 25,000 2003 114 Tajikistan 25,000 2003 est. 115 Paraguay 25,000 2003 est. 116 Mauritania 24,000 2003 est. 117 Gibraltar 23,500 2003 est. 118 Bahamas, The 23,000 2003 est. 119 Cameroon 23,000 2001 est. 120 Macedonia 23,000 2005 est. 121 Zimbabwe 22,500 2003 est. 122 Tanzania 22,000 2003 est. 123 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21,000 2003 est. 124 Mauritius 21,000 2003 est. 125 Cote d'Ivoire 20,000 2003 est. 126 Guam 19,000 2003 est. 127 Reunion 18,500 2003 est. 128 Malta 18,000 2003 est. 129 Papua New Guinea 18,000 January 2006 est. 130 Iceland 17,280 2003 est. 131 Namibia 16,000 2003 est. 132 Madagascar 15,000 2003 est. 133 Suriname 14,000 2004 est. 134 Martinique 13,800 2003 est. 135 Georgia 13,000 2003 est. 136 Guadeloupe 13,000 2003 est. 137 Gabon 12,250 2003 est. 138 Zambia 12,250 2003 est. 139 Botswana 12,000 2003 est. 140 Macau 12,000 2003 est. 141 Djibouti 12,000 2003 est. 142 Benin 12,000 2003 est. 143 Nepal 11,980 2005 est. 144 Haiti 11,800 2003 est. 145 Guyana 11,300 2003 est. 146 Mongolia 11,220 2005 est. 147 Kyrgyzstan 11,000 2003 est. 148 Mozambique 11,000 2003 est. 149 Brunei 10,770 2005 est. 150 Barbados 10,000 2003 est. 151 Uganda 10,000 2003 est. 152 Fiji 10,000 2003 est. 153 New Caledonia 10,000 2003 est. 154 Togo 8,500 2003 est. 155 Guinea 8,400 2003 est. 156 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 8,300 2003 est. 157 Burkina Faso 8,000 2003 est. 158 Seychelles 7,600 2003 est. 159 French Guiana 6,600 2003 est. 160 Sierra Leone 6,510 2003 est. 161 Aruba 6,500 2003 est. 162 Belize 6,000 2003 est. 163 Rwanda 6,000 2003 est. 164 Malawi 5,450 2003 est. 165 Niger 5,400 2003 est. 166 Congo, Republic of the 5,200 2003 est. 167 Afghanistan 5,000 2003 est. 168 Somalia 5,000 2003 est. 169 French Polynesia 4,800 2003 est. 170 Bermuda 4,658 2005 est. 171 Eritrea 4,600 2003 est. 172 Faroe Islands 4,500 2003 est. 173 Mali 4,250 2003 est. 174 American Samoa 4,000 2003 est. 175 Maldives 4,000 2003 est. 176 Greenland 3,850 2003 est. 177 Cambodia 3,700 2003 est. 178 Antigua and Barbuda 3,600 2003 est. 179 Swaziland 3,500 2003 est. 180 Liberia 3,400 2003 est. 181 Burundi 3,000 2003 est. 182 Laos 2,950 2003 est. 183 Saint Lucia 2,520 2003 est. 184 Cayman Islands 2,450 2003 est. 185 Guinea-Bissau 2,450 2003 est. 186 Central African Republic 2,400 2003 est. 187 Gambia, The 2,000 2003 est. 188 Grenada 1,800 2003 est. 189 Western Sahara 1,750 2003 est. 190 Chad 1,450 2003 est. 191 Lesotho 1,400 2003 192 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1,300 2003 est. 193 Solomon Islands 1,270 2003 est. 194 Cape Verde 1,200 2003 est. 195 Equatorial Guinea 1,200 2003 est. 196 Bhutan 1,100 2003 est. 197 Nauru 1,000 2003 est. 198 Samoa 1,000 2003 est. 199 Dominica 800 2003 est. 200 Tonga 800 2003 est. 201 Comoros 700 2003 est. 202 Saint Kitts and Nevis 700 2003 est. 203 Sao Tome and Principe 650 2003 est. 204 Vanuatu 620 2003 est. 205 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 480 2003 est. 206 British Virgin Islands 410 2003 est. 207 Cook Islands 400 2003 est. 208 Montserrat 380 2003 est. 209 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 200 2003 est. 210 Kiribati 200 2003 est. 211 Saint Helena 100 2003 est. 212 Turks and Caicos Islands 80 2003 est. 213 Niue 20 2003 est.

1 European Union 15,690,000 2001 2 United States 13,150,000 2004 3 Japan 5,449,000 2001 4 China 3,226,000 2004 5 Netherlands 2,284,000 2001 6 France 2,281,000 2001 7 Korea, South 2,263,000 2004 8 Italy 2,158,000 2001 9 Germany 2,135,000 2003 10 India 2,090,000 11 Spain 1,582,000 2001 12 United Kingdom 1,084,000 2003 13 Belgium 1,042,000 2001 14 Canada 963,000 2004 15 Turkey 616,500 2001 16 Brazil 572,600 17 Sweden 553,100 2001 18 Australia 530,800 2001 19 Greece 468,300 2001 20 Ukraine 444,600 21 Poland 413,700 2001 22 Belarus 360,000 2004 est. 23 Portugal 357,300 2001 24 Indonesia 345,700 2005 est. 25 Finland 318,300 2001 26 Philippines 312,000 2003 27 Switzerland 289,500 2001 28 Chile 221,500 2003 est. 29 Mexico 205,000 2004 30 Denmark 195,000 2001 31 Czech Republic 182,000 2004 32 Ireland 178,600 2001 33 Romania 163,000 2004 34 Austria 152,600 2004 35 Morocco 147,800 36 Dominican Republic 129,900 2003 37 New Zealand 119,700 2001 38 Jordan 100,000 2004 est. 39 Hungary 94,000 2004 40 Lithuania 93,000 2004 41 Norway 88,870 2001 42 Bulgaria 85,000 2004 est. 43 Russia 75,000 44 Slovakia 59,000 45 Estonia 54,000 2004 46 Luxembourg 50,700 2001 47 Burma 49,230 2003 48 Kazakhstan 47,000 2003 49 Latvia 47,000 2004 50 Zimbabwe 23,000 51 Korea, North 22,000 2004 est. 52 Albania 21,600 2005 est. 53 Botswana 16,000 2001 54 Nicaragua 15,560 2005 est. 55 Iceland 15,470 2001 56 Namibia 12,770 57 Nepal 11,760 58 Mongolia 11,210 2005 est. 59 Suriname 1,644 2003 60 United Arab Emirates 0 2004 61 Saudi Arabia 0 2003 62 Sudan 0 2004 63 Libya 0 64 Algeria 0 2004 est.

1 Saudi Arabia 7,920,000 2003 2 European Union 5,322,000 2001 3 Russia 5,150,000 2004 4 Norway 3,466,000 2001 5 United Arab Emirates 2,500,000 2004 est. 6 Iran 2,500,000 2004 est. 7 Venezuela 2,100,000 2004 est. 8 Kuwait 1,970,000 2003 9 Mexico 1,863,000 2004 10 Canada 1,600,000 2004 11 United Kingdom 1,498,000 2001 12 Iraq 1,420,000 2005 est. 13 Netherlands 1,418,000 2001 14 Libya 1,340,000 15 Algeria 1,127,000 2004 est. 16 United States 1,048,000 2004 17 Kazakhstan 890,000 2003 18 Oman 721,000 2004 19 Korea, South 645,200 2004 20 Australia 523,400 2001 21 Italy 456,600 2001 22 Belgium 450,000 2001 23 Indonesia 431,500 2004 est. 24 France 409,600 2001 25 Ecuador 387,000 2004 est. 26 Yemen 370,300 2003 27 India 350,000 28 China 340,300 2004 29 Denmark 332,100 2001 30 Syria 285,000 2004 31 Sudan 275,000 2004 32 Brazil 241,700 33 Malaysia 230,200 2003 34 Sweden 203,700 2001 35 Brunei 192,700 2005 36 Spain 135,100 2001 37 Egypt 134,000 38 Finland 101,000 2001 39 Japan 93,360 2001 40 Greece 84,720 2001 41 Poland 53,000 2001 42 Peru 49,000 2004 est. 43 Hungary 47,180 2001 44 Turkey 46,110 2001 45 New Zealand 30,220 2001 46 Austria 30,140 2004 47 Bahamas, The 29,000 2003 48 Portugal 28,830 2001 49 Ireland 27,450 2001 50 Czech Republic 26,670 2001 51 Belarus 14,500 2003 est. 52 Germany 12,990 2003 53 Switzerland 10,420 2001 54 Ukraine 8,891 55 Burma 3,356 2003 56 Guatemala 3,104 2003 57 Slovakia 2,160 58 Suriname 1,370 2003 59 Nicaragua 759 2004 60 Luxembourg 634 2001 61 Mongolia 515 2005 est. 62 Albania 0 2005 est. 63 Zimbabwe 0 64 Philippines 0 2001 65 Morocco 0 66 Jordan 0 2004 est. 67 Latvia 0 2004 68 Iceland 0 2001 69 Bermuda 0 70 Estonia 0 2004 71 Chile 0

1 World 1,349,000,000,000 1 January 2002 est. 2 Saudi Arabia 262,700,000,000 2005 est. 3 Canada 178,900,000,000 2004 est. 4 Iran 133,300,000,000 2005 est. 5 Iraq 112,500,000,000 2005 est. 6 United Arab Emirates 97,800,000,000 2005 est. 7 Kuwait 96,500,000,000 2005 est. 8 Venezuela 75,590,000,000 2005 est. 9 Russia 69,000,000,000 2003 est. 10 Libya 40,000,000,000 2005 est. 11 Nigeria 36,000,000,000 2005 est. 12 Mexico 33,310,000,000 2005 est. 13 Kazakhstan 26,000,000,000 1 January 2004 14 Angola 25,000,000,000 2005 est. 15 United States 22,450,000,000 1 January 2002 16 China 18,260,000,000 2004 17 Qatar 16,000,000,000 2005 est. 18 Brazil 15,120,000,000 2005 est. 19 Algeria 12,460,000,000 2005 est. 20 Norway 9,859,000,000 1 January 2002 21 European Union 7,294,000,000 1 January 2002 22 Oman 6,100,000,000 2005 est. 23 India 5,700,000,000 2005 est. 24 Indonesia 4,600,000,000 2005 est. 25 Ecuador 4,512,000,000 2005 est. 26 United Kingdom 4,500,000,000 31 December 2004 27 Yemen 4,370,000,000 2005 est. 28 Australia 3,664,000,000 1 January 2002 29 Malaysia 3,100,000,000 2005 est. 30 Argentina 2,950,000,000 2005 est. 31 Egypt 2,700,000,000 2005 est. 32 Syria 2,500,000,000 2005 est. 33 Gabon 1,921,000,000 2005 est. 34 Tunisia 1,700,000,000 2005 est. 35 Sudan 1,600,000,000 2005 est. 36 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1,538,000,000 1 January 2002 37 Colombia 1,492,000,000 2005 est. 38 Brunei 1,255,000,000 1 January 2002 39 Denmark 1,230,000,000 1 January 2002 40 Burma 1,000,000,000 2005 41 Mauritania 1,000,000,000 2005 42 Trinidad and Tobago 990,000,000 1 January 2004 43 Uzbekistan 600,000,000 1 January 2005 44 Vietnam 600,000,000 2005 est. 45 Azerbaijan 589,000,000 1 January 2002 46 Italy 586,600,000 1 January 2002 47 Thailand 583,000,000 November 2003 48 Equatorial Guinea 563,500,000 1 January 2002 49 Cuba 532,000,000 1 January 2002 50 Romania 500,000,000 yearend 2004 51 Bolivia 458,800,000 1 January 2002 52 Germany 395,800,000 1 January 2004 53 Ukraine 395,000,000 9 November 2004 54 Peru 370,000,000 2005 est. 55 Pakistan 341,800,000 2005 est. 56 Turkey 288,400,000 1 January 2002 57 Turkmenistan 273,000,000 1 January 2002 58 Guatemala 263,000,000 1 January 2002 59 Cote d'Ivoire 220,000,000 2005 est. 60 Albania 185,500,000 1 January 2002 61 Papua New Guinea 170,000,000 2005 est. 62 Philippines 152,000,000 1 January 2004 63 Chile 150,000,000 1 January 2004 64 Suriname 150,000,000 2005 65 France 144,300,000 1 January 2002 66 Poland 142,400,000 December 2004 67 Bahrain 124,000,000 2005 est. 68 Hungary 102,000,000 1 January 2006 69 Morocco 100,000,000 2005 est. 70 Croatia 93,600,000 1 January 2002 71 Congo, Republic of the 93,500,000 1 January 2002 72 New Zealand 89,620,000 1 January 2002 73 Netherlands 88,060,000 1 January 2002 74 Cameroon 85,000,000 2005 est. 75 Austria 84,300,000 2004 76 Serbia 38,750,000 1 January 2002 77 Japan 29,290,000 1 January 2002 78 Bangladesh 28,450,000 1 January 2002 79 Bulgaria 15,000,000 1 January 2005 80 Czech Republic 15,000,000 1 January 2006 81 Lithuania 12,000,000 2004 82 Spain 10,500,000 1 January 2002 83 Slovakia 9,000,000 1 January 2006 84 Ghana 8,255,000 1 January 2002 85 South Africa 7,840,000 1 January 2002 86 Greece 4,500,000 1 January 2002 87 Benin 4,105,000 1 January 2002 88 Taiwan 2,900,000 2005 est. 89 Israel 1,920,000 1 January 2002 90 Barbados 1,254,000 1 January 2002 91 Jordan 445,000 1 January 2002 92 Ethiopia 214,000 1 January 2002 93 Afghanistan 0 1 January 2002 94 Somalia 0 1 January 2002 95 Namibia 0 1 January 2002 96 Tanzania 0 1 January 2002 97 Rwanda 0 1 January 2002 98 Ireland 0 1 January 2002 99 Mozambique 0 1 January 2002 100 Madagascar 0 1 January 2002

1 World 174,600,000,000,000 1 January 2002 2 Russia 47,570,000,000,000 2003 3 Iran 26,620,000,000,000 2005 4 Qatar 25,770,000,000,000 2005 5 Saudi Arabia 6,544,000,000,000 2005 6 United Arab Emirates 6,006,000,000,000 2005 7 United States 5,353,000,000,000 1 January 2002 8 Algeria 4,531,000,000,000 2005 9 Nigeria 4,502,000,000,000 2005 10 Venezuela 4,191,000,000,000 2005 11 European Union 3,256,000,000,000 1 January 2002 12 Iraq 3,115,000,000,000 2005 13 Kazakhstan 3,000,000,000,000 1 January 2004 14 Indonesia 2,557,000,000,000 2005 15 Australia 2,549,000,000,000 1 January 2002 16 China 2,530,000,000,000 2004 17 Malaysia 2,124,000,000,000 2005 18 Norway 2,118,000,000,000 1 January 2002 19 Turkmenistan 2,010,000,000,000 1 January 2002 20 Egypt 1,900,000,000,000 2005 21 Uzbekistan 1,875,000,000,000 1 January 2005 22 Netherlands 1,756,000,000,000 1 January 2002 23 Canada 1,673,000,000,000 2004 24 Kuwait 1,572,000,000,000 2005 25 Libya 1,321,000,000,000 2005 26 Ukraine 1,121,000,000,000 9 November 2004 27 India 853,500,000,000 2005 28 Azerbaijan 849,500,000,000 1 January 2002 29 Oman 829,100,000,000 2005 30 Pakistan 759,700,000,000 2005 31 Trinidad and Tobago 733,000,000,000 1 January 2004 32 Bolivia 679,600,000,000 1 January 2002 33 Argentina 663,500,000,000 2005 34 United Kingdom 628,600,000,000 31 December 2004 35 Yemen 478,600,000,000 2005 36 Mexico 424,300,000,000 2005 37 Brunei 390,800,000,000 1 January 2002 38 Thailand 377,700,000,000 November 2003 39 Papua New Guinea 345,500,000,000 2005 40 Germany 305,800,000,000 1 January 2004 41 Bangladesh 300,200,000,000 1 January 2002 42 Romania 300,000,000,000 yearend 2004 43 Burma 283,200,000,000 2005 44 Peru 247,100,000,000 2005 45 Syria 240,700,000,000 2005 46 Brazil 240,000,000,000 2005 47 Italy 226,500,000,000 1 January 2002 48 Vietnam 192,600,000,000 2005 49 Poland 154,400,000,000 December 2004 50 Colombia 127,600,000,000 2005 51 Mozambique 127,400,000,000 1 January 2002 52 Cameroon 110,400,000,000 2005 53 Philippines 106,800,000,000 1 January 2004 54 Afghanistan 99,960,000,000 1 January 2002 55 Chile 97,980,000,000 1 January 2004 56 Bahrain 92,030,000,000 2005 57 Congo, Republic of the 90,610,000,000 1 January 2002 58 Sudan 84,950,000,000 2005 59 Tunisia 77,870,000,000 2005 60 Taiwan 76,460,000,000 2005 61 Denmark 73,510,000,000 1 January 2002 62 Cuba 70,790,000,000 1 January 2002 63 Namibia 62,300,000,000 1 January 2002 64 Rwanda 56,630,000,000 1 January 2002 65 Serbia 48,140,000,000 1 January 2002 66 Angola 45,870,000,000 2005 67 Japan 39,640,000,000 1 January 2002 68 Israel 38,940,000,000 1 January 2002 69 New Zealand 37,380,000,000 1 January 2002 70 Equatorial Guinea 36,810,000,000 1 January 2002 71 Gabon 33,980,000,000 2005 72 Hungary 33,980,000,000 1 January 2003 73 Cote d'Ivoire 29,730,000,000 2005 74 Ethiopia 24,920,000,000 1 January 2002 75 Croatia 24,720,000,000 1 January 2002 76 Ghana 23,790,000,000 1 January 2002 77 Austria 23,200,000,000 2004 78 Tanzania 22,650,000,000 1 January 2002 79 Ireland 19,820,000,000 1 January 2002 80 Slovakia 15,010,000,000 1 January 2003 81 France 14,330,000,000 1 January 2002 82 Ecuador 9,769,000,000 2005 83 Turkey 8,495,000,000 1 January 2002 84 Jordan 6,230,000,000 1 January 2002 85 Bulgaria 5,670,000,000 1 January 2005 86 Somalia 5,663,000,000 1 January 2002 87 Czech Republic 3,964,000,000 1 January 2003 88 Guatemala 3,087,000,000 1 January 2002 89 Albania 2,832,000,000 1 January 2002 90 Spain 2,662,000,000 1 January 2002 91 Benin 1,218,000,000 1 January 2002 92 Morocco 1,218,000,000 2005 93 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 991,100,000 1 January 2002 94 Greece 991,100,000 1 January 2002 95 Barbados 141,600,000 1 January 2002 96 South Africa 28,320,000 1 January 2002 97 Madagascar 0 1 January 2002 98 Mauritania 0 2005 99 Suriname 0 2005

1 World 2,674,000,000,000 2003 est. 2 Russia 587,000,000,000 2005 est. 3 United States 539,000,000,000 2003 est. 4 European Union 239,200,000,000 2001 5 Canada 165,800,000,000 2003 est. 6 United Kingdom 102,800,000,000 2003 est. 7 Indonesia 83,400,000,000 2005 est. 8 Algeria 82,400,000,000 2003 est. 9 Iran 79,000,000,000 2003 est. 10 Norway 73,400,000,000 2003 est. 11 Netherlands 73,130,000,000 2003 est. 12 Saudi Arabia 60,060,000,000 2003 est. 13 Uzbekistan 55,800,000,000 2004 14 Turkmenistan 54,600,000,000 2004 est. 15 Malaysia 53,500,000,000 2003 est. 16 Mexico 47,300,000,000 2004 est. 17 United Arab Emirates 44,790,000,000 2003 est. 18 Argentina 41,040,000,000 2003 est. 19 Australia 35,600,000,000 2003 est. 20 China 35,020,000,000 2003 21 Qatar 30,800,000,000 2003 est. 22 Venezuela 29,700,000,000 2003 est. 23 India 27,100,000,000 2003 est. 24 Egypt 27,000,000,000 2003 est. 25 Trinidad and Tobago 24,700,000,000 2003 est. 26 Pakistan 23,800,000,000 2003 est. 27 Thailand 22,280,000,000 2003 est. 28 Germany 22,220,000,000 2003 est. 29 Ukraine 20,300,000,000 2004 30 Nigeria 19,200,000,000 2003 est. 31 Kazakhstan 18,500,000,000 2004 est. 32 Oman 16,500,000,000 2003 est. 33 Brazil 15,790,000,000 2005 est. 34 Italy 13,550,000,000 2003 est. 35 Romania 13,200,000,000 2004 est. 36 Bangladesh 11,900,000,000 2003 est. 37 Brunei 11,400,000,000 2003 est. 38 Burma 9,980,000,000 2003 est. 39 Bahrain 9,650,000,000 2003 est. 40 Kuwait 8,300,000,000 2003 est. 41 Denmark 7,965,000,000 2003 est. 42 Libya 7,000,000,000 2003 est. 43 Syria 6,950,000,000 2003 est. 44 Bolivia 6,720,000,000 2003 est. 45 Vietnam 6,342,000,000 2005 est. 46 Colombia 6,080,000,000 2003 est. 47 Azerbaijan 5,130,000,000 2003 est. 48 New Zealand 4,773,000,000 2003 est. 49 Poland 4,330,000,000 2004 50 Hungary 3,100,000,000 2003 est. 51 Japan 2,814,000,000 2003 est. 52 South Africa 2,350,000,000 2003 est. 53 Philippines 2,300,000,000 2003 est. 54 Tunisia 2,150,000,000 2003 est. 55 Austria 1,960,000,000 2004 56 Croatia 1,850,000,000 2003 est. 57 France 1,566,000,000 2003 est. 58 Iraq 1,500,000,000 2003 est. 59 Cote d'Ivoire 1,300,000,000 2003 est. 60 Equatorial Guinea 1,270,000,000 2003 est. 61 Chile 1,000,000,000 2003 est. 62 Taiwan 970,000,000 2003 est. 63 Angola 720,000,000 2003 est. 64 Cuba 704,000,000 2004 65 Ireland 673,000,000 2003 est. 66 Serbia 650,000,000 2003 est. 67 Peru 560,000,000 2003 est. 68 Turkey 560,000,000 2003 est. 69 Jordan 390,000,000 2003 est. 70 Belarus 250,000,000 2004 est. 71 Spain 216,000,000 2003 est. 72 Israel 200,000,000 2003 est. 73 Slovakia 165,000,000 2004 est. 74 Papua New Guinea 140,000,000 2003 est. 75 Czech Republic 133,000,000 2003 est. 76 Gabon 90,000,000 2003 est. 77 Mozambique 60,000,000 2003 est. 78 Afghanistan 50,000,000 2003 est. 79 Senegal 50,000,000 2003 est. 80 Ecuador 50,000,000 2003 est. 81 Albania 30,000,000 2003 est. 82 Tajikistan 30,000,000 2004 est. 83 Barbados 29,170,000 2003 est. 84 Greece 27,000,000 2003 est. 85 Georgia 20,000,000 2003 est. 86 Kyrgyzstan 6,000,000 2003 est. 87 Morocco 5,000,000 2003 est. 88 Bulgaria 1,130,000 2003 89 Aruba 0 2003 est. 90 Botswana 0 2003 est. 91 Belgium 0 2003 est. 92 Belize 0 2003 est. 93 Benin 0 2003 est. 94 Bhutan 0 2003 est. 95 Guinea 0 2003 est. 96 Guatemala 0 2003 est. 97 Guam 0 2003 est. 98 Guadeloupe 0 2003 est. 99 Greenland 0 2003 est. 100 Grenada 0 2003 est. 101 Gibraltar 0 2003 est. 102 Ghana 0 2003 est. 103 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 2003 est. 104 Luxembourg 0 2003 est. 105 Lesotho 0 2003 est. 106 Liberia 0 2003 est. 107 Lithuania 0 2004 108 Latvia 0 2003 109 Lebanon 0 2003 est. 110 Laos 0 2003 est. 111 Korea, South 0 2003 est. 112 Kiribati 0 2003 est. 113 Zimbabwe 0 2003 est. 114 Zambia 0 2003 est. 115 Yemen 0 2003 est. 116 Swaziland 0 2003 est. 117 Samoa 0 2003 est. 118 Western Sahara 0 2003 est. 119 Namibia 0 2003 est. 120 Virgin Islands 0 2003 est. 121 British Virgin Islands 0 2003 est. 122 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 2003 est. 123 Uruguay 0 2003 est. 124 Burkina Faso 0 2003 est. 125 Uganda 0 2003 est. 126 Tanzania 0 2003 est. 127 Sao Tome and Principe 0 2003 est. 128 Togo 0 2003 est. 129 Tonga 0 2003 est. 130 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 2003 est. 131 Switzerland 0 2003 est. 132 Sweden 0 2003 est. 133 Sudan 0 2003 est. 134 Saint Lucia 0 2003 est. 135 Somalia 0 2003 est. 136 Singapore 0 2004 est. 137 Sierra Leone 0 2003 est. 138 Slovenia 0 2003 est. 139 Saint Helena 0 2003 est. 140 Seychelles 0 2003 est. 141 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 2003 est. 142 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 2003 est. 143 Rwanda 0 2003 est. 144 Puerto Rico 0 2003 est. 145 Reunion 0 2003 est. 146 Guinea-Bissau 0 2003 est. 147 Portugal 0 2003 est. 148 Panama 0 2003 est. 149 Paraguay 0 2003 est. 150 Nicaragua 0 2003 est. 151 Netherlands Antilles 0 2003 est. 152 Suriname 0 2003 est. 153 Nauru 0 2003 est. 154 Nepal 0 2003 est. 155 Vanuatu 0 2003 est. 156 Niger 0 2003 est. 157 Niue 0 2003 est. 158 New Caledonia 0 2003 est. 159 Maldives 0 2003 est. 160 Malta 0 2003 est. 161 Mauritania 0 2003 est. 162 Mauritius 0 2003 est. 163 Mali 0 2003 est. 164 Macedonia 0 2003 est. 165 Malawi 0 2003 est. 166 Montserrat 0 2003 est. 167 Mongolia 0 2003 est. 168 Moldova 0 2003 est. 169 Macau 0 2003 est. 170 Martinique 0 2003 est. 171 Madagascar 0 2003 est. 172 Korea, North 0 2003 est. 173 Kenya 0 2003 est. 174 Jamaica 0 2003 est. 175 Iceland 0 2003 est. 176 Honduras 0 2003 est. 177 Hong Kong 0 178 Haiti 0 2003 est. 179 Guyana 0 2003 est. 180 Fiji 0 2003 est. 181 Finland 0 2003 est. 182 French Guiana 0 2003 est. 183 Ethiopia 0 2003 est. 184 El Salvador 0 2003 est. 185 Eritrea 0 2003 est. 186 Estonia 0 2004 187 Dominican Republic 0 2003 est. 188 Gambia, The 0 2003 est. 189 French Polynesia 0 2003 est. 190 Faroe Islands 0 2003 est. 191 Dominica 0 2003 est. 192 Djibouti 0 2003 est. 193 Cyprus 0 2003 est. 194 Cook Islands 0 2003 est. 195 Cape Verde 0 2003 est. 196 Central African Republic 0 2003 est. 197 Costa Rica 0 2003 est. 198 Comoros 0 2003 est. 199 Cameroon 0 2003 est. 200 Cayman Islands 0 2003 est. 201 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 0 2003 est. 202 Congo, Republic of the 0 2003 est. 203 Sri Lanka 0 2003 est. 204 Chad 0 2003 est. 205 Cambodia 0 2003 est. 206 Burundi 0 2003 est. 207 Solomon Islands 0 2003 est. 208 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 2003 est. 209 Bahamas, The 0 2003 est. 210 Bermuda 0 2003 est. 211 Armenia 0 2005 est. 212 American Samoa 0 2003 est. 213 Antigua and Barbuda 0 2003 est.

1 World 2,675,000,000,000 2003 est. 2 United States 633,600,000,000 2003 est. 3 European Union 465,600,000,000 2001 4 Russia 402,100,000,000 2004 est. 5 United Kingdom 95,150,000,000 2003 est. 6 Germany 93,880,000,000 2003 est. 7 Canada 90,950,000,000 2003 est. 8 Japan 86,510,000,000 2003 est. 9 Iran 79,000,000,000 2003 est. 10 Italy 76,880,000,000 2003 est. 11 Ukraine 75,800,000,000 2004 12 Saudi Arabia 60,060,000,000 2003 est. 13 Mexico 55,100,000,000 2004 est. 14 Netherlands 50,400,000,000 2003 est. 15 Uzbekistan 49,300,000,000 2004 16 France 43,740,000,000 2003 est. 17 United Arab Emirates 37,880,000,000 2003 est. 18 Argentina 34,580,000,000 2003 est. 19 China 33,440,000,000 2003 est. 20 Venezuela 29,700,000,000 2003 est. 21 Thailand 29,150,000,000 2003 est. 22 Malaysia 28,530,000,000 2003 est. 23 India 27,100,000,000 2003 est. 24 Egypt 27,000,000,000 2003 est. 25 Australia 25,080,000,000 2003 est. 26 Korea, South 24,090,000,000 2003 est. 27 Pakistan 23,800,000,000 2003 est. 28 Spain 23,270,000,000 2003 est. 29 Turkey 22,600,000,000 2005 est. 30 Indonesia 22,500,000,000 2005 est. 31 Brazil 21,740,000,000 2005 est. 32 Algeria 21,320,000,000 2003 est. 33 Belarus 20,500,000,000 2005 est. 34 Romania 18,800,000,000 2004 est. 35 Turkmenistan 15,500,000,000 2004 est. 36 Belgium 15,480,000,000 2003 est. 37 Kazakhstan 15,200,000,000 2004 est. 38 Poland 14,970,000,000 2003 est. 39 Hungary 13,000,000,000 2004 40 Trinidad and Tobago 12,790,000,000 2003 est. 41 Bangladesh 11,900,000,000 2003 est. 42 Qatar 11,610,000,000 2003 est. 43 Bahrain 9,650,000,000 2003 est. 44 Czech Republic 9,623,000,000 2003 est. 45 Azerbaijan 9,200,000,000 2003 est. 46 Austria 9,010,000,000 2004 47 Taiwan 8,450,000,000 2003 est. 48 Kuwait 8,300,000,000 2003 est. 49 Nigeria 7,410,000,000 2003 est. 50 Oman 7,090,000,000 2003 est. 51 Chile 7,060,000,000 2003 est. 52 Syria 6,950,000,000 2003 est. 53 Slovakia 6,800,000,000 2004 est. 54 Vietnam 6,342,000,000 2005 est. 55 Libya 6,250,000,000 2003 est. 56 Colombia 6,080,000,000 2003 est. 57 Singapore 5,320,000,000 2003 est. 58 Denmark 5,173,000,000 2003 est. 59 Finland 5,028,000,000 2003 est. 60 New Zealand 4,773,000,000 2003 est. 61 Ireland 4,298,000,000 2003 est. 62 Norway 4,140,000,000 2003 est. 63 Tunisia 3,840,000,000 2003 est. 64 Switzerland 3,209,000,000 2003 est. 65 Bulgaria 3,100,000,000 2004 66 Lithuania 3,100,000,000 2004 67 Croatia 2,990,000,000 2003 est. 68 Portugal 2,983,000,000 2003 est. 69 Serbia 2,550,000,000 2003 est. 70 Moldova 2,380,000,000 2003 est. 71 South Africa 2,350,000,000 2003 est. 72 Greece 2,340,000,000 2005 est. 73 Philippines 2,300,000,000 2003 est. 74 Latvia 1,760,000,000 2004 est. 75 Bolivia 1,740,000,000 2003 est. 76 Brunei 1,730,000,000 2003 est. 77 Armenia 1,685,000,000 2005 est. 78 Burma 1,569,000,000 2003 est. 79 Georgia 1,500,000,000 2005 est. 80 Kyrgyzstan 1,500,000,000 2004 est. 81 Iraq 1,500,000,000 2003 est. 82 Estonia 1,420,000,000 2004 83 Tajikistan 1,400,000,000 2004 est. 84 Cote d'Ivoire 1,300,000,000 2003 est. 85 Equatorial Guinea 1,270,000,000 2003 est. 86 Luxembourg 1,205,000,000 2003 est. 87 Slovenia 1,100,000,000 2003 est. 88 Sweden 980,000,000 2003 est. 89 Peru 910,000,000 2004 est. 90 Puerto Rico 740,000,000 2003 est. 91 Angola 720,000,000 2003 est. 92 Cuba 704,000,000 2004 93 Hong Kong 692,200,000 2003 est. 94 Morocco 650,000,000 2003 est. 95 Jordan 390,000,000 2003 est. 96 Dominican Republic 300,000,000 2003 est. 97 Israel 200,000,000 2003 est. 98 Bosnia and Herzegovina 160,000,000 2003 est. 99 Papua New Guinea 140,000,000 2003 est. 100 Gabon 90,000,000 2003 est. 101 Mozambique 60,000,000 2003 est. 102 Uruguay 60,000,000 2003 est. 103 Afghanistan 50,000,000 2003 est. 104 Senegal 50,000,000 2003 est. 105 Ecuador 50,000,000 2003 est. 106 Albania 30,000,000 2003 est. 107 Barbados 29,170,000 2003 est. 108 Aruba 0 2003 est. 109 Bahamas, The 0 2003 est. 110 Solomon Islands 0 2003 est. 111 Burundi 0 2003 est. 112 Zimbabwe 0 2003 est. 113 Zambia 0 2003 est. 114 Yemen 0 2003 est. 115 Swaziland 0 2003 est. 116 Samoa 0 2003 est. 117 Western Sahara 0 2003 est. 118 Namibia 0 2003 est. 119 Virgin Islands 0 2003 est. 120 British Virgin Islands 0 2003 est. 121 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 2003 est. 122 Burkina Faso 0 2003 est. 123 Uganda 0 2003 est. 124 Tanzania 0 2003 est. 125 Sao Tome and Principe 0 2003 est. 126 Togo 0 2003 est. 127 Tonga 0 2003 est. 128 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 2003 est. 129 Sudan 0 2003 est. 130 Saint Lucia 0 2003 est. 131 Somalia 0 2003 est. 132 Sierra Leone 0 2003 est. 133 Saint Helena 0 2003 est. 134 Seychelles 0 2003 est. 135 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 2003 est. 136 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 2003 est. 137 Netherlands Antilles 0 2003 est. 138 Suriname 0 2003 est. 139 Nauru 0 2003 est. 140 Nepal 0 2003 est. 141 Vanuatu 0 2003 est. 142 Niger 0 2003 est. 143 Niue 0 2003 est. 144 New Caledonia 0 2003 est. 145 Mali 0 2003 est. 146 Rwanda 0 2003 est. 147 Reunion 0 2003 est. 148 Guinea-Bissau 0 2003 est. 149 Panama 0 2003 est. 150 Paraguay 0 2003 est. 151 Nicaragua 0 2003 est. 152 Macedonia 0 2003 est. 153 Malawi 0 2003 est. 154 Montserrat 0 2003 est. 155 Mongolia 0 2003 est. 156 Macau 0 2003 est. 157 Martinique 0 2003 est. 158 Madagascar 0 2003 est. 159 Lesotho 0 2003 est. 160 Maldives 0 2003 est. 161 Malta 0 2003 est. 162 Mauritania 0 2003 est. 163 Mauritius 0 2003 est. 164 Liberia 0 2003 est. 165 Lebanon 0 2003 est. 166 Laos 0 2003 est. 167 Kiribati 0 2003 est. 168 Korea, North 0 2003 est. 169 Kenya 0 2003 est. 170 Jamaica 0 2003 est. 171 Guyana 0 2003 est. 172 Guinea 0 2003 est. 173 Guatemala 0 2003 est. 174 Guam 0 2003 est. 175 Guadeloupe 0 2003 est. 176 Greenland 0 2003 est. 177 Grenada 0 2003 est. 178 Gibraltar 0 2003 est. 179 Ghana 0 2003 est. 180 Iceland 0 2003 est. 181 Honduras 0 2003 est. 182 Haiti 0 2003 est. 183 Gambia, The 0 2003 est. 184 French Polynesia 0 2003 est. 185 Faroe Islands 0 2003 est. 186 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 2003 est. 187 Fiji 0 2003 est. 188 French Guiana 0 2003 est. 189 Ethiopia 0 2003 est. 190 El Salvador 0 2003 est. 191 Eritrea 0 2003 est. 192 Dominica 0 2003 est. 193 Djibouti 0 2003 est. 194 Cyprus 0 2003 est. 195 Cook Islands 0 2003 est. 196 Cape Verde 0 2003 est. 197 Central African Republic 0 2003 est. 198 Costa Rica 0 2003 est. 199 Comoros 0 2003 est. 200 Cameroon 0 2003 est. 201 Cayman Islands 0 2003 est. 202 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 0 2003 est. 203 Congo, Republic of the 0 2003 est. 204 Sri Lanka 0 2003 est. 205 Chad 0 2003 est. 206 Cambodia 0 2003 est. 207 Bhutan 0 2003 est. 208 Benin 0 2003 est. 209 Belize 0 2003 est. 210 Bermuda 0 2003 est. 211 American Samoa 0 2003 est. 212 Botswana 0 2003 est. 213 Antigua and Barbuda 0 2003 est.

1 World 696,000,000,000 2001 est. 2 European Union 297,800,000,000 2001 3 United States 114,100,000,000 2004 est. 4 Germany 85,020,000,000 2003 5 Japan 77,730,000,000 2001 est. 6 Ukraine 59,800,000,000 2004 7 Italy 54,780,000,000 2001 est. 8 France 40,260,000,000 2001 est. 9 Korea, South 21,110,000,000 2003 est. 10 Netherlands 20,780,000,000 2001 est. 11 Belarus 20,500,000,000 2005 est. 12 Spain 17,260,000,000 2001 est. 13 Turkey 15,750,000,000 2001 est. 14 Belgium 15,400,000,000 2001 est. 15 Russia 12,000,000,000 2004 est. 16 Hungary 10,950,000,000 2004 17 Czech Republic 9,800,000,000 2004 18 Poland 9,450,000,000 2004 19 Canada 8,730,000,000 2003 est. 20 Mexico 7,850,000,000 2004 est. 21 Taiwan 7,480,000,000 2005 est. 22 Slovakia 7,300,000,000 2004 est. 23 Austria 7,050,000,000 2004 24 Brazil 5,947,000,000 2005 est. 25 Romania 5,900,000,000 2004 est. 26 Chile 5,337,000,000 2002 est. 27 Thailand 5,200,000,000 2001 est. 28 Iran 4,920,000,000 2003 est. 29 Finland 4,567,000,000 2001 est. 30 Ireland 3,384,000,000 2001 est. 31 Lithuania 3,100,000,000 2004 32 Switzerland 3,093,000,000 2001 est. 33 Bulgaria 2,900,000,000 2004 34 United Kingdom 2,700,000,000 2001 est. 35 Portugal 2,553,000,000 2001 est. 36 Singapore 2,500,000,000 2001 est. 37 Moldova 2,050,000,000 2001 est. 38 Greece 2,018,000,000 2001 est. 39 Latvia 1,760,000,000 2004 40 Armenia 1,685,000,000 2005 est. 41 Tunisia 1,580,000,000 2001 est. 42 Georgia 1,500,000,000 2005 est. 43 Kyrgyzstan 1,500,000,000 2004 est. 44 Estonia 1,420,000,000 2004 45 Tajikistan 1,400,000,000 2004 est. 46 Croatia 1,080,000,000 2001 est. 47 Azerbaijan 1,000,000,000 2001 est. 48 Sweden 968,000,000 2001 est. 49 Slovenia 963,000,000 2002 50 Luxembourg 867,000,000 2001 est. 51 Puerto Rico 630,000,000 2001 est. 52 Bosnia and Herzegovina 300,000,000 2001 est. 53 Hong Kong 71,150,000 2004 est. 54 Uruguay 65,000,000 2003 est. 55 United Arab Emirates 0 2003 est. 56 Afghanistan 0 2001 est. 57 Argentina 0 2001 est. 58 Bolivia 0 2001 est. 59 Syria 0 2001 est. 60 Senegal 0 2001 est. 61 South Africa 0 2001 est. 62 Saudi Arabia 0 2002 63 Philippines 0 2004 est. 64 Serbia 0 65 Qatar 0 2001 est. 66 Papua New Guinea 0 2001 est. 67 Peru 0 2004 est. 68 Yemen 0 2003 est. 69 Venezuela 0 2004 est. 70 Uzbekistan 0 2004 71 Turkmenistan 0 2004 est. 72 Trinidad and Tobago 0 2001 est. 73 New Zealand 0 2001 est. 74 Norway 0 2001 est. 75 Nigeria 0 2001 est. 76 Mozambique 0 2001 est. 77 Malaysia 0 2001 est. 78 Oman 0 2001 est. 79 Libya 0 2001 est. 80 Kuwait 0 2002 est. 81 Pakistan 0 2001 est. 82 Jordan 0 2001 est. 83 Iraq 0 2004 est. 84 Cote d'Ivoire 0 2001 est. 85 Israel 0 2001 est. 86 India 0 2001 est. 87 Indonesia 0 2005 est. 88 Gabon 0 2001 est. 89 Ecuador 0 2001 est. 90 Denmark 0 2001 est. 91 Cuba 0 2004 92 Colombia 0 2004 est. 93 Cameroon 0 94 China 0 2004 95 Congo, Republic of the 0 96 Brunei 0 2001 est. 97 Burma 0 2003 est. 98 Equatorial Guinea 0 2001 est. 99 Egypt 0 2001 est. 100 Bangladesh 0 2001 est. 101 Barbados 0 2001 est. 102 Bahrain 0 2002 est. 103 Australia 0 2001 est. 104 Angola 0 2001 est. 105 Albania 0 2001 est. 106 Algeria 0 2005 est.

1 World 667,600,000,000 2001 est. 2 Russia 157,200,000,000 2004 est. 3 Canada 91,520,000,000 2003 est. 4 European Union 78,100,000,000 2001 5 Algeria 57,980,000,000 2001 est. 6 Norway 50,500,000,000 2001 est. 7 Netherlands 49,280,000,000 2001 est. 8 Turkmenistan 38,600,000,000 2004 est. 9 Indonesia 37,500,000,000 2005 est. 10 United States 24,190,000,000 2004 11 Malaysia 22,410,000,000 2001 est. 12 Qatar 18,200,000,000 2004 est. 13 United Kingdom 15,750,000,000 2001 est. 14 Trinidad and Tobago 11,790,000,000 2003 est. 15 Australia 9,744,000,000 2001 est. 16 Brunei 9,000,000,000 2001 est. 17 Burma 8,424,000,000 2003 est. 18 Nigeria 7,830,000,000 2001 est. 19 Germany 7,731,000,000 2003 20 Oman 7,430,000,000 2001 est. 21 United Arab Emirates 7,190,000,000 2003 est. 22 Uzbekistan 6,500,000,000 2004 23 Argentina 6,050,000,000 2001 est. 24 Kazakhstan 4,100,000,000 2004 est. 25 Ukraine 3,900,000,000 2004 26 Iran 3,400,000,000 2003 est. 27 Denmark 3,100,000,000 2001 est. 28 Bolivia 2,900,000,000 2001 est. 29 China 2,790,000,000 2004 30 France 1,725,000,000 2001 est. 31 Libya 770,000,000 2001 est. 32 Italy 61,000,000 2001 est. 33 Poland 44,000,000 2004 34 Hungary 4,000,000 2001 est. 35 Czech Republic 1,000,000 2001 est. 36 Slovakia 1,000,000 2004 est. 37 Afghanistan 0 2001 est. 38 Austria 0 2004 39 Barbados 0 2001 est. 40 Bangladesh 0 2001 est. 41 Japan 0 2001 est. 42 Iraq 0 2004 est. 43 Cote d'Ivoire 0 2001 est. 44 Israel 0 2001 est. 45 India 0 2001 est. 46 Croatia 0 2001 est. 47 Hong Kong 0 2004 est. 48 Greece 0 2001 est. 49 Ecuador 0 2001 est. 50 Spain 0 2001 est. 51 Singapore 0 2001 est. 52 Slovenia 0 2003 53 Senegal 0 2001 est. 54 South Africa 0 2001 est. 55 Saudi Arabia 0 2002 56 Puerto Rico 0 2001 est. 57 Philippines 0 2004 est. 58 Romania 0 2003 est. 59 Yemen 0 2003 est. 60 Vietnam 0 2005 est. 61 Venezuela 0 2004 est. 62 Uruguay 0 2003 est. 63 Taiwan 0 2005 est. 64 Turkey 0 2001 est. 65 Tunisia 0 2001 est. 66 Tajikistan 0 2004 est. 67 Thailand 0 2001 est. 68 Switzerland 0 2001 est. 69 Syria 0 2001 est. 70 Sweden 0 2001 est. 71 Serbia 0 72 Papua New Guinea 0 2001 est. 73 Portugal 0 2001 est. 74 Pakistan 0 2001 est. 75 Peru 0 2004 est. 76 New Zealand 0 2001 est. 77 Mozambique 0 2001 est. 78 Mexico 0 2004 est. 79 Moldova 0 2001 est. 80 Luxembourg 0 2001 est. 81 Lithuania 0 2004 82 Latvia 0 2004 est. 83 Kuwait 0 2002 est. 84 Korea, South 0 2003 est. 85 Kyrgyzstan 0 2004 est. 86 Jordan 0 2001 est. 87 Cuba 0 2004 88 Colombia 0 2004 est. 89 Cameroon 0 90 Chile 0 2002 91 Congo, Republic of the 0 92 Bulgaria 0 2003 93 Brazil 0 2005 est. 94 Belarus 0 2004 est. 95 Gabon 0 2001 est. 96 Finland 0 2001 est. 97 Estonia 0 2004 98 Equatorial Guinea 0 2001 est. 99 Ireland 0 2001 est. 100 Egypt 0 2001 est. 101 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 2001 est. 102 Belgium 0 2001 est. 103 Bahrain 0 2002 est. 104 Azerbaijan 0 2001 est. 105 Albania 0 2001 est. 106 Armenia 0 2005 est. 107 Angola 0 2001 est.

1 United States 195,138,696 2005 2 Japan 28,321,846 2006 3 European Union 22,000,414 4 Germany 11,859,131 2006 5 Netherlands 8,363,158 2006 6 Australia 7,772,888 2006 7 Brazil 6,508,431 2006 8 United Kingdom 6,064,860 2006 9 Korea, South 5,433,591 2005 10 Taiwan 4,320,310 2006 11 Canada 3,934,223 2006 12 Mexico 3,426,680 2006 13 France 3,148,379 2006 14 Sweden 2,958,435 2006 15 Belgium 2,870,770 2006 16 Spain 2,520,711 2006 17 Switzerland 2,442,659 2006 18 Denmark 2,415,530 2006 19 Austria 2,062,035 2006 20 Russia 1,979,924 2006 21 Italy 1,731,165 2006 22 Finland 1,633,614 2006 23 Argentina 1,612,423 2006 24 India 1,543,289 2006 25 Norway 1,364,448 2006 26 Turkey 1,313,135 2006 27 Czech Republic 1,267,265 2006 28 Israel 1,251,881 2006 29 New Zealand 1,050,197 2006 30 Thailand 938,784 2006 31 Singapore 898,762 2006 32 Portugal 845,980 2005 33 Hong Kong 800,834 2006 34 South Africa 645,179 2006 35 Hungary 608,085 2006 36 Greece 587,717 2006 37 Colombia 581,877 2006 38 Chile 506,055 2006 39 Poland 358,476 2006 40 United Arab Emirates 337,092 2006 41 Peru 269,981 2006 42 Ireland 238,191 2006 43 China 232,780 2006 44 Ukraine 229,110 2006 45 Iceland 212,897 2006 46 Slovakia 210,758 2006 47 Bulgaria 184,975 2006 48 Indonesia 170,834 2006 49 Malaysia 158,650 2006 50 Lithuania 148,675 2006 51 Uruguay 145,774 2006 52 Philippines 111,262 2006 53 Dominican Republic 91,895 2006 54 Luxembourg 88,661 2006 55 Pakistan 72,765 2006 56 Cyprus 67,589 2006 57 Latvia 65,858 2006 58 Slovenia 61,735 2006 59 Moldova 58,886 2006 60 Romania 57,470 2006 61 Estonia 52,241 2006 62 Venezuela 51,968 2006 63 Guatemala 49,026 2006 64 Belarus 33,641 2006 65 Bosnia and Herzegovina 31,490 2006 66 Trinidad and Tobago 30,732 2006 67 Nicaragua 24,452 2006 68 Kazakhstan 21,187 2006 69 Bolivia 20,085 2006 70 Netherlands Antilles 19,204 2006 71 Ecuador 19,027 2006 72 Kyrgyzstan 18,928 2006 73 Croatia 18,825 2006 74 Tonga 18,775 2006 75 Nepal 17,789 2006 76 Andorra 14,944 2006 77 French Polynesia 14,047 2006 78 Malta 14,025 2006 79 New Caledonia 13,962 2006 80 Kenya 13,274 2006 81 Paraguay 13,178 2006 82 Costa Rica 12,751 2006 83 Monaco 12,720 2006 84 Vietnam 12,114 2006 85 Aruba 11,548 2006 86 Saudi Arabia 10,931 2006 87 Georgia 10,752 2006 88 Samoa 10,680 2006 89 Uzbekistan 9,058 2006 90 Fiji 8,987 2006 91 Greenland 8,851 2006 92 Cayman Islands 8,611 2006 93 Tanzania 8,609 2006 94 Armenia 8,163 2006 95 Bermuda 8,114 2006 96 Zimbabwe 7,954 2006 97 Antarctica 7,757 2006 98 Bhutan 7,567 2006 99 Panama 7,149 2006 100 Mozambique 6,985 2006 101 Faroe Islands 6,915 2006 102 Sri Lanka 6,526 2006 103 Botswana 5,499 2006 104 Iran 5,242 2006 105 Mauritius 4,997 2006 106 Liechtenstein 4,697 2006 107 El Salvador 4,682 2006 108 Honduras 3,973 2006 109 Belize 3,905 2006 110 Virgin Islands 3,855 2006 111 Macedonia 3,716 2006 112 Oman 3,555 2006 113 Namibia 3,527 2006 114 Jordan 3,441 2006 115 Lebanon 3,307 2006 116 Zambia 3,227 2006 117 Morocco 3,218 2006 118 San Marino 3,140 2006 119 Turks and Caicos Islands 2,735 2006 120 Solomon Islands 2,658 2006 121 Cote d'Ivoire 2,534 2006 122 Angola 2,525 2006 123 Swaziland 2,472 2006 124 Christmas Island 2,368 2006 125 Kuwait 2,310 2006 126 Egypt 2,254 2006 127 Cuba 2,234 2006 128 Antigua and Barbuda 2,231 2006 129 Bahrain 2,165 2006 130 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1,778 2006 131 Rwanda 1,590 2006 132 Papua New Guinea 1,573 2006 133 Nigeria 1,549 2006 134 Djibouti 1,540 2006 135 Madagascar 1,504 2006 136 American Samoa 1,456 2006 137 Cook Islands 1,456 2006 138 Jamaica 1,402 2006 139 Cambodia 1,378 2006 140 Uganda 1,365 2006 141 Maldives 1,357 2006 142 Guernsey 1,245 2006 143 Jersey 1,240 2006 144 Algeria 1,202 2006 145 Laos 1,108 2006 146 Eritrea 1,088 2006 147 Guyana 1,046 2006 148 Azerbaijan 880 2006 149 Benin 867 2006 150 Sao Tome and Principe 735 2006 151 Gibraltar 641 2006 152 Bahamas, The 591 2006 153 Turkmenistan 585 2006 154 Micronesia, Federated States of 550 2006 155 British Virgin Islands 525 2006 156 Togo 520 2006 157 Bangladesh 469 2006 158 Albania 430 2006 159 Tunisia 428 2006 160 Guadeloupe 422 2006 161 Vanuatu 413 2006 162 Senegal 412 2006 163 Puerto Rico 404 2006 164 Anguilla 403 2006 165 Burkina Faso 399 2006 166 Montserrat 386 2006 167 Ghana 380 2006 168 Malawi 377 2006 169 Guinea 367 2006 170 Saint Helena 329 2006 171 Gabon 322 2006 172 Qatar 301 2006 173 Tokelau 298 2006 174 Isle of Man 290 2006 175 Barbados 282 2006 176 Mali 278 2006 177 Mongolia 272 2006 178 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 271 2006 179 Dominica 263 2006 180 Cape Verde 234 2006 181 Niger 189 2006 182 Yemen 171 2006 183 Lesotho 168 2006 184 Burundi 160 2006 185 Suriname 126 2006 186 Macau 108 2006 187 French Guiana 106 2006 188 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 103 2006 189 Norfolk Island 100 2006 190 Tajikistan 98 2006 191 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 94 2006 192 Ethiopia 88 2006 193 Guam 76 2006 194 Martinique 72 2006 195 Seychelles 72 2006 196 East Timor 68 2006 197 Syria 66 2006 198 British Indian Ocean Territory 65 2006 199 Nauru 52 2006 200 Saint Kitts and Nevis 50 2006 201 Congo, Republic of the 46 2004 202 Holy See (Vatican City) 45 2006 203 Burma 42 2006 204 Kiribati 42 2006 205 Cameroon 39 2006 206 French Southern and Antarctic Lands 38 2006 207 Mauritania 32 2006 208 Libya 31 2006 209 Reunion 29 2006 210 Brunei 27 2005 211 Afghanistan 22 2006 212 Saint Lucia 21 2006 213 Northern Mariana Islands 20 2005 214 Sierra Leone 20 2006 215 Equatorial Guinea 19 2006 216 Grenada 17 2006 217 Sudan 16 2006 218 Gambia, The 14 2006 219 Central African Republic 10 2006 220 Chad 9 2006 221 Liberia 8 2006 222 Pitcairn Islands 8 2006 223 Bouvet Island 6 2006 224 Marshall Islands 6 2006 225 Haiti 6 2006 226 Comoros 5 2006 227 Iraq 5 2006 228 Guinea-Bissau 5 2006 229 Palau 3 2006 230 Somalia 3 2006 231 Mayotte 1 2006 232 Wallis and Futuna 1 2006 233 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 2006

1 Azerbaijan 54.40 2005 est. 2 China 44.40 2005 est. 3 Seychelles 42.00 2005 est. 4 Equatorial Guinea 39.90 2005 est. 5 Turkmenistan 35.60 2005 est. 6 Guyana 34.40 2005 est. 7 Vietnam 33.10 2005 est. 8 Jamaica 32.40 2005 est. 9 Sao Tome and Principe 32.20 2005 est. 10 Angola 30.30 2005 est. 11 Iran 30.10 2005 est. 12 Lesotho 29.90 2005 est. 13 Mozambique 29.60 2005 est. 14 Spain 29.40 2005 est. 15 Korea, South 29.30 2005 est. 16 Estonia 29.10 2005 est. 17 Thailand 29.00 2005 est. 18 Iceland 28.70 2005 est. 19 Croatia 28.60 2005 est. 20 India 28.10 2005 est. 21 Latvia 27.80 2005 est. 22 Haiti 27.40 2004 est. 23 Zambia 27.10 2005 est. 24 Ireland 27.00 2005 est. 25 Nicaragua 27.00 2005 est. 26 Kazakhstan 26.50 2005 est. 27 Czech Republic 26.40 2005 est. 28 Madagascar 26.40 2005 est. 29 Sri Lanka 26.10 2005 est. 30 Slovakia 26.00 2005 est. 31 Australia 25.90 2005 est. 32 Eritrea 25.10 2005 est. 33 Belarus 24.80 2005 est. 34 Slovenia 24.80 2005 est. 35 Cape Verde 24.80 2005 est. 36 Gabon 24.70 2005 est. 37 Greece 24.60 2005 est. 38 Bangladesh 24.40 2005 est. 39 Moldova 24.40 2005 est. 40 Romania 24.30 2005 est. 41 Namibia 24.30 2005 est. 42 Dominican Republic 24.10 2005 est. 43 Georgia 24.00 2005 est. 44 Bulgaria 23.80 2005 est. 45 New Zealand 23.80 2005 est. 46 Morocco 23.70 2005 est. 47 Uganda 23.40 2005 est. 48 Cambodia 23.30 2005 est. 49 Ghana 23.30 2005 est. 50 Honduras 23.20 2005 est. 51 Japan 23.20 2005 est. 52 Hungary 23.10 2005 est. 53 Algeria 22.60 2005 est. 54 Malta 22.60 2005 est. 55 Albania 22.40 2005 est. 56 Ecuador 22.40 2005 est. 57 Tunisia 22.40 2005 est. 58 Chile 22.10 2005 est. 59 Indonesia 22.00 2005 est. 60 Ethiopia 21.90 2005 est. 61 Syria 21.90 2005 est. 62 Qatar 21.90 2005 est. 63 Lithuania 21.80 2005 est. 64 Singapore 21.80 2005 est. 65 Portugal 21.60 2005 est. 66 Togo 21.60 2005 est. 67 Argentina 21.50 2005 est. 68 Congo, Republic of the 21.50 2005 est. 69 Armenia 21.40 2005 est. 70 Nigeria 21.30 2005 est. 71 Switzerland 21.30 2005 est. 72 Mauritius 21.20 2005 est. 73 Ukraine 20.90 2005 est. 74 Austria 20.80 2005 est. 75 Hong Kong 20.80 2005 est. 76 Denmark 20.80 2005 est. 77 United Arab Emirates 20.70 2005 est. 78 Burkina Faso 20.70 2005 est. 79 Italy 20.60 2005 est. 80 Canada 20.50 2005 est. 81 Taiwan 20.40 2005 est. 82 Botswana 20.30 2005 est. 83 Luxembourg 20.30 2005 est. 84 Jordan 20.20 2005 est. 85 Senegal 20.10 2005 est. 86 Gambia, The 20.00 2005 est. 87 Malaysia 20.00 2005 est. 88 Belgium 19.90 2005 est. 89 Benin 19.90 2005 est. 90 Brazil 19.90 2005 est. 91 Costa Rica 19.60 2005 est. 92 France 19.60 2005 est. 93 Turkey 19.60 2005 est. 94 Trinidad and Tobago 19.60 2005 est. 95 European Union 19.60 2005 est. 96 Bahrain 19.50 2005 est. 97 Netherlands 19.50 2005 est. 98 Paraguay 19.40 2005 est. 99 Tajikistan 19.40 2005 est. 100 Mexico 19.30 2005 est. 101 Cyprus 19.20 2005 est. 102 Papua New Guinea 19.20 2005 est. 103 Finland 19.20 2005 est. 104 Venezuela 19.00 2005 est. 105 Peru 18.90 2005 est. 106 Norway 18.70 2005 est. 107 Colombia 18.60 2005 est. 108 Tanzania 18.60 2005 est. 109 Lebanon 18.40 2005 est. 110 Macedonia 18.30 2005 est. 111 Chad 18.20 2005 est. 112 Poland 18.20 2005 est. 113 Russia 18.10 2005 est. 114 Rwanda 18.10 2005 est. 115 Belize 17.80 2005 est. 116 Israel 17.50 2005 est. 117 Cameroon 17.30 2005 est. 118 Guinea 17.30 2005 est. 119 Egypt 17.20 2005 est. 120 Germany 17.10 2005 est. 121 Kenya 17.00 2005 est. 122 Sweden 17.00 2005 est. 123 South Africa 16.80 2005 est. 124 United States 16.70 2005 est. 125 United Kingdom 16.60 2005 est. 126 Panama 16.50 2005 est. 127 Saudi Arabia 16.30 2005 est. 128 Sudan 16.30 2005 est. 129 El Salvador 15.80 2005 est. 130 Guatemala 15.60 2005 est. 131 Philippines 15.50 2005 est. 132 Pakistan 15.30 2005 est. 133 Oman 14.80 2005 est. 134 Kuwait 14.30 2005 est. 135 Serbia 14.20 2005 est. 136 Yemen 14.20 2005 est. 137 Uruguay 12.90 2005 est. 138 Kyrgyzstan 12.60 2005 est. 139 Bolivia 12.50 2005 est. 140 Burundi 11.60 2005 est. 141 Burma 11.50 2005 est. 142 Cuba 11.50 2005 est. 143 Libya 11.40 2005 est. 144 Swaziland 10.60 2005 est. 145 Malawi 10.20 2005 est. 146 Cote d'Ivoire 8.60 2005 est. 147 Zimbabwe 7.90 2005 est.

1 Malawi 195.90 2005 est. 2 Lebanon 180.50 2005 est. 3 Seychelles 167.00 2005 est. 4 Japan 158.00 2005 est. 5 Jamaica 128.70 2005 est. 6 Zimbabwe 109.80 2005 est. 7 Italy 108.80 2005 est. 8 Sudan 107.00 2005 est. 9 Greece 106.80 2005 est. 10 Ethiopia 106.20 11 Egypt 104.70 2005 est. 12 Singapore 102.90 2005 est. 13 Israel 99.70 2005 est. 14 Belgium 94.30 2005 est. 15 Sri Lanka 92.80 2005 est. 16 Nicaragua 82.30 2005 est. 17 Uruguay 81.90 2005 est. 18 Bhutan 81.40 19 Moldova 79.60 2005 est. 20 Jordan 79.10 2005 est. 21 Ghana 75.90 2005 est. 22 Argentina 72.50 2005 est. 23 Philippines 72.30 2005 est. 24 Morocco 72.00 2005 est. 25 Zambia 71.50 2005 est. 26 Cyprus 70.30 2005 est. 27 Canada 69.60 2005 est. 28 Honduras 68.40 2005 est. 29 Turkey 68.00 2005 est. 30 Mauritius 67.50 2005 est. 31 Germany 67.30 2005 est. 32 France 66.20 2005 est. 33 Cameroon 65.90 2005 est. 34 Tanzania 65.80 2005 est. 35 Austria 65.10 2005 est. 36 Panama 64.90 2005 est. 37 United States 64.70 2005 est. 38 Cote d'Ivoire 64.50 2005 est. 39 Uganda 64.30 2005 est. 40 Portugal 63.90 2005 est. 41 Tunisia 59.10 2005 est. 42 Hungary 58.90 2005 est. 43 Costa Rica 56.80 2005 est. 44 India 53.80 2005 est. 45 Pakistan 53.80 2005 est. 46 Serbia 53.10 2005 est. 47 Netherlands 52.70 2005 est. 48 Switzerland 52.00 2005 est. 49 Brazil 51.60 2005 est. 50 Sweden 50.40 2005 est. 51 Kenya 50.20 2005 est. 52 Norway 50.10 2005 est. 53 Indonesia 49.90 2005 est. 54 Croatia 49.70 2005 est. 55 Colombia 49.50 2005 est. 56 Vietnam 48.20 2005 est. 57 Poland 47.70 2005 est. 58 Thailand 47.60 2005 est. 59 El Salvador 46.70 2005 est. 60 Aruba 46.30 61 Malaysia 46.20 2005 est. 62 Senegal 46.00 2005 est. 63 Dominican Republic 45.50 2005 est. 64 Bangladesh 44.50 2005 est. 65 Saudi Arabia 44.20 2005 est. 66 United Kingdom 43.10 2005 est. 67 Trinidad and Tobago 43.00 2005 est. 68 Papua New Guinea 42.90 2005 est. 69 Spain 42.90 2005 est. 70 Slovakia 42.50 2005 est. 71 Ecuador 40.10 2005 est. 72 Syria 40.10 2005 est. 73 Finland 39.60 2005 est. 74 Angola 38.30 2005 est. 75 Peru 38.00 2005 est. 76 Denmark 37.00 2005 est. 77 Uzbekistan 36.10 2005 est. 78 Paraguay 36.00 2005 est. 79 South Africa 35.80 2005 est. 80 Qatar 35.60 2005 est. 81 Yemen 34.40 2005 est. 82 Venezuela 34.20 2005 est. 83 Macedonia 33.70 2005 est. 84 Gabon 33.60 2005 est. 85 Taiwan 33.60 2005 est. 86 Bahrain 33.50 2005 est. 87 Namibia 32.70 2005 est. 88 Bulgaria 31.90 2005 est. 89 Iceland 31.60 2005 est. 90 Algeria 30.20 2005 est. 91 Bosnia and Herzegovina 29.00 92 Iran 28.90 2005 est. 93 Slovenia 28.50 2005 est. 94 Ireland 26.70 2005 est. 95 Czech Republic 25.90 2005 est. 96 Guatemala 25.90 2005 est. 97 China 24.40 2005 est. 98 New Zealand 21.30 2005 est. 99 Mozambique 21.00 100 Romania 20.30 2005 est. 101 Korea, South 20.00 2005 est. 102 Lithuania 18.70 2005 est. 103 United Arab Emirates 17.50 2005 est. 104 Mexico 17.40 2005 est. 105 Ukraine 17.00 2005 est. 106 Australia 16.10 2005 est. 107 Russia 12.90 2005 est. 108 Kuwait 12.10 2005 est. 109 Azerbaijan 11.30 2005 est. 110 Nigeria 11.00 2005 est. 111 Latvia 10.90 2005 est. 112 Kazakhstan 10.50 2005 est. 113 Libya 8.20 2005 est. 114 Oman 8.10 2005 est. 115 Chile 7.50 2005 est. 116 Equatorial Guinea 6.40 117 Botswana 6.20 2005 est. 118 Wallis and Futuna 5.60 119 Estonia 4.80 2005 est. 120 Hong Kong 1.80 2005 est.

1 Japan $ 165,600,000,000 2005 est. 2 China $ 160,800,000,000 2005 est. 3 Germany $ 115,500,000,000 2005 est. 4 Saudi Arabia $ 90,730,000,000 2005 est. 5 Russia $ 84,250,000,000 2005 est. 6 Switzerland $ 58,240,000,000 2005 est. 7 Norway $ 49,490,000,000 2005 est. 8 Netherlands $ 39,950,000,000 2005 est. 9 Singapore $ 32,740,000,000 2005 est. 10 Kuwait $ 26,920,000,000 2005 est. 11 Sweden $ 25,620,000,000 2005 est. 12 Venezuela $ 25,360,000,000 2005 est. 13 Canada $ 24,960,000,000 2005 est. 14 Hong Kong $ 19,700,000,000 2005 est. 15 Algeria $ 18,790,000,000 2005 est. 16 United Arab Emirates $ 18,540,000,000 2005 est. 17 Korea, South $ 16,560,000,000 2005 est. 18 Taiwan $ 16,220,000,000 2005 est. 19 Brazil $ 14,190,000,000 2005 est. 20 Malaysia $ 14,060,000,000 2005 est. 21 Iran $ 13,270,000,000 2005 est. 22 Libya $ 10,730,000,000 2005 est. 23 Qatar $ 9,270,000,000 2005 est. 24 Denmark $ 7,753,000,000 2005 est. 25 Belgium $ 6,305,000,000 2005 est. 26 Nigeria $ 5,597,000,000 2005 est. 27 Argentina $ 5,448,000,000 2005 est. 28 Finland $ 5,043,000,000 2005 est. 29 Oman $ 4,796,000,000 2005 est. 30 Angola $ 4,054,000,000 2005 est. 31 Luxembourg $ 3,560,000,000 32 Trinidad and Tobago $ 2,880,000,000 2005 est. 33 Ukraine $ 2,531,000,000 2005 est. 34 Israel $ 2,385,000,000 2005 est. 35 Philippines $ 2,354,000,000 2005 est. 36 Egypt $ 2,207,000,000 2005 est. 37 Indonesia $ 2,016,000,000 2005 est. 38 Botswana $ 1,584,000,000 2005 est. 39 Bahrain $ 1,531,000,000 2005 est. 40 Austria $ 1,467,000,000 2005 est. 41 Morocco $ 1,255,000,000 2005 est. 42 Yemen $ 1,224,000,000 2005 est. 43 Syria $ 1,097,000,000 2005 est. 44 Uzbekistan $ 1,082,000,000 2005 est. 45 Peru $ 1,030,000,000 2005 est. 46 Belarus $ 852,000,000 2005 est. 47 Chile $ 702,700,000 2005 est. 48 Burma $ 700,000,000 2005 est. 49 Gabon $ 675,000,000 2005 est. 50 Namibia $ 509,200,000 2005 est. 51 Congo, Republic of the $ 493,000,000 2005 est. 52 Papua New Guinea $ 482,100,000 2005 est. 53 Bolivia $ 462,000,000 2005 est. 54 Equatorial Guinea $ 264,000,000 2005 est. 55 Turkmenistan $ 236,000,000 2005 est. 56 Azerbaijan $ 167,300,000 2005 est. 57 British Virgin Islands $ 134,300,000 58 Cuba $ 49,000,000 2005 est. 59 Cameroon $ 39,000,000 2005 est. 60 Bangladesh $ 37,000,000 2005 est. 61 Cook Islands $ 26,670,000 62 Haiti $ 23,000,000 2005 est. 63 Palau $ 15,090,000 64 Swaziland $ 7,000,000 2005 est. 65 Tuvalu $ 2,323,000 66 Samoa $ -2,428,000 67 Tonga $ -4,321,000 68 Comoros $ -17,000,000 2005 est. 69 Kiribati $ -19,870,000 70 Sao Tome and Principe $ -20,000,000 2005 est. 71 Vanuatu $ -28,350,000 72 Burundi $ -29,000,000 2005 est. 73 Seychelles $ -32,000,000 2005 est. 74 Micronesia, Federated States of $ -34,300,000 75 Honduras $ -42,300,000 2005 est. 76 Anguilla $ -42,870,000 77 Tajikistan $ -44,000,000 2005 est. 78 Gambia, The $ -53,000,000 2005 est. 79 Macedonia $ -81,100,000 2005 est. 80 Cape Verde $ -82,000,000 2005 est. 81 Antigua and Barbuda $ -83,400,000 82 Uruguay $ -87,900,000 2005 est. 83 Lesotho $ -92,000,000 2005 est. 84 Guyana $ -112,000,000 2005 est. 85 Armenia $ -118,000,000 2005 est. 86 Kyrgyzstan $ -134,000,000 2005 est. 87 Laos $ -134,000,000 2005 est. 88 Dominican Republic $ -143,000,000 2005 est. 89 Cambodia $ -166,000,000 2005 est. 90 Rwanda $ -166,000,000 2005 est. 91 Belize $ -180,000,000 2005 est. 92 Cote d'Ivoire $ -193,000,000 2005 est. 93 Togo $ -199,000,000 2005 est. 94 Malawi $ -218,000,000 2005 est. 95 Paraguay $ -255,000,000 2005 est. 96 Guinea $ -268,400,000 2005 est. 97 Moldova $ -285,000,000 2005 est. 98 Eritrea $ -291,000,000 2005 est. 99 Slovenia $ -303,000,000 2005 est. 100 Vietnam $ -309,000,000 2005 est. 101 Mauritius $ -342,000,000 2005 est. 102 Uganda $ -355,000,000 2005 est. 103 Tunisia $ -359,200,000 2005 est. 104 Benin $ -400,000,000 2005 est. 105 Albania $ -416,000,000 2005 est. 106 Zambia $ -420,000,000 2005 est. 107 Madagascar $ -438,000,000 2005 est. 108 Burkina Faso $ -460,000,000 2005 est. 109 Fiji $ -465,800,000 110 Kazakhstan $ -485,700,000 2005 est. 111 Zimbabwe $ -519,000,000 2005 est. 112 Tanzania $ -558,000,000 2005 est. 113 Ecuador $ -566,000,000 2005 est. 114 Malta $ -598,000,000 2005 est. 115 Chad $ -602,000,000 2005 est. 116 Georgia $ -625,000,000 2005 est. 117 Mozambique $ -639,000,000 2005 est. 118 Panama $ -705,700,000 2005 est. 119 Sri Lanka $ -776,000,000 2005 est. 120 El Salvador $ -778,000,000 2005 est. 121 Ghana $ -790,000,000 2005 est. 122 Nicaragua $ -835,000,000 2005 est. 123 Ethiopia $ -844,000,000 2005 est. 124 Senegal $ -848,000,000 2005 est. 125 Costa Rica $ -955,000,000 2005 est. 126 Cyprus $ -962,300,000 2005 est. 127 Jamaica $ -974,000,000 2005 est. 128 Pakistan $ -1,109,000,000 2005 est. 129 Guatemala $ -1,341,000,000 2005 est. 130 Estonia $ -1,375,000,000 2005 est. 131 Kenya $ -1,543,000,000 2005 est. 132 Jordan $ -1,613,000,000 2005 est. 133 Lithuania $ -1,771,000,000 2005 134 Colombia $ -1,931,000,000 2005 est. 135 Latvia $ -1,959,000,000 2005 est. 136 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ -2,087,000,000 2005 est. 137 Serbia $ -2,451,000,000 2005 est. 138 Czech Republic $ -2,496,000,000 2005 est. 139 Croatia $ -2,541,000,000 2005 est. 140 Iceland $ -2,607,000,000 2005 est. 141 Sudan $ -3,013,000,000 2005 est. 142 Thailand $ -3,689,000,000 2005 est. 143 Ireland $ -3,833,000,000 2005 est. 144 Bulgaria $ -3,919,000,000 2005 145 Slovakia $ -4,066,000,000 2005 est. 146 Lebanon $ -4,239,000,000 2005 est. 147 Poland $ -4,364,000,000 2005 est. 148 Mexico $ -5,708,000,000 2005 est. 149 Hungary $ -7,963,000,000 2005 est. 150 Romania $ -8,200,000,000 2005 151 Iraq $ -9,447,000,000 2004 est. 152 New Zealand $ -9,688,000,000 2005 est. 153 South Africa $ -11,080,000,000 2005 est. 154 India $ -12,950,000,000 2005 est. 155 Portugal $ -17,100,000,000 2005 est. 156 Greece $ -17,860,000,000 2005 est. 157 Turkey $ -23,080,000,000 2005 est. 158 Italy $ -26,380,000,000 2005 est. 159 France $ -38,780,000,000 2005 est. 160 Australia $ -42,090,000,000 2005 est. 161 United Kingdom $ -57,610,000,000 2005 est. 162 Spain $ -83,140,000,000 2005 est. 163 United States $ -829,100,000,000 2005 est.

1 Japan $ 835,500,000,000 2005 est. 2 China $ 825,600,000,000 2005 est. 3 Taiwan $ 258,000,000,000 2005 est. 4 Korea, South $ 210,400,000,000 2005 est. 5 Russia $ 182,200,000,000 2005 est. 6 India $ 136,000,000,000 2005 est. 7 Hong Kong $ 124,300,000,000 2005 est. 8 Singapore $ 115,800,000,000 2005 est. 9 Germany $ 101,700,000,000 2005 est. 10 United States $ 86,940,000,000 2004 est. 11 France $ 74,360,000,000 2005 est. 12 Mexico $ 74,100,000,000 2005 est. 13 Malaysia $ 70,230,000,000 2005 est. 14 Italy $ 65,950,000,000 2005 est. 15 Switzerland $ 57,640,000,000 2005 est. 16 Algeria $ 56,580,000,000 2005 est. 17 Brazil $ 53,800,000,000 2005 est. 18 Turkey $ 52,490,000,000 2005 est. 19 Thailand $ 52,070,000,000 2005 est. 20 United Kingdom $ 48,660,000,000 2005 est. 21 Norway $ 46,990,000,000 2005 est. 22 Iran $ 45,460,000,000 2005 est. 23 Australia $ 43,260,000,000 2005 est. 24 Poland $ 42,560,000,000 2005 est. 25 Libya $ 39,700,000,000 2005 est. 26 Indonesia $ 34,580,000,000 2005 est. 27 Denmark $ 34,030,000,000 2005 est. 28 Canada $ 33,020,000,000 2005 est. 29 Venezuela $ 29,640,000,000 2005 est. 30 Czech Republic $ 29,360,000,000 2005 est. 31 Nigeria $ 28,280,000,000 2005 est. 32 Argentina $ 28,090,000,000 2005 est. 33 Israel $ 28,060,000,000 2005 est. 34 Saudi Arabia $ 26,760,000,000 2005 est. 35 United Arab Emirates $ 23,530,000,000 2005 est. 36 Sweden $ 22,330,000,000 2005 est. 37 Romania $ 21,600,000,000 2005 est. 38 Egypt $ 21,390,000,000 2005 est. 39 South Africa $ 20,630,000,000 2005 est. 40 Netherlands $ 20,540,000,000 2005 est. 41 Ukraine $ 19,390,000,000 2005 est. 42 Hungary $ 18,590,000,000 2005 est. 43 Philippines $ 18,500,000,000 2005 est. 44 Spain $ 17,230,000,000 2005 est. 45 Chile $ 16,930,000,000 2005 est. 46 Lebanon $ 16,620,000,000 2005 est. 47 Morocco $ 16,470,000,000 2005 est. 48 Slovakia $ 14,970,000,000 2005 est. 49 Colombia $ 14,960,000,000 2005 est. 50 Peru $ 14,180,000,000 2005 est. 51 Belgium $ 12,000,000,000 2005 est. 52 Austria $ 11,830,000,000 2005 est. 53 Finland $ 11,400,000,000 2005 est. 54 Pakistan $ 10,950,000,000 2005 est. 55 Portugal $ 10,360,000,000 2005 est. 56 Iraq $ 9,161,000,000 2005 est. 57 Kuwait $ 8,972,000,000 2005 est. 58 New Zealand $ 8,893,000,000 2005 est. 59 Vietnam $ 8,863,000,000 2005 est. 60 Croatia $ 8,800,000,000 2005 est. 61 Bulgaria $ 8,695,000,000 2005 62 Slovenia $ 8,160,000,000 2005 est. 63 Kazakhstan $ 7,070,000,000 2005 est. 64 Botswana $ 6,309,000,000 2005 est. 65 Yemen $ 6,143,000,000 2005 est. 66 Jordan $ 5,463,000,000 2005 est. 67 Syria $ 5,363,000,000 2005 est. 68 Serbia $ 5,350,000,000 69 Trinidad and Tobago $ 4,888,000,000 2005 est. 70 Qatar $ 4,552,000,000 2005 est. 71 Cyprus $ 4,429,000,000 2005 est. 72 Tunisia $ 4,375,000,000 2005 est. 73 Oman $ 4,358,000,000 2005 est. 74 Lithuania $ 3,815,000,000 2005 75 Guatemala $ 3,673,000,000 2005 est. 76 Angola $ 3,197,000,000 2005 est. 77 Uruguay $ 3,079,000,000 2005 est. 78 Turkmenistan $ 2,963,000,000 2005 est. 79 Bangladesh $ 2,825,000,000 2005 est. 80 Sri Lanka $ 2,737,000,000 2005 est. 81 Uzbekistan $ 2,681,000,000 2005 est. 82 Cuba $ 2,618,000,000 2005 est. 83 Malta $ 2,579,000,000 2005 est. 84 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 2,531,000,000 2005 est. 85 Sudan $ 2,450,000,000 2005 est. 86 Bahrain $ 2,432,000,000 2005 est. 87 Latvia $ 2,361,000,000 2005 est. 88 Honduras $ 2,339,000,000 2005 est. 89 Costa Rica $ 2,313,000,000 2005 est. 90 Greece $ 2,287,000,000 2005 est. 91 Jamaica $ 2,170,000,000 2005 est. 92 Ecuador $ 2,148,000,000 2005 est. 93 Equatorial Guinea $ 2,103,000,000 2005 est. 94 Tanzania $ 2,074,000,000 2005 est. 95 Estonia $ 1,948,000,000 2005 est. 96 Ghana $ 1,897,000,000 2005 est. 97 Dominican Republic $ 1,853,000,000 2005 est. 98 El Salvador $ 1,833,000,000 2005 est. 99 Kenya $ 1,799,000,000 2005 est. 100 Bolivia $ 1,798,000,000 2005 est. 101 Albania $ 1,461,000,000 2005 est. 102 Cote d'Ivoire $ 1,420,000,000 2005 est. 103 Mauritius $ 1,366,000,000 2005 est. 104 Macedonia $ 1,341,000,000 2005 est. 105 Paraguay $ 1,297,000,000 2005 est. 106 Uganda $ 1,286,000,000 2005 est. 107 Ethiopia $ 1,226,000,000 2005 est. 108 Belarus $ 1,215,000,000 2005 est. 109 Panama $ 1,211,000,000 2005 est. 110 Azerbaijan $ 1,192,000,000 2005 est. 111 Senegal $ 1,191,000,000 2005 est. 112 Cambodia $ 1,145,000,000 2005 est. 113 Iceland $ 1,069,000,000 2005 est. 114 Mozambique $ 1,051,000,000 2005 est. 115 Cameroon $ 964,800,000 2005 est. 116 Ireland $ 869,300,000 2005 est. 117 Burkina Faso $ 764,000,000 2005 est. 118 Burma $ 763,000,000 2005 est. 119 Armenia $ 754,900,000 2005 est. 120 Papua New Guinea $ 748,800,000 2005 est. 121 Nicaragua $ 727,800,000 2005 est. 122 Benin $ 676,000,000 2005 est. 123 Gabon $ 675,200,000 2005 est. 124 Kyrgyzstan $ 612,300,000 2005 est. 125 Moldova $ 597,500,000 2005 est. 126 Lesotho $ 573,000,000 2005 est. 127 Madagascar $ 572,000,000 2005 est. 128 Zambia $ 559,800,000 2005 est. 129 Georgia $ 474,200,000 2005 est. 130 Rwanda $ 357,000,000 2005 est. 131 Togo $ 318,000,000 2005 est. 132 Namibia $ 312,100,000 2005 est. 133 Swaziland $ 311,000,000 2005 est. 134 Chad $ 297,000,000 2005 est. 135 Luxembourg $ 279,100,000 2005 est. 136 Congo, Republic of the $ 273,000,000 2005 est. 137 Guyana $ 261,000,000 2005 est. 138 Laos $ 249,000,000 2005 est. 139 Tajikistan $ 186,800,000 2005 est. 140 Zimbabwe $ 160,000,000 2005 est. 141 Malawi $ 151,000,000 2005 est. 142 Cape Verde $ 150,000,000 2005 est. 143 Burundi $ 105,000,000 2005 est. 144 Haiti $ 100,000,000 2005 est. 145 Belize $ 87,000,000 2005 est. 146 Gambia, The $ 82,000,000 2005 est. 147 Samoa $ 70,150,000 148 Guinea $ 69,830,000 2005 est. 149 Seychelles $ 41,000,000 2005 est. 150 Tonga $ 40,830,000 151 Vanuatu $ 40,540,000 152 Eritrea $ 30,000,000 2005 est. 153 Sao Tome and Principe $ 20,000,000 2005 est.

ACCT: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (see International
Organization of the French-speaking World)

Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides: Protocol to the 1979 Convention on
Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of
Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants: Protocol to the 1979
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent
Organic Pollutants

Air Pollution-Sulphur 85: Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long- Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at Least 30%

Air Pollution-Sulphur 94: Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-
Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur
Emissions

Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds: Protocol to the 1979
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the
Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their
Transboundary Fluxes

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol: Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

Antarctic Marine Living Resources: Convention on the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources

BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Iniative for Multisectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol: Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change

Desertification: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

Endangered Species: Convention on the International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)

Environmental Modification: Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques

Hazardous Wastes: Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal

INSTRAW: International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women

Marine Dumping: Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by
Dumping Wastes and Other Matter

Marine Life Conservation: Convention on Fishing and Conservation of
Living Resources of the High Seas

Medarabtel: Middle East Telecommunications Project of the
International Telecommunications Union

MONUC: United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nuclear Test Ban: Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the
Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water

OPANAL: Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean

Ozone Layer Protection: Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer

Ship Pollution: Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)

UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

USSR: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union); used for information dated before 25 December 1991

Wetlands: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
Especially As Waterfowl Habitat

advanced developing countries: another term for those less developed countries (LDCs) with particularly rapid industrial development; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)

advanced economies: a term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the top group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; it includes the following 28 advanced economies: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, US; note - this group would presumably also cover the following seven smaller countries of Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Holy See, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino that are included in the more comprehensive group of "developed countries"

African Development Bank (AfDB): note - its predecessor was
Organization of African Unity (OAU)

regional members - (53) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,
Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland,
Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

nonregional members - (24) Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,
China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South
Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

aim - to achieve greater unity among African States; to defend states' integrity and independence; to accelerate political, social, and economic integration; to encourage international cooperation; to promote democratic principles and institutions

members - (53) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,
Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western
Sahara), Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia,
Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group): established - 6 June 1975

members - (79) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho,
Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru,
Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome
and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands,
Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL): note - acronym from Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)

established - 14 February 1967 under the Treaty of Tlatelolco; effective - 25 April 1969 on the 11th ratification

aim - to encourage the peaceful uses of atomic energy and prohibit nuclear weapons

members - (33) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

Andean Community of Nations (CAN): note - formerly known as the Andean
Group (AG), the Andean Parliament, and most recently as the Andean
Common Market (Ancom)

established - 26 May 1969; present name established 1 October 1992; effective - 16 October 1969

Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA): note - also known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA)

members - (17 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Palestine Liberation Organization; note - these are all the members of the Arab League excluding Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen

Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD): established - 16 May 1968

members - (20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq (suspended 1993), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia (suspended 1993), Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

aim - to promote cooperation and integration among the Arab states of northern Africa

Arab Monetary Fund (AMF): established - 27 April 1976; effective - 2
February 1977

aim - to promote Arab cooperation, development, and integration in monetary and economic affairs

members - (21 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,
Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan,
Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

aim - to address the common concerns and challenges faced by Arctic governments and the people of the Arctic; to protect the Arctic environment

members - (8) Canada, Denmark (Greenland, Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, US

permanent participants - (6) Aleut International Association, Arctic
Athabaskan Council, Gurch'in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar
Conference, Russian Association of Indigenous People of the North,
Saami Council

aim - to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern

members - (26) Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Canada,
China, East Timor, EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South
Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, US, Vietnam

members - (47) Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji,
Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, South Korea,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated
States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Palau,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri
Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam

nonregional members - (19) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

members - (21) Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, US, Vietnam

observers - (3) Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

aim - to encourage regional economic, social, and cultural cooperation among the non-Communist countries of Southeast Asia

members - (10) Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

dialogue partners - (12) Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, South Korea, NZ, Pakistan, Russia, US, UNDP

aim - to consult on and coordinate export controls related to chemical and biological weapons

members - (40) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Commission,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US

Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS): established - 1 September 1951; effective - 29 April 1952

aim - to implement a trilateral mutual security agreement, although the US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986; Australia and the US continue to hold annual meetings

Bay of Bengal Iniative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic
Coopertion (BIMSTEC): established - June 1997

Bank for International Settlements (BIS): established - 20 January 1930; effective - 17 March 1930

aim - to promote cooperation among central banks in international financial settlements

members - (55) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Central Bank, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, US; note - Serbia and Montenegro have separate central banks; their links with BIS are currently under review

Benelux Economic Union (Benelux): note - acronym from Belgium,
Netherlands, and Luxembourg

members - (12) Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine; note - Macedonia is in the process of joining

observers - (16) Austria, Belarus, Black Sea Commission, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Energy Charter Secretariat, France, Germany, International Black Sea Club, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Tunisia, US; note - Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia have applied for observer status

Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom): established - 4 July 1973; effective - 1 August 1973

aim - to promote economic integration and development, especially among the less developed countries

members - (15) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,
Trinidad and Tobago

associate members - (5) Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB): established - 18 October 1969; effective - 26 January 1970

regional members - (20) Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela

Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC): see Monetary and
Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)

Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC): note - acronym from
Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale

members - (10) African Development Bank (AfDB), Cameroon, Central African States Bank (BEAC), Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Kuwait

Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE): note - acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico

established - 13 December 1960 signature of Articles of Agreement; 31 May 1961 began operations

Central American Common Market (CACM): established - 13 December 1960, collapsed in 1969, reinstated in 1991

members - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua; note - Panama, although not a member, pursues full regional cooperation

Central European Initiative (CEI): note - evolved from the
Quadrilateral Initiative and the Hexagonal Initiative

established - 11 November 1989 as the Quadrilateral Initiative, 27 July 1991 became the Hexagonal Initiative, July 1992 its present name was adopted

aim - to form an economic and political cooperation group for the region between the Adriatic and the Baltic Seas

members - (18) Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

centrally planned economies: a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to the former USSR for leadership; most are now evolving toward more democratic and market- oriented systems; also known formerly as the Second World or as as the Communist countries; through the 1980s, this group included Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, USSR, Vietnam

Colombo Plan (CP): established - May 1950 proposal was adopted; 1 July 1951 commenced full operations

members - (25) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Fiji,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives,
Mongolia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US, Vietnam

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA): note - formerly known as Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA)

aim - recognizing, promoting and protecting fundamental human rights, commitment to the principles of liberty and rule of law, maintaining peace and stability through the promotion and strengthening of good neighborliness, commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes among member states

members - (20) Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda,
Zambia, Zimbabwe

aim - to foster multinational cooperation and assistance, as a voluntary association that evolved from the British Empire

members - (53) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, NZ, Nigeria, Pakistan (suspended), Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Zambia; note - on 7 December 2003 Zimbabwe withdrew its membership from the Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): established - 8 December 1991; effective - 21 December 1991

aim - to coordinate intercommonwealth relations and to provide a mechanism for the orderly dissolution of the USSR

members - (12) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

Communist countries: traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; most of the original and the successor states are no longer Communist; see centrally planned economies

Coordinating Committee on Export Controls (COCOM): established in 1949 to control the export of strategic products and technical data from member countries to proscribed destinations; members were: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US; abolished 31 March 1994; COCOM members established a new organization, the Wassenaar Arrangement, with expanded membership on 12 July 1996 that focuses on nonproliferation export controls as opposed to East- West control of advanced technology

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA): note - also known as
CMEA or Comecon

established 25 January 1949 to promote the development of socialist economies and abolished 1 January 1991; members included Afghanistan (observer), Albania (had not participated since 1961 break with USSR), Angola (observer), Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia (observer), GDR, Hungary, Laos (observer), Mongolia, Mozambique (observer), Nicaragua (observer), Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yemen (observer), Yugoslavia (associate)

Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU): established - 3 June 1957; effective - 30 May 1964

members - (10 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

members - (46) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK

aim - to promote cooperation among the Baltic Sea states in the areas of aid to new democratic institutions, economic development, humanitarian aid, energy and the environment, cultural programs and education, and transportation and communication

members - (12) Denmark, Estonia, EC, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden

countries in transition: a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the middle group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; IMF statistics include the following 28 countries in transition: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; note - this group is identical to the group traditionally referred to as the "former USSR/Eastern Europe" except for the addition of Mongolia

developed countries (DCs): the top group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); includes the market-oriented economies of the mainly democratic nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Bermuda, Israel, South Africa, and the European ministates; also known as the First World, high-income countries, the North, industrial countries; generally have a per capita GDP in excess of $10,000 although four OECD countries and South Africa have figures well under $10,000 and two of the excluded OPEC countries have figures of more than $10,000; the 34 DCs are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note - similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "advanced economies" that adds Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan but drops Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey

developing countries: a term used by the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) for the bottom group in its hierarchy of advanced economies,
countries in transition, and developing countries; IMF statistics
include the following 126 developing countries: Afghanistan, Algeria,
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,
Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central
African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The
Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya,
Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar,
Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - this category would
presumably also cover the following 46 other countries that are
traditionally included in the more comprehensive group of "less
developed countries": American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands,
Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands,
Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza
Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Isle
of Man, Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat,
Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands,
Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint
Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu,
Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara

East African Development Bank (EADB): established - 6 June 1967; effective - 1 December 1967

aim - to promote cooperation in political and security issues; to promote development, financial stability, energy security, economic integration and growth; to eradicate poverty and narrow the development gap in East Asia, and to promote deeper cultural understanding

members - (16) Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, NZ, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU): note - an integral part of the
European Union; also known as the European Economic and Monetary Union

established - 1-2 December 1969 (proposed at summit conference of heads of government; 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed)

aim - to promote a single market by creating a single currency, the euro; timetable - 2 May 1998: European exchange rates fixed for 1 January 1999; 1 January 1999: all banks and stock exchanges begin using euros; 1 January 2002: the euro goes into circulation; 1 July 2002 local currencies no longer accepted

members - (12) Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain

Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC): note - was formerly the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)

members - (6) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945

aim - to coordinate the economic and social work of the UN; includes five regional commissions (Economic Commission for Africa, Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and nine functional commissions (Commission for Social Development, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Population and Development, Statistical Commission, Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Commission on Sustainable Development, and Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice)

Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL): note - acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs

members - (3) Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda; note - organization collapsed because of fighting in 1998; reactivated in 2006

members - (15) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

aim - to promote regional cooperation in trade, transportation, communications, tourism, cultural affairs, and economic development

members - (10) Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC): note - began as the North
Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC); an extension of NATO

members - (46) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD): established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposals made); 15 April 1991 (bank inaugurated)

aim - to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, former USSR, and former Yugoslavia) to market economies by committing 60% of its loans to privatization

members - (63) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, EC, European Investment Bank
(EIB), Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
UK, US, Uzbekistan

European Community (or European Communities, EC): established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a completely integrated common market and an eventual federation of Europe; merged into the European Union (EU) on 7 February 1992; member states at the time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

European Free Trade Association (EFTA): established - 4 January 1960; effective - 3 May 1960

European Investment Bank (EIB): established - 25 March 1957; effective - 1 January 1958

aim - to promote economic development of the EU and its predecessors, the EEC and the EC

members - (25) Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK

European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN): note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire

members - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

observers - (8) European Commission, India, Israel, Japan, Russia, Turkey, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), US

members - (17) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

European Union (EU): note - see European Union entry at the end of the "country" listings

First World: another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)

aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of agricultural products; a UN specialized agency

members - (190) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Brunei, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, and Singapore (187 total); plus Cook Islands, EC, and Niue

former Soviet Union (FSU): former term often used to identify as a group the successor nations to the Soviet Union or USSR; this group of 15 countries consists of: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE): the middle group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); these countries are in political and economic transition and may well be grouped differently in the near future; this group of 27 countries consists of: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia; this group is identical to the IMF group "countries in transition" except for the IMF's inclusion of Mongolia

Four Dragons: the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs) that have experienced unusually rapid economic growth; also known as the Four Tigers; this group consists of Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan; these countries are included in the IMF's "advanced economies" group

Franc Zone (FZ): note - also known as Conference des Ministres des
Finances des Pays de la Zone Franc

aim - to form a monetary union among countries whose currencies were0000000 linked to the French franc

members - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

Front Line States (FLS): established to achieve black majority rule in
South Africa; has since gone out of existence; members included Angola,
Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): see the World Trade
Organization (WTO)

Group of 2 (G-2): informal term that came into use about 1986; to facilitate bilateral economic cooperation between the two most powerful economic giants; members were Japan, US

aim - to coordinate the economic policies of five major noncommunist economic powers

Group of 6 (G-6): note - also known as Groupe des Six Sur le
Desarmement; not to be confused with the Big Six

aim - to facilitate economic cooperation among the seven major noncommunist economic powers

aim - to facilitate economic cooperation among the developed countries (DCs) that participated in the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC), held in several sessions between December 1975 and 3 June 1977

members - (9) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Sweden

Group of 10 (G-10): note - also known as the Paris Club; includes the wealthiest members of the IMF who provide most of the money to be loaned and act as the informal steering committee; name persists despite increased membership

members - (11) Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

established in 21-22 June 1984, in Cartagena, Colombia, aim was to provide a forum for largest debtor nations in Latin America; members were: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Group of 15 (G-15): note - byproduct of the Nonaligned Movement; name persists despite increased membership

aim - to promote economic cooperation among developing nations; to act as the main political organ for the Nonaligned Movement

members - (19) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Zimbabwe

aim - to promote the interests of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America within the IMF

members - (24) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana,
Guatemala, India, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru,
Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago,
Venezuela

Group of 77 (G-77): established - 15 June1964; October 1967 first ministerial meeting

aim - to promote economic cooperation among developing countries; name persists in spite of increased membership

members - (130 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait,
Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Federated
States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome
and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad
and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, Uruguay, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation
Organization

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): note - also known as the Cooperation
Council for the Arab States of the Gulf

aim - to promote regional cooperation in economic, social, political, and military affairs

Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM): note- acronym standing for the member countries, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova; formerly known as GUUAM before Uzbekistan withdrew in 5 May 2005

aim - commits the countries to cooperation and assistance in social and economic development, the strengthening and broadening of trade and economic relations, and the development and effective use of transport and communications, highways, and related infrastructure crossing the boundaries of the member states

high income countries: another term for the industrialized countries with high per capita GDPs; see developed countries (DCs)

aim - to organize and promote regional cooperation in all sectors, especially economic

industrial countries: another term for the developed countries; see developed countries (DCs)

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB): note - also known as Banco
Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)

members - (47) Argentina, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France,
Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden,
Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela

Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD): note - formerly known as Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD)

established - 15-16 January 1986 as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development; revitalized - 21 March 1996 as the Inter- Governmental Authority on Development

aim - fosters contacts among parliamentarians, considers and expresses views of international interest and concern with the purpose of bringing about action by parliaments and parliamentarians, contributes to the defense and promotion of human rights, contributes to better knowledge of representative institutions

members - (148) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium,
Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile,
China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazahstan,
Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius,
Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, Samoa, San
Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Thailand,
Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

associate members - (7) Andean Parliament, Central American Parliament,
Community Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States,
East African Legislative Assembly, European Parliament, Latin American
Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): established - 26 October 1956; effective - 29 July 1957

members - (145) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,
Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South
Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine,
UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD): note - also known as the World Bank

members - (184) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Cuba, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, and Tuvalu

aim - to promote free trade and private enterprise and to represent business interests at national and international levels

members - (91 national committees) Algeria, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Canada, Caribbean, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,
Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia,
Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): established - 7
December 1944; effective - 4 April 1947

aim - to promote international cooperation in civil aviation; a UN specialized agency

members - (189) includes all UN member countries except Dominica, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, and Tuvalu (188 total); plus Cook Islands

International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH): established
17 December 1999 to promote respect for human rights; members included
Argentina, Benin, Canada, France, India, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo,
Tunisia, US; closed 2001

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU): established
- December 1949

members - (241 affiliated organizations in the following 155 countries
plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Albania, Algeria, Angola,
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Guyana, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati,
South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK,
US, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation
Organization

established - 3 February 1946 superseded Permanent Court of International Justice

members - (15 judges) elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council to represent all principal legal systems

aim - to hold all individuals and countries accountable to international laws of conduct; to specify international standards of conduct; to provide an important mechanism for implementing these standards; to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice

members (countries that have ratified the treaty) - (102) Afghanistan,
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada,
Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia,
Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Marshall
Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ,
Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia,
South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia; note -
Comoros and Saint Kitts and Nevis became full members on 1 November
2006

signatory states (countries that have signed, but not ratified, the
treaty) - (40) Algeria, Angola, Armenia, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Czech
Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Jamaica, Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Oman,
Philippines, Russia, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles,
Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Ukraine, UAE, Uzbekistan,
Yemen, Zimbabwe

International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol): established - September 1923 set up as the International Criminal Police Commission; 13 June 1956 constitution modified and present name adopted

aim - to promote international cooperation among police authorities in fighting crime

members - (186) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua
and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands
Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,
Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and
Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan,
Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

subbureaus - (11) American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Macau, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands

International Development Association (IDA): established - 26 January 1960; effective - 24 September 1960

aim - to provide economic loans for low-income countries; UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate

Part I - (27 developed countries) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK, US

Part II - (139 less developed countries) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

aim - to promote cooperation on energy matters, especially emergency oil sharing and relations between oil consumers and oil producers; established by the OECD

members - (27) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal,
Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRCS): note - formerly known as League of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (LORCS)

aim - to organize, coordinate, and direct international relief actions; to promote humanitarian activities; to represent and encourage the development of National Societies; to bring help to victims of armed conflicts, refugees, and displaced people; to reduce the vulnerability of people through development programs

members - (185 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,
Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,
Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,
Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization

International Finance Corporation (IFC): established - 25 May 1955; effective - 24 July 1956

aim - to support private enterprise in international economic development; a UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate

members - (177) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Brunei, Cuba, Guinea, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Suriname, Tuvalu

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): established -
November 1974

Category I - (23 industrialized aid contributors) Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

Category II - (12 petroleum-exporting aid contributors) Algeria, Gabon,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Venezuela

Category III - (130 aid recipients) Afghanistan, Albania, Angola,
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,
Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook
Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,
India, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North
Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts
and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao
Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia (suspended since 1992), Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): note - name changed from International Hydrographic Bureau on 22 September 1970

aim - to train hydrographic surveyors and nautical cartographers to achieve standardization in nautical charts and electronic chart displays; to provide advice on nautical cartography and hydrography; to develop the sciences in the field of hydrography and techniques used for descriptive oceanograrphy

members - (76) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and
Macau), Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (suspended),
Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic (suspended),
Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico,
Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname (suspended), Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela

International Labor Organization (ILO): established - 28 June 1919 set up as part of Treaty of Versailles; 11 April 1919 became operative; 14 December 1946 affiliated with the UN

members - (179) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Bhutan, Brunei, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Marshall Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, and
Tuvalu; note - includes the following dependencies: Netherlands
(Netherlands Antilles and Aruba)

International Maritime Organization (IMO): note - name changed from Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982

established - 6 March 1948 set up as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization; effective - 17 March 1958

members - (167) includes all UN member countries except Afghanistan,
Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Central African Republic, Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho,
Liechtenstein, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro, Nauru,
Niger, Palau, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia

International Monetary Fund (IMF): established - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945

aim - to promote world monetary stability and economic development; a UN specialized agency

members - (184) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Cuba, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu; note - includes the following dependencies or areas of special interest: China (Hong Kong and Macau), Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles and Aruba)

aim - to promote the Olympic ideals and administer the Olympic games: 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy; 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China; 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada; 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK

National Olympic Committees - (201 and the Palestine Liberation
Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra,
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco,
Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,
Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization

International Organization for Migration (IOM): note - established as
Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants
from Europe; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
(ICEM) on 15 November 1952; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for
Migration (ICM) in November 1980; current name adopted 14 November 1989

members - (118) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,
Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia,
Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iran,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,
Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda,
Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

observers - (20) Bhutan, Burundi, China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Guyana, Holy
See, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Papua New
Guinea, Russia, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia,
Turkmenistan, Vietnam

International Organization for Standardization (ISO): established -
February 1947

aim - to promote the development of international standards with a view to facilitating international exchange of goods and services and to developing cooperation in the sphere of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity

members - (103 national standards organizations) Algeria, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa
Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea,
South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia,
Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria,
Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden,
Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Zimbabwe

correspondent members - (43 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brunei, Burkina
Faso, Burma, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia,
Georgia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Moldova,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland, Togo,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Palestine Liberation Organization

subscriber members - (9) Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Cambodia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Lesotho, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

International Organization of the French-speaking World (OIF): note - name changed from Agency of Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT) in 1997

aim - founded around a common language to promote and spread the cultures of its members and to reinforce cultural and technical cooperation between them

members - (55) Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canada - New Brunswick,
Canada - Quebec, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus,
Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Community
of Belgium, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Laos,
Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Niger, Romania, Rwanda, Saint
Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo,
Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam

observers - (13) Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Mozambique, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

aim - to promote worldwide humanitarian aid through the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in wartime, and International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS; formerly
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or LORCS) in peacetime

National Societies - (182 countries); note - same as membership for
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRCS)

International Telecommunication Union (ITU): established - 17 May 1865 set up as the International Telegraph Union; 9 December 1932 adopted present name; effective - 1 January 1934; affiliated with the UN - 15 November 1947

members - (191) includes all UN member countries except East Timor, Palau (190 total); plus Holy See

Islamic Development Bank (IDB): established - 15 December 1973 by declaration of intent; effective - 12 August 1974

members - (55 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt,
Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

Latin American Economic System (LAES): note - also known as Sistema
Economico Latinoamericana (SELA)

members - (27) Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago,
Uruguay, Venezuela

Latin American Integration Association (LAIA): note - also known as
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)

members - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

observers - (26) China, Corporacion Andina de Fomento, Costa Rica,
Dominican Republic, EC, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Inter-
American Development Bank, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latin America Economic System,
Nicaragua, Organization of American States, Panama, Pan-American Health
Organization, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine,
United Nations Development Program, United Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean

least developed countries (LLDCs): that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GDPs normally less than $1,000, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped countries; the 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen

less developed countries (LDCs): the bottom group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries and dependent areas with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per capita GDPs are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,500; however, the group also includes a number of countries with high per capita incomes, areas of advanced technology, and rapid rates of growth; includes the advanced developing countries, developing countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers), least developed countries (LLDCs), low-income countries, middle-income countries, newly industrializing economies (NIEs), the South, Third World, underdeveloped countries, undeveloped countries; the 172 LDCs are: Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Gaza Strip, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "developing countries" which adds Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey but omits in its recently published statistics American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara

low-income countries: another term for those less developed countries with below-average per capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)

middle-income countries: another term for those less developed countries with above-average per capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)

aim - encourages flow of foreign direct investment among member countries by offering investment insurance, consultation, and negotiation on conditions for foreign investment and technical assistance; a UN specialized agency

members - (168) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Iraq, Kirabati, North
Korea, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco,
Montenegro, Nauru, NZ, Niger, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe,
Somalia, Tonga, Tuvalu

Near Abroad: Russian term for the 14 non-Russian successor states of the USSR, in which 25 million ethnic Russians live and in which Moscow has expressed a strong national security interest; the 14 countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

new independent states (NIS): a term referring to all the countries of the FSU except the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

newly industrializing countries (NICs): former term for the newly industrializing economies; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)

newly industrializing economies (NIEs): that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) that has experienced particularly rapid industrialization of their economies; formerly known as the newly industrializing countries (NICs); also known as advanced developing countries; usually includes the Four Dragons (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan), and Brazil

aim - to establish political and military cooperation apart from the traditional East or West blocs

members - (114 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Algeria, Angola, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus,
Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic,
Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon,
The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North
Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines,
Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
UAE, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization

observers - (15) Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, El Salvadore, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Paraguay, Ukraine, Uruguay

guests - (24) Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary,
Italy, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

members - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland, Norway, Sweden

observers - (3) the Sami (Lapp) local parliaments of Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Nordic Investment Bank (NIB): established - 4 December 1975; effective - 1 June 1976

members - (8) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Estonia, Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

North: a popular term for the rich industrialized countries generally located in the northern portion of the Northern Hemisphere; the counterpart of the South; see developed countries (DCs)

aim - to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, increase investment opportunities, provide protection of intellectual property rights, and create procedures to settle disputes

members - (26) Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, US

members - (28) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): note - also known as the London
Suppliers Group or the London Group

aim - to establish guidelines for exports of nuclear materials, processing equipment for uranium enrichment, and technical information to countries of proliferation concern and regions of conflict and instability

members - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,
UK, US

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): established - 14 December 1960; effective - 30 September 1961

members - (30) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE): note - formerly the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) established 3 July 1975

aim - to foster the implementation of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law; to act as an instrument of early warning, conflict prevention, and crisis management; and to serve as a framework for conventional arms control and confidence building measures

members - (56) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,
Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
UK, US, Uzbekistan

partners for cooperation - (11) Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Mongolia, Morocco, Thailand, Tunisia

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): established - 29 April 1997

aim - to enforce the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction; to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among the signatories of the Convention

members (countries that have ratified the Convention) - (180)
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus,
Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cook
Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Djibouti, East Timor, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda,
Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

signatory states (countries that have signed, but not ratified, the Convention) - (6) The Bahamas, Burma, Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Israel

Organization of American States (OAS): established - 14 April 1890 as the International Union of American Republics; 30 April 1948 adopted present charter; effective - 13 December 1951

aim - to promote regional peace and security as well as economic and social development

members - (35) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (excluded from formal participation since 1962), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, US, Uruguay, Venezuela

observers - (60) Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, EU,
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Hungary,
India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia,
Lebanon, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, Yemen

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC): established - 9 January 1968

members - (11) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia (suspended), UAE

Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): established - 18 June 1981; effective - 4 July 1981

members - (7) Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): established - 14
September 1960

members - (11) Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela

Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC): established - 22-25
September 1969

aim - to promote Islamic solidarity in economic, social, cultural, and political affairs

members - (56 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt,
Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

observers - (11) AU, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, ECO, LAS, Moro National Liberation Front, NAM, Russia, Thailand, Turkish Muslim Community of Kibris, UN

Pacific Community (SPC): note - formerly known as the South Pacific
Commission (SPC)

members - (26) American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, NZ, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, US, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna; note - UK withdrew in January 2005

members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

aim - to provide a forum for debtor countries to negotiate rescheduling of debt service payments or loans extended by governments or official agencies of participating countries; to help restore normal trade and project finance to debtor countries

members - (19) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

aim - to expand and intensify political and military cooperation throughout Europe, increase stability, diminish threats to peace, and build relationships by promoting the spirit of practical cooperation and commitment to democratic principles that underpin NATO; program under the auspices of NATO

members - (20) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; note - a nation that becomes a member of NATO is no longer a member of PFP

members - (105) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa
Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey,
Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Rio Group (RG): note - formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established NA December 1986; composed of the Contadora Group and the Lima Group

members - (20) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, CARICOM, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay,
Venezuela

Second World: another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states of the USSR and Eastern Europe, with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; the term is fading from use; see centrally planned economies

aim - to serve island development in 22 Pacific countries; to develop technical assistance and professional, scientific, and research support; to build planning and management capability

members - (26) America Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France,
French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, NZ,
Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, US, Wallis and Futuna

aim - to combat terrorism, extremism, and separatism; to safeguard regional security through mutual trust, disarmament, and cooperative security; and to increase cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific and technological, cultural, and educational fields

socialist countries: in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use of the major factors of production; note - the term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for Communist countries

South: a popular term for the poorer, less industrialized countries generally located south of the developed countries; the counterpart of the North; see less developed countries (LDCs)

aim - to coordinate common policies regarding multilateral organizations, to integrate physical infrastructure, and to consolidate the merger of CAN and Mercosur

members - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela

aim - to promote regional cooperation in South Asia in the field of environment, both natural and human, and on issues of economic and social development; to support conservation and management of natural resources of the region

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): established - 8 December 1985

members - (8) Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement
(Sparteca): established - 1981

aim - to redress unequal trade relationships of Australia and New Zealand with small island economies in the Pacific region

members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

aim - to encourage cooperation among participating states and to facilitate their integration into European structures

members - (12) Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey

observers - (15) Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, UK, US

Southern African Development Community (SADC): note - evolved from the
Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)

members - (14) Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) or Southern Common Market: note - also known as Mercado Comun del Cono Sur (Mercosur)

associate members - (5) Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru; note - Mexico is to become an associate member by the end of 2006

Third World: another term for the less developed countries; the term is obsolescent; see less developed countries (LDCs)

underdeveloped countries: refers to those less developed countries with the potential for above-average economic growth; see less developed countries (LDCs)

undeveloped countries: refers to those extremely poor less developed countries (LDCs) with little prospect for economic growth; see least developed countries (LLDCs)

aim - to maintain international peace and security and to promote cooperation involving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems

constituent organizations - the UN is composed of six principal organs and numerous subordinate agencies and bodies as follows:

2) General Assembly: Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UN
AIDS), International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Organization for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Preparation Commission for the Nuclear-Ban-
Treaty Operation ((CTBTU), United Nations Center for Human Settlements
(UN-Habitat), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Drug Control Program
(UNDCP), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Institute for
Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), United Nations Institute for Training
and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice
Research Institute (UNICRI), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
(UNRISD), United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), United Nations
University (UNU), World Food Program (WFP)

3) Security Council: International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR),
United Nations Compensation Commission, United Nations Disengagement
Observer Force (UNDOF), United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-
Leste (UNMIT), United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), United
Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), United Nations Military Observer
Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), United Nations Operation in
Burundi (ONUB), United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI),
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO),
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), United Nations
Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), United Nations Monitoring and
Verification Commission (UNMOVIC), United Nations Observer Mission in
Georgia (UNOMIG), United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUC), United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in
Cyprus (UNFICYP), United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH), and United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

4) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Commission for Social
Development, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice,
Commission on Narcotics Drugs, Commission on Population and
Development, Commission on Science and Technology for Development,
Commission on Sustainable Development, Commission on the Status of
Women, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE),
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), International Center for Secretariat of Investment
Disputes (ICSID), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
International Development Association (IDA), International Finance
Corporation (IFC), International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Maritime
Organization (IMO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), Multilateral Investment Geographic
Agency (MIGA), Statistical Commission, United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Forum on
Forests, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Health Organization (WHO), World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), World Meteorological
Organization (WMO), World Tourism Organization (WToO), and World Trade
Organization (WTO)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization, UN International Children's Emergency Fund

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): established - 30 December 1964

aim - to provide technical assistance to stimulate economic and social development

aim - to observe the 1973 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; established by the UN Security Council

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO): established - 16 November 1945; effective - 4 November 1946

members - (191) includes all UN member countries except Liechtenstein, Montenegro, and Singapore (188 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue

associate members - (6) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Macau, Netherlands Antilles, Tokelau

United Nations General Assembly: established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): established - 3
December 1949; effective - 1 January 1951

aim - to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problems

members (executive committee) - (70) Algeria, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark,
Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mexico,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria,
Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Serbia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Yemen,
Zambia

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): established - 17 November 1966; effective - 1 January 1967

aim - UN specialized agency that promotes industrial development especially among the members

members - (171) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Estonia, Iceland,
Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Montenegro, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, US

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR): established - 11 December 1963 adoption of the resolution establishing the Institute; effective - 24 March 1965

members (Board of Trustees) - (18) Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech
Republic, Egypt, France, Ghana, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, US; note - the UN
Secretary General can appoint up to 30 members

United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK): established - 10 June 1999

aim - to promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self- government in Kosovo; to perform basic civilian administrative functions; to support the reconstruction of key infrastructure and humanitarian and disaster relief

aim - to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and assist in reestablishing Lebanese authority in southern Lebanon; established by the UN Security Council

members - (11) Belgium, China, Finland, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain

United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP): established - 24 January 1949

aim - to observe the 1949 India-Pakistan cease-fire; established by the UN Security Council

members - (8) Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Uruguay

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO): established - 29 April 1991

aim - to supervise the cease-fire and conduct a referendum in Western Sahara; established by the UN Security Council

members - (25) Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, China, Croatia, Denmark,
Egypt, El Slavador, France, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland,
Russia, Sri Lanka, Uruguay

United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE): established - 31 July 2000

members - (39) Algeria, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya,
Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland,
Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,
Tunisia, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Zambia

aim - to support the cease-fire agreement and peace process, protect UN facilities and people, support humanitarian activities, and assist in national security reform

Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland,
France, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya,
South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia,
Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Sweden, Togo, Ukraine, UK,
US, Zambia

United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL): established on 22 October 1999; aim was to to cooperate with the Government of Sierra Leone and the other parties to the Peace Agreement in the implementation of the agreement; to monitor the military and security situation in Sierra Leone; to monitor the disarmament and demobilization of combatants and members of the Civil Defense Forces (CFD); to assist in monitoring respect for international humanitarian law; mandate ended 31 December 2005; members were Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Zambia

aim - to support implementation of the comprehensive Peace Agreement by Monitoring and verifying the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement, by observing and monitoring movements of armed groups, and by helping disarm, demobilizing and reintegrating armed bands

members - (59) Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,
Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan,
Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherland, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand,
Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET): established on 17 May 2002 to provide assistance to structures critical to public security and to assist in the development of law enforcement agencies; to contribute to extenal security; members were Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Denmark, Fiji, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Sweden; completed its mandate 20 May 2005

United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC): note - formerly known as United Nations Special Commission for the Elimination of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (UNSCOM)

aim - to identify, account for, and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and the capacity to produce them

commissioners - (16) Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, UN Department for Disarmament Affairs, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, Ukraine, UK, US

aim - to support and help implement the efforts undertaken by Burundians to restore lasting peace and bring about national reconciliation

members - (30) Algeria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt,
Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Jordan, Kenya, South
Korea, Malawi, Mali, Nambia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Togo,
Tunisia, Yemen

United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG): established - 24
August 1993

aim - to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement, to monitor weapons exclusion zone, and to supervise CIS peacekeeping force for Abkhazia; established by the UN Security Council

members - (26) Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia,
Jordan, South Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay

United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (MONUC): established - 30 November 1999

aim - to establish contacts with the signatories to the cease-fire agreement and to plan for the observation of the cease-fire and disengagement of forces

members - (51) Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Egypt, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Indonesia,
Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay,
Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay,
Zambia

United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI): established - 27
February 2004

aim - to facilitate the implementation by the Ivorian parties of the peace agreement signed by them in January 2003

members - (41) Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Chad, China,
Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France,
The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya,
Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Tanzania,
Togo, Turkey, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen

United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP): established - 4 March 1964

aim - to serve as a peacekeeping force between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus; established by the UN Security Council

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): note - acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities

aim - to assist both developed and developing countries to deal with their population problems

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA): established - 8 December 1949

members (advisory commission) - (22) Australia, Belgium, Canada,
Denmark, EC, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon,
Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Turkey, UK, US

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD): established - 1963

aim - to conduct research into the problems of economic development during different phases of economic growth

members - no country members, but a Board of Directors consisting of a chairman appointed by the UN secretary general and 10 individual members

United Nations Secretariat: established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24
October 1945

aim - to serve as the primary administrative organ of the UN; a Secretary General is appointed for a five-year term by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council

United Nations Security Council (UNSC): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945

nonpermanent members - (10) elected for two-year terms by the UN
General Assembly; Argentina (2005-06), Republic of the Congo (2006-07),
Denmark (2005-06), Ghana (2006-07), Greece (2005-06), Japan (2005-06),
Peru (2006-07), Qatar (2006-07), Slovakia (2006-07), Tanzania (2005-06)

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH): established - 30 April 2004

members - (19) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Jordan, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, US, Uruguay

aim - to supervise the 1948 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; currently supports timely deployment of reinforcements to other peacekeeping operations in the region as needed; initially established by the UN Security Council

members - (23) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile,
China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden,
Switzerland, US

United Nations Trusteeship Council: established on 26 June 1945, effective on 24 October 1945, to supervise the administration of the 11 UN trust territories; members were China, France, Russia, UK, US; it formally suspended operations 1 November 1995 after the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) became the Republic of Palau, a constitutional government in free association with the US; the Trusteeship Council was not dissolved

aim - to conduct research in development, welfare, and human survival and to train scholars

members - (24 members of UNU Council and the Rector are appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Director General of UNESCO)

Universal Postal Union (UPU): established - 9 October 1874, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947; effective - 1 July 1948

members - (189) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau (188
total); plus Holy See; note - includes the following dependencies or
areas of special interest: Australia (Norfolk Island), China (Hong
Kong, Macau), Denmark (Faroe Islands, Greenland), France (French
Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,
Guadeloupe, Iles Eparses, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion,
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna), Netherlands (Aruba,
Netherlands Antilles), NZ (Cook Island, Niue, Tokelau), UK (Guernsey,
Isle of Man, Jersey; Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,
Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos), US (American
Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, South Georgia and
South Sandwich Islands, Virgin Islands)

Warsaw Pact (WP): established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states at the time of dissolution were: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR; earlier members included German Democratic Republic (GDR) and Albania

West African Development Bank (WADB): note - also known as Banque
Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD); is a financial institution of
WAEMU

regional members - (9) Central Bank of West African States, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

international/nonregional members - (6) African Development Bank, Belgium, European Investment Bank, France, Germany, People's Bank of China

West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU): note - also known as
Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)

aim - to increase competitiveness of members' economic markets; to create a common market

members - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

Western European Union (WEU): established - 23 October 1954; effective - 6 May 1955

members - (10) Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

associate members - (6) Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Turkey

associate partners - (7) Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

World Bank Group: includes International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA),
International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

World Confederation of Labor (WCL): established - 19 June 1920 as the
International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4
October 1968

members - (105 national organizations) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic,
Chad, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France,
French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta,
Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South
Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Zambia, Zimbabwe

World Customs Organization (WCO): note - began as the Customs
Cooperation Council (CCC)

members - (168) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda,
Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,
Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,
Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Timor,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,
Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

members - (125 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Benin,
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, The Gambia, Ghana,
Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,
Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, New Caledonia, NZ,
Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia,
Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syria,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization

aim - to provide food aid in support of economic development or disaster relief; an ECOSOC organization

World Health Organization (WHO): established - 22 July 1946; effective - 7 April 1948

members - (193) includes all UN member countries except Liechtenstein (191 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): established - 14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970

aim - to furnish protection for literary, artistic, and scientific works; a UN specialized agency

members - (183) includes all UN member countries except East Timor,
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro,
Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu (182 total); plus Holy
See

World Meteorological Organization (WMO): established - 11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951

members - (188) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, East
Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands,
Montenegro, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, San Marino, Tuvalu (179 total); plus Aruba, British
Caribbean Territories, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hong Kong,
Macau, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, and Niue

aim - to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic development, international understanding, and peace

members - (150) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon,
The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South
Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San
Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

associate members - (7) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico

observers - (1 plus Palestine Liberation Organization) Holy See, Palestine Liberation Organization

World Trade Organization (WTO): note - succeeded General Agreement on
Tariff and Trade (GATT)

aim - to provide a forum to resolve trade conflicts between members and to carry on negotiations with the goal of further lowering and/or eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers

members - (149) Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, EC, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US,
Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe

observers - (32) Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Russia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tonga, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen; note - with the exception of the Holy See, an observer must start accession negotiations within five years of becoming observers; Montenegro and Serbia each sent observers

aim - to establish guidelines for the export control provisions of the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT)

members - (36) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
Ukraine, UK, US

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30%

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes

objective - to ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes only (such as international cooperation in scientific research); to defer the question of territorial claims asserted by some nations and not recognized by others; to provide an international forum for management of the region; applies to land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees south latitude

parties - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,
Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Netherlands,
NZ, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US,
Uruguay, Venezuela

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal

objective - to reduce transboundary movements of wastes subject to the Convention to a minimum consistent with the environmentally sound and efficient management of such wastes; to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated and ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation; and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate

parties - (149) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU,
Finland, France, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea,
Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States
of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia

objective - to promote and achieve the protection, scientific study, and rational use of Antarctic seals, and to maintain a satisfactory balance within the ecological system of Antarctica

parties - (16) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, UK, US

objective - to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity

parties - (182) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan,
Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Afghanistan, Kuwait, Serbia, Thailand, Tuvalu, US

objective - to solve through international cooperation the problems involved in the conservation of living resources of the high seas, considering that because of the development of modern technology some of these resources are in danger of being overexploited

parties - (37) Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina
Faso, Cambodia, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Finland,
France, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia,
Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland,
Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (21) Afghanistan,
Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ghana, Iceland,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, NZ,
Pakistan, Panama, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay

objective - to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution

parties - (48) Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova,
Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)

objective - to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value

parties - (125) Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus,
Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon,
The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Latvia,
Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco,
Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra
Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia

objective - to safeguard the environment and protect the integrity of the ecosystem of the seas surrounding Antarctica, and to conserve Antarctic marine living resources

parties - (31) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,
Chile, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South
Korea, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu

Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Flora and Fauna (CITES)

objective - to protect certain endangered species from overexploitation by means of a system of import/export permits

parties - (156) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,
Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,
Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, South Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,
Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao
Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,
US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and
Other Matter (London Convention)

objective - to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention

parties - (78) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia,
Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde,
Chile, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt,
Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras,
Hong Kong (associate member), Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Libya,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tonga, Tunisia, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Vanuatu

Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of
Environmental Modification Techniques

objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nations

parties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, North Korea, South
Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Malawi, Mauritius, Mongolia, Netherlands, NZ,
Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Romania, Russia,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,
Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tajikistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam,
Yemen

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Bolivia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Holy See, Iceland, Iran,
Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nicaragua, Portugal,
Sierra Leone, Syria, Turkey, Uganda

see United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

see Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)

see Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques

see Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal

objective - to protect all species of whales from overhunting; to establish a system of international regulation for the whale fisheries to ensure proper conservation and development of whale stocks; and to safeguard for future generations the great natural resources represented by whale stocks

parties - (42) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France,
Germany, Grenada, Guinea, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South
Korea, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Oman, Panama,
Peru, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK, US

entered into force - 1 April 1985; this agreement expired when the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, went into force

objective - to provide an effective framework for cooperation between tropical timber producers and consumers and to encourage the development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation of tropical forests and their genetic resources

parties - (54) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,
Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU,
Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras,
India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liberia,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Venezuela

objective - to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber originate from sustainably managed sources; to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to reach this objective

parties - (58) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,
Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal,
Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela

objective - to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing the national programs of developed countries aimed at this goal and by establishing percentage reduction targets for the developed countries

parties - (144) Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook
Island, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Estonia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi
Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South
Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,
Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Yemen

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Australia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Monaco, US, Zambia

see Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention)

objective - to protect the ozone layer by controlling emissions of substances that deplete it

parties - (183) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,
Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati,
North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome
and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,
Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE,
UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,
Zambia, Zimbabwe

see Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water

Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the
Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)

objective - to preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances

parties - (119) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Canada,
Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lebanon,
Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall
Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands,
NZ, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden,
Switzerland, Syria, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Tuvalu, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam

objective - to provide for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems; applies to the area covered by the Antarctic Treaty

consultative parties - (27) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland,
Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, US, Uruguay

non consultative parties - (16) Austria, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or
Their Transboundary Fluxes

objective - to provide for the control or reduction of nitrogen oxides and their transboundary fluxes

parties - (28) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, US

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic
Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes

objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects

parties - (21) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Canada, EU, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, US

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions

objective - to provide for a further reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes

parties - (23) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (5) Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants

objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of persistent organic pollutants in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects

parties - (22) Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Romania,
Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (14) Armenia, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, UK, US

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary
Fluxes by at Least 30%

objective - to provide for a 30% reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes by 1993

parties - (22) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovakia,
Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine

see Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)

Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water

objective - to obtain an agreement on general and complete disarmament under strict international control in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations; to put an end to the armaments race and eliminate incentives for the production and testing of all kinds of weapons, including nuclear weapons

parties - (113) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,
Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea,
Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San
Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Zambia

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Algeria,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Ethiopia, Haiti, Libya, Mali,
Pakistan, Paraguay, Portugal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uruguay, Vietnam,
Yemen

objective - to set up a comprehensive new legal regime for the sea and oceans; to include rules concerning environmental standards as well as enforcement provisions dealing with pollution of the marine environment

parties - (148) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Comoros, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South
Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco,
Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,
Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (29) Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African
Republic, Chad, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, El
Salvador, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Niue, Rwanda,
Swaziland, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in
Africa

objective - to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements

parties - (178) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,
Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome
and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

objective - to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a low enough level to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system

parties - (189) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,
Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,
Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

see Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)

FIPS 10: Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and
Their Principal Administrative Divisions (FIPS 10) is maintained by
the Office of Targeting and Transnational Issues, National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and published by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce).
FIPS 10 codes are intended for general use throughout the US
Government, especially in activities associated with the mission
of the Department of State and national defense programs.

ISO 3166: Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries (ISO 3166) is prepared by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 3166 includes two- and three-character alphabetic codes and three-digit numeric codes that may be needed for activities involving exchange of data with international organizations that have adopted that standard. Except for the numeric codes, ISO 3166 codes have been adopted in the US as FIPS 104-1: American National Standard Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries, Dependencies, and Areas of Special Sovereignty for Information Interchange.

Internet: The Internet country code is the two-letter digraph maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs).

Afghanistan AF AF AFG 004 .af
Albania AL AL ALB 008 .al
Algeria AG DZ DZA 012 .dz
American Samoa AQ AS ASM 016 .as
Andorra AN AD AND 020 .ad
Angola AO AO AGO 024 .ao
Anguilla AV AI AIA 660 .ai
Antarctica AY AQ ATA 010 .aq
ISO defines as the territory south of 60 degrees south latitude

Antigua and Barbuda AC AG ATG 028 .ag
Argentina AR AR ARG 032 .ar
Armenia AM AM ARM 051 .am
Aruba AA AW ABW 533 .aw
Ashmore and
Cartier Islands AT - - -
ISO includes with Australia

Australia AS AU AUS 036 .au
ISO includes Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands

Austria AU AT AUT 040 .at
Azerbaijan AJ AZ AZE 031 .az
Bahamas, The BF BS BHS 044 .bs
Bahrain BA BH BHR 048 .bh
Baker Island FQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Bangladesh BG BD BGD 050 .bd Barbados BB BB BRB 052 .bb Bassas da India BS - - - - administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands; no ISO codes assigned

Belarus BO BY BLR 112 .by
Belgium BE BE BEL 056 .be
Belize BH BZ BLZ 084 .bz
Benin BN BJ BEN 204 .bj
Bermuda BD BM BMU 060 .bm
Bhutan BT BT BTN 064 .bt
Bolivia BL BO BOL 068 .bo
Bosnia and
  Herzegovina BK BA BIH 070 .ba
Botswana BC BW BWA 072 .bw
Bouvet Island BV BV BVT 074 .bv
Brazil BR BR BRA 076 .br
British Indian
  Ocean Territory IO IO IOT 086 .io
British Virgin
  Islands VI VG VGB 092 .vg
Brunei BX BN BRN 096 .bn
Bulgaria BU BG BGR 100 .bg
Burkina Faso UV BF BFA 854 .bf
Burma BM MM MMR 104 .mm
  ISO uses the name Myanmar

Burundi BY BI BDI 108 .bi
Cambodia CB KH KHM 116 .kh
Cameroon CM CM CMR 120 .cm
Canada CA CA CAN 124 .ca
Cape Verde CV CV CPV 132 .cv
Cayman Islands CJ KY CYM 136 .ky
Central African
Republic CT CF CAF 140 .cf
Chad CD TD TCD 148 .td
Chile CI CL CHL 152 .cl
China CH CN CHN 156 .cn
see also Taiwan

Christmas Island KT CX CXR 162 .cx
Clipperton Island IP - - -
ISO includes with French Polynesia

Cocos (Keeling) IslandsCK CC CCK 166 .cc
Colombia CO CO COL 170 .co
Comoros CN KM COM 174 .km
Congo, Democratic
Republic of the CG CD COD 180 .cd
formerly Zaire

Congo, Republic of theCF CG COG 178 .cg
Cook Islands CW CK COK 184 .ck
Coral Sea Islands CR - - -
ISO includes with Australia

Costa Rica CS CR CRI 188 .cr
Cote d'Ivoire IV CI CIV 384 .ci
Croatia HR HR HRV 191 .hr
Cuba CU CU CUB 192 .cu
Cyprus CY CY CYP 196 .cy
Czech Republic EZ CZ CZE 203 .cz
Denmark DA DK DNK 208 .dk
Djibouti DJ DJ DJI 262 .dj
Dominica DO DM DMA 212 .dm
Dominican Republic DR DO DOM 214 .do
East Timor TT TL TLS 626 .tl
Ecuador EC EC ECU 218 .ec
Egypt EG EG EGY 818 .eg
El Salvador ES SV SLV 222 .sv
Equatorial Guinea EK GQ GNQ 226 .gq
Eritrea ER ER ERI 232 .er
Estonia EN EE EST 233 .ee
Ethiopia ET ET ETH 231 .et
Europa Island EU - - - -
administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands;
no ISO codes assigned

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)FKFKFLK 238 .fk
Faroe Islands FO FO FRO 234 .fo
Fiji FJ FJ FJI 242 .fj
Finland FI FI FIN 246 .fi
France FR FR FRA 250 .fr
France, Metropolitan- FX FXX 249 .fx
  ISO limits to the European part of France, excluding French
  Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,
  Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint
  Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna

French Guiana FG GF GUF 254 .gf
French Polynesia FP PF PYF 258 .pf
ISO includes Clipperton Island

French Southern and Antarctic LandsFSTFATF260 .tf
FIPS 10-4 does not include the French-claimed portion of
Antarctica (Terre Adelie)

Gabon GB GA GAB 266 .ga
Gambia, The GA GM GMB 270 .gm
Gaza Strip GZ PS PSE 275 .ps
ISO identifies as Occupied Palestinian Territory

Georgia GG GE GEO 268 .ge Germany GM DE DEU 276 .de Ghana GH GH GHA 288 .gh Gibraltar GI GI GIB 292 .gi Glorioso Islands GO - - - - administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands; no ISO codes assigned

Greece GR GR GRC 300 .gr
Greenland GL GL GRL 304 .gl
Grenada GJ GD GRD 308 .gd
Guadeloupe GP GP GLP 312 .gp
Guam GQ GU GUM 316 .gu
Guatemala GT GT GTM 320 .gt
Guernsey GK GG GGY 831 .gg
Guinea GV GN GIN 324 .gn
Guinea-Bissau PU GW GNB 624 .gw
Guyana GY GY GUY 328 .gy
Haiti HA HT HTI 332 .ht
Heard Island and
  McDonald Islands HM HM HMD 334 .hm
Holy See
  (Vatican City) VT VA VAT 336 .va
Honduras HO HN HND 340 .hn
Hong Kong HK HK HKG 344 .hk
Howland Island HQ - - -
  ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Hungary HU HU HUN 348 .hu
Iceland IC IS ISL 352 .is
India IN IN IND 356 .in
Indonesia ID ID IDN 360 .id
Iran IR IR IRN 364 .ir
Iraq IZ IQ IRQ 368 .iq
Ireland EI IE IRL 372 .ie
Isle of Man IM IM IMN 833 .im
Israel IS IL ISR 376 .il
Italy IT IT ITA 380 .it
Jamaica JM JM JAM 388 .jm
Jan Mayen JN - - -
ISO includes with Svalbard

Japan JA JP JPN 392 .jp
Jarvis Island DQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Jersey JE JE JEY 832 .je
Johnston Atoll JQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Jordan JO JO JOR 400 .jo
Juan de Nova Island JU - - - -
administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands;
no ISO codes assigned

Kazakhstan KZ KZ KAZ 398 .kz
Kenya KE KE KEN 404 .ke
Kingman Reef KQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Kiribati KR KI KIR 296 .ki
Korea, North KN KP PRK 408 .kp
Korea, South KS KR KOR 410 .kr
Kuwait KU KW KWT 414 .kw
Kyrgyzstan KG KG KGZ 417 .kg
Laos LA LA LAO 418 .la
Latvia LG LV LVA 428 .lv
Lebanon LE LB LBN 422 .lb
Lesotho LT LS LSO 426 .ls
Liberia LI LR LBR 430 .lr
Libya LY LY LBY 434 .ly
Liechtenstein LS LI LIE 438 .li
Lithuania LH LT LTU 440 .lt
Luxembourg LU LU LUX 442 .lu
Macau MC MO MAC 446 .mo
Macedonia MK MK MKD 807 .mk
Madagascar MA MG MDG 450 .mg
Malawi MI MW MWI 454 .mw
Malaysia MY MY MYS 458 .my
Maldives MV MV MDV 462 .mv
Mali ML ML MLI 466 .ml
Malta MT MT MLT 470 .mt
Marshall Islands RM MH MHL 584 .mh
Martinique MB MQ MTQ 474 .mq
Mauritania MR MR MRT 478 .mr
Mauritius MP MU MUS 480 .mu
Mayotte MF YT MYT 175 .yt
Mexico MX MX MEX 484 .mx
Micronesia,
  Federated
  States of FM FM FSM 583 .fm
Midway Islands MQ - - -
  ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Moldova MD MD MDA 498 .md
Monaco MN MC MCO 492 .mc
Mongolia MG MN MNG 496 .mn
Montenegro MJ ME MNE 499 .me
new ccTLD takes effect in 2007, in the interim .cg.yu remains current

Montserrat MH MS MSR 500 .ms
Morocco MO MA MAR 504 .ma
Mozambique MZ MZ MOZ 508 .mz
Myanmar - - - -
see Burma

Namibia WA NA NAM 516 .na
Nauru NR NR NRU 520 .nr
Navassa Island BQ - - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Nepal NP NP NPL 524 .np
Netherlands NL NL NLD 528 .nl
Netherlands
  Antilles NT AN ANT 530 .an
New Caledonia NC NC NCL 540 .nc
New Zealand NZ NZ NZL 554 .nz
Nicaragua NU NI NIC 558 .ni
Niger NG NE NER 562 .ne
Nigeria NI NG NGA 566 .ng
Niue NE NU NIU 570 .nu
Norfolk Island NF NF NFK 574 .nf
Northern Mariana
  Islands CQ MP MNP 580 .mp
Norway NO NO NOR 578 .no
Oman MU OM OMN 512 .om
Pakistan PK PK PAK 586 .pk
Palau PS PW PLW 585 .pw
Palmyra Atoll LQ - - -
  ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Panama PM PA PAN 591 .pa
Papua New Guinea PP PG PNG 598 .pg
Paracel Islands PF - - -
Paraguay PA PY PRY 600 .py
Peru PE PE PER 604 .pe
Philippines RP PH PHL 608 .ph
Pitcairn Islands PC PN PCN 612 .pn
Poland PL PL POL 616 .pl
Portugal PO PT PRT 620 .pt
Puerto Rico RQ PR PRI 630 .pr
Qatar QA QA QAT 634 .qa
Reunion RE RE REU 638 .re
Romania RO RO ROU 642 .ro
Russia RS RU RUS 643 .ru
Rwanda RW RW RWA 646 .rw
Saint Helena SH SH SHN 654 .sh
Saint Kitts
  and Nevis SC KN KNA 659 .kn
Saint Lucia ST LC LCA 662 .lc
Saint Pierre
  and Miquelon SB PM SPM 666 .pm
Saint Vincent and
  the Grenadines VC VC VCT 670 .vc
Samoa WS WS WSM 882 .ws
San Marino SM SM SMR 674 .sm
Sao Tome and
  Principe TP ST STP 678 .st
Saudi Arabia SA SA SAU 682 .sa
Senegal SG SN SEN 686 .sn
Serbia RB RS SRB 688 .rs
  .yu remains in service until the end of 2006

Seychelles SE SC SYC 690 .sc
Sierra Leone SL SL SLE 694 .sl
Singapore SN SG SGP 702 .sg
Slovakia LO SK SVK 703 .sk
Slovenia SI SI SVN 705 .si
Solomon Islands BP SB SLB 090 .sb
Somalia SO SO SOM 706 .so
South Africa SF ZA ZAF 710 .za
South Georgia and
the Islands SX GS SGS 239 .gs
Spain SP ES ESP 724 .es
Spratly Islands PG - - -
Sri Lanka CE LK LKA 144 .lk
Sudan SU SD SDN 736 .sd
Suriname NS SR SUR 740 .sr
Svalbard SV SJ SJM 744 .sj
ISO includes Jan Mayen

Swaziland WZ SZ SWZ 748 .sz
Sweden SW SE SWE 752 .se
Switzerland SZ CH CHE 756 .ch
Syria SY SY SYR 760 .sy
Taiwan TW TW TWN 158 .tw
Tajikistan TI TJ TJK 762 .tj
Tanzania TZ TZ TZA 834 .tz
Thailand TH TH THA 764 .th
Togo TO TG TGO 768 .tg
Tokelau TL TK TKL 772 .tk
Tonga TN TO TON 776 .to
Trinidad and Tobago TD TT TTO 780 .tt
Tromelin Island TE - - - -
administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands;
no ISO codes assigned

Tunisia TS TN TUN 788 .tn
Turkey TU TR TUR 792 .tr
Turkmenistan TX TM TKM 795 .tm
Turks and Caicos IslandsTK TC TCA 796 .tc
Tuvalu TV TV TUV 798 .tv
Uganda UG UG UGA 800 .ug
Ukraine UP UA UKR 804 .ua
United Arab EmiratesAE AE ARE 784 .ae
United Kingdom UK GB GBR 826 .uk
United States US US USA 840 .us
United States
  Minor Outlying
  Islands - UM UMI 581 .um
  ISO includes Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,
  Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island,
  Palmyra Atoll, Wake Island

Uruguay UY UY URY 858 .uy
Uzbekistan UZ UZ UZB 860 .uz
Vanuatu NH VU VUT 548 .vu
Venezuela VE VE VEN 862 .ve
Vietnam VM VN VNM 704 .vn
Virgin Islands VQ VI VIR 850 .vi
Virgin Islands (UK) - - - .vg
see British Virgin Islands

Wallis and Futuna WF WF WLF 876 .wf
West Bank WE PS PSE 275 .ps
ISO identifies as Occupied Palestinian Territory

World - - - -
  the Factbook uses the W data code from DIAM 65-18 Geopolitical
  Data Elements and Related Features, Data Standard No. 3,
  December 1994, published by the Defense Intelligence Agency

IHO 23-4th: Limits of Oceans and Seas, Special Publication 23, Draft 4th Edition 1986, published by the International Hydrographic Bureau of the International Hydrographic Organization

IHO 23-3rd: Limits of Oceans and Seas, Special Publication 23, 3rd
Edition 1953, published by the International Hydrographic Organization

ACIC M 49-1: Chart of Limits of Seas and Oceans, revised January 1958,
published by the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center (ACIC),
United States Air Force; note - ACIC is now part of the National
Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA)

DIAM 65-18: Geopolitical Data Elements and Related Features, Data Standard No. 4, Defense Intelligence Agency Manual 65-18, December 1994, published by the Defense Intelligence Agency

The US Government has not yet adopted a standard for hydrographic codes similar to the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 10-4 country codes. The names and limits of the following oceans and seas are not always directly comparable because of differences in the customers, needs, and requirements of the individual organizations. Even the number of principal water bodies varies from organization to organization. Factbook users, for example, find the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean entries useful, but none of the following standards include those oceans in their entirety. Nor is there any provision for combining codes or overcodes to aggregate water bodies. The recently delimited Southern Ocean is not included.

  Arctic Ocean 9 17 A 5A
  Atlantic Ocean - - - -
  Baltic Sea 2 1 B26 7B
  Eastern Mediterranean 3.1.2 28 B - 8E
  Indian Ocean 5 45 F 6A
  Mediterranean Sea 3.1 28 B11 -
  North Atlantic Ocean 1 23 B 1A
  North Pacific Ocean 7 57 D 3A
  Pacific Ocean - - - -
  South Atlantic Ocean 4 32 C 2A
  South China and Eastern
    Archipelagic Seas 6 49, 48 D18 plus 3U plus
                                                       others others
  South Pacific Ocean 8 61 E 4A
  Western Mediterranean 3.1.1 28 A - 8W

Abidjan (capital) Cote d'Ivoire 5 19 N 4 02 W Abkhazia (region) Georgia 43 00 N 41 00 E Abu Dhabi (capital) United Arab Emirates 24 28 N 54 22 E Abu Musa (island) Iran 25 52 N 55 03 E Abuja (capital) Nigeria 9 12 N 7 11 E Abyssinia (former name for Ethiopia 8 00 N 38 00 E Ethiopia) Acapulco (city) Mexico 16 51 N 99 55 W Accra (capital) Ghana 5 33 N 0 13 W Adamstown (capital) Pitcairn Islands 25 04 S 130 05 W Addis Ababa (capital) Ethiopia 9 02 N 38 42 E Adelie Land (claimed by Antarctica 66 30 S 139 00 E France; also Terre Adelie) Aden (city) Yemen 12 46 N 45 01 E Aden, Gulf of Indian Ocean 12 30 N 48 00 E Admiralty Island United States 57 44 N 134 20 W (Alaska) Admiralty Islands Papua New Guinea 2 10 S 147 00 E Adriatic Sea Atlantic Ocean 42 30 N 16 00 E Adygey (region) Russia 44 30 N 40 10 E Aegean Islands Greece 38 00 N 25 00 E Aegean Sea Atlantic Ocean 38 30 N 25 00 E Afars and Issas, French Djibouti 11 30 N 43 00 E Territory of the (or FTAI; former name for Djibouti) Afghanestan (local name for Afghanistan 33 00 N 65 00 E Afghanistan) Agalega Islands Mauritius 10 25 S 56 40 E Agana (city; former name for Guam 13 28 N 144 45 E Hagatna) Ajaccio (city) France (Corsica) 41 55 N 8 44 E Ajaria (region) Georgia 41 45 N 42 10 E Akmola (city; former name for Kazakhstan 51 10 N 71 30 E Astana) Aksai Chin (region) China (de facto), 35 00 N 79 00 E India (claimed) Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah Saudi Arabia 25 00 N 45 00 E (local name for Saudi Arabia) Al Bahrayn (local name for Bahrain 26 00 N 50 33 E Bahrain) Al Imarat al Arabiyah al United Arab Emirates 24 00 N 54 00 E Muttahidah (local name for the United Arab Emirates) Al Iraq (local name for Iraq) Iraq 33 00 N 44 00 E Al Jaza'ir (local name for Algeria 28 00 N 3 00 E Algeria) Al Kuwayt (local name for Kuwait 29 30 N 45 45 E Kuwait) Al Maghrib (local name for Morocco 32 00 N 5 00 W Morocco) Al Urdun (local name for Jordan 31 00 N 36 00 E Jordan) Al Yaman (local name for Yemen 15 00 N 48 00 E Yemen) Aland Islands Finland 60 15 N 20 00 E Alaska (state) United States 65 00 N 153 00 W Alaska, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 58 00 N 145 00 W Alboran Sea Atlantic Ocean 36 00 N 2 30 W Aldabra Islands (Groupe Seychelles 9 25 S 46 22 E d'Aldabra) Alderney (island) Guernsey 49 43 N 2 12 W Aleutian Islands United States 52 00 N 176 00 W (Alaska) Alexander Archipelago (island United States 57 00 N 134 00 W group) (Alaska) Alexander Island Antarctica 71 00 S 70 00 W Alexandretta (region; former Turkey 36 34 N 36 08 E name for Iskenderun) Alexandria (city) Egypt 31 12 N 29 54 E Algiers (capital) Algeria 36 47 N 2 03 E Alhucemas, Penon de (island Spain 35 13 N 3 53 W group) Alma-Ata (city; former name Kazakhstan 43 15 N 76 57 E for Almaty) Almaty (former capital) Kazakhstan 43 15 N 76 57 E Alofi (capital) Niue 19 01 S 169 55 W Alphonse Island Seychelles 7 01 S 52 45 E Alsace (region) France 48 30 N 7 20 E Amami Strait Pacific Ocean 28 40 N 129 30 E Amindivi Islands (former name India 11 30 N 72 30 E for Laccadive Islands) Amirante Isles (island group; Seychelles 6 00 S 53 10 E also Les Amirantes) Amman (capital) Jordan 31 57 N 35 56 E Amsterdam (capital) Netherlands 52 23 N 4 54 E Amsterdam Island (Ile French Southern and 37 52 S 77 32 E Amsterdam) Antarctic Lands Amundsen Sea Southern Ocean 72 30 S 112 00 W Amur River China, Russia 52 56 N 141 10 E Amurskiy Liman (strait) Pacific Ocean 53 00 N 141 30 E Anadyrskiy Zaliv (gulf) Pacific Ocean 64 00 N 177 00 E Anatolia (region) Turkey 39 00 N 35 00 E Andaman Islands India 12 00 N 92 45 E Andaman Sea Indian Ocean 10 00 N 95 00 E Andorra la Vella (capital) Andorra 42 30 N 1 30 E Andros (island) Greece 37 45 N 24 42 E Andros Island The Bahamas 24 26 N 77 57 W Anegada Passage Atlantic Ocean 18 30 N 63 40 W Angkor Wat (ruins) Cambodia 13 26 N 103 50 E Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (former Sudan 15 00 N 30 00 E name for Sudan) Anjouan (island) Comoros 12 15 S 44 25 E Ankara (capital) Turkey 39 56 N 32 52 E Annobon (island) Equatorial Guinea 1 25 S 5 36 E Antananarivo (capital) Madagascar 18 52 S 47 30 E Antigua (island) Antigua and Barbuda 14 34 N 90 44 W Antipodes Islands New Zealand 49 41 S 178 43 E Antwerp (city) Belgium 51 13 N 4 25 E Aomen (local Chinese short- Macau 22 10 N 113 33 E form name for Macau) Aozou Strip (region) Chad 22 00 N 18 00 E Apia (capital) Samoa 13 50 S 171 45W Aqaba, Gulf of Indian Ocean 29 00 N 34 30 E Arab, Shatt al (river) Iran, Iraq 29 57 N 48 34 E Arabian Sea Indian Ocean 15 00 N 65 00 E Arafura Sea Pacific Ocean 9 00 S 133 00 E Aral Sea Kazakhstan, 45 00 N 60 00 E Uzbekistan Argun River China, Russia 53 20 N 121 28 E Aru Sea Pacific Ocean 6 15 S 135 00 E As-Sudan (local name for Sudan 15 00 N 30 00 E Sudan) Ascension Island Saint Helena 7 57 S 14 22 W Ashgabat, Ashkhabad (capital) Turkmenistan 37 57 N 58 23 E Asmara, Asmera (capital) Eritrea 15 20 N 38 53 E Assumption Island Seychelles 9 46 S 46 34 E Astana (capital; formerly Kazakhstan 51 10 N 71 30 E Akmola) Asuncion (capital) Paraguay 25 16 S 57 40 W Asuncion Island Northern Mariana 19 40 N 145 24 E Islands Atacama (desert) Chile 23 00 S 70 10 W Atacama (region) Chile 24 30 S 69 15 W Athens (capital) Greece 37 59 N 23 44 E Attu Island United States 52 55 N 172 57 E Auckland (city) New Zealand 36 52 S 174 46 E Auckland Islands New Zealand 51 00 S 166 30 E Australes, Iles (island French Polynesia 23 20 S 151 00 W group; also Iles Tubuai) Avarua (capital) Cook Islands 21 12 S 159 46 W Axel Heiberg Island Canada 79 30 N 90 00 W Azad Kashmir (region) Pakistan 34 30 N 74 00 E Azarbaycan, Azerbaidzhan Azerbaijan 40 30 N 47 30 E (local name for Azerbaijan) Azores (islands) Portugal 38 30 N 28 00 W Azov, Sea of Atlantic Ocean 49 00 N 36 00 E Bab el Mandeb (strait) Indian Ocean 12 40 N 43 20 E Babuyan Channel Pacific Ocean 18 44 N 121 40 E Babuyan Islands Philippines 19 10 N 121 40 E Baffin Bay Arctic Ocean 73 00 N 66 00 W Baffin Island Canada 68 00 N 70 00 W Baghdad (capital) Iraq 33 21 N 44 25 E Baku (capital; also Baki, Azerbaijan 40 23 N 49 51 E Baky) Balabac Strait Pacific Ocean 7 35 N 117 00 E Balearic Islands Spain 39 30 N 3 00 E Balearic Sea (Iberian Sea) Atlantic Ocean 40 30 N 2 00 E Bali (island) Indonesia 8 20 S 115 00 E Bali Sea Indian Ocean 7 45 S 115 30 E Balintang Channel Pacific Ocean 19 49 N 121 40 E Balintang Islands Philippines 19 55 N 122 10 E Balkan Peninsula Albania, Bosnia and 42 00 N 23 00 E Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey (European part) Balleny Islands Antarctica 67 00 S 163 00 E Balochistan (region) Pakistan 28 00 N 63 00 E Baltic Sea Atlantic Ocean 57 00 N 19 00 E Bamako (capital) Mali 12 39 N 8 00 W Banaba (Ocean Island) Kiribati 0 52 S 169 35 E Banat (region) Hungary, Romania, 45 30 N 21 00 E Serbia Banda Sea Pacific Ocean 5 00 S 128 00 E Bandar Seri Begawan (capital) Brunei 4 52 S 114 55 E Bangka (island) Indonesia 2 30 S 106 00 E Bangkok (capital) Thailand 13 45 N 100 31 E Bangui (capital) Central African 4 22 N 18 35 E Republic Banjul (capital) The Gambia 13 28 N 16 39 W Banks Island Australia 10 12 S 142 16 E Banks Island Canada 75 15 N 121 30 W Banks Islands (Iles Banks) Vanuatu 14 00 S 167 30 E Barbuda (island) Antigua and Barbuda 17 38 N 61 48 W Barcelona (city) Spain 41 25 N 2 13 E Barents Sea Arctic Ocean 74 00 N 36 00 E Barranquilla (city) Colombia 10 59 N 74 48 W Bashi Channel Pacific Ocean 22 00 N 121 00 E Basilan Strait Pacific Ocean 6 49 N 122 05 E Basque Provinces Spain 43 00 N 2 30 W Bass Strait Pacific Ocean 39 20 S 145 30 E Basse-Terre (capital) Guadeloupe 16 00 N 61 44 W Basseterre (capital) Saint Kitts and 17 18 N 62 43 W Nevis Bastia (city) France (Corsica) 42 42 N 9 27 E Basutoland (former name for Lesotho 29 30 S 28 30 E Lesotho) Batan Islands Philippines 20 30 N 121 50 E Bavaria (region; also Bayern) Germany 48 30 N 11 30 E Beagle Channel Atlantic Ocean 54 53 S 68 10 W Bear Island (see Bjornoya) Svalbard 74 26 N 19 05 E Beaufort Sea Arctic Ocean 73 00 N 140 00 W Bechuanaland (former name for Botswana 22 00 S 24 00 E Botswana) Beijing (capital) China 39 56 N 116 24 E Beirut (capital) Lebanon 33 53 N 35 30 E Bekaa Valley Lebanon 34 00 N 36 05 E Belau (Palau Islands) Palau 7 30 N 134 30 E Belep Islands (Iles Belep) New Caledonia 19 45 S 163 40 E Belfast (city) United Kingdom 54 36 N 5 55 W Belgian Congo (former name Democratic Republic 0 00 N 25 00 E for Democratic Republic of of the Congo the Congo) Belgie, Belgique (local name Belgium 50 50 N 4 00 E for Belgium) Belgrade (capital) Serbia 44 50 N 20 30 E Belize City Belize 17 30 N 88 12 W Belle Isle, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 51 35 N 56 30 W Bellingshausen Sea Southern Ocean 71 00 S 85 00 W Belmopan (capital) Belize 17 15 N 88 46 W Belorussia (former name for Belarus 53 00 N 28 00 E Belarus) Benadir (region; former name Somalia 4 00 N 46 00 E of Italian Somaliland) Bengal, Bay of Indian Ocean 15 00 N 90 00 E Berau, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 2 30 S 132 30 E Bering Island Russia 55 00 N 166 30 E Bering Sea Pacific Ocean 60 00 N 175 00 W Bering Strait Pacific Ocean 65 30 N 169 00 W Berkner Island Antarctica 79 30 S 49 30 W Berlin (capital) Germany 52 31 N 13 24 E Berlin, East (former name for Germany 52 30 N 13 33 E eastern sector of Berlin) Berlin, West (former name for Germany 52 30 N 13 20 E western sector of Berlin) Bern (capital) Switzerland 46 57 N 7 26 E Bessarabia (region) Moldova, Romania, 47 00 N 28 30 E Ukraine Bharat (local name for India) India 20 00 N 77 00 E Bhopal (city) India 23 16 N 77 24 E Biafra (region) Nigeria 5 30 N 7 30 E Big Diomede Island Russia 65 46 N 169 06 W Bijagos, Arquipelago dos Guinea-Bissau 11 25 N 16 20 W (island group) Bikini Atoll Marshall Islands 11 35 N 165 23 E Bilbao (city) Spain 43 15 N 2 58 W Bioko (island) Equatorial Guinea 3 30 N 8 42 E Biscay, Bay of Atlantic Ocean 44 00 N 4 00 W Bishkek (capital) Kyrgyzstan 42 54 N 74 36 E Bishop Rock United Kingdom 49 52 N 6 27 W Bismarck Archipelago (island Papua New Guinea 5 00 S 150 00 E group) Bismarck Sea Pacific Ocean 4 00 S 148 00 E Bissau (capital) Guinea-Bissau 11 51 N 15 35 W Bjornoya (Bear Island) Svalbard 74 26 N 19 05 E Black Forest (region) Germany 48 00 N 8 15 E Black Rock (island) South Georgia and 53 39 S 41 48 W the South Sandwich Islands Black Sea Atlantic Ocean 43 00 N 35 00 E Bloemfontein (judicial South Africa 29 12 S 26 07 E capital) Bo Hai (gulf) Pacific Ocean 38 00 N 120 00 E Boa Vista (island) Cape Verde 16 05 N 22 50 W Bogota (capital) Colombia 4 36 N 74 05 W Bohemia (region) Czech Republic 50 00 N 14 30 E Bombay (city; see Mumbai) India 18 58 N 72 50 E Bonaire (island) Netherlands Antilles 12 10 N 68 15 W Bonifacio, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 41 01 N 14 00 E Bonin Islands Japan 27 00 N 142 10 E Bonn (former capital) Germany 50 44 N 7 05 E Bophuthatswana (region; South Africa 26 30 S 25 30 E enclave) Bora-Bora (island) French Polynesia 16 30 S 151 45 W Bordeaux (city) France 44 50 N 0 34 W Borneo (island) Brunei, Indonesia, 0 30 N 114 00 E Malaysia Bornholm (island) Denmark 55 10 N 15 00 E Bosna i Hercegovina (local Bosnia and 44 00 N 18 00 E name for Bosnia and Herzegovina Herzegovina) Bosnia (political region) Bosnia and 44 00 N 18 00 E Herzegovina Bosporus (strait) Atlantic Ocean 41 00 N 29 00 E Bothnia, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 63 00 N 20 00 E Bougainville (island) Papua New Guinea 6 00 S 155 00 E Bougainville Strait Pacific Ocean 6 40 S 156 10 E Bounty Islands New Zealand 47 43 S 174 00 E Bourbon Island (former name Reunion 21 06 S 55 36 E of Reunion) Brasilia (capital) Brazil 15 47 S 47 55 W Bratislava (capital) Slovakia 48 09 N 17 07 E Brazzaville (capital) Republic of the 4 16 S 15 17 E Congo Bridgetown (capital) Barbados 13 06 N 59 37 W Brisbane (city) Australia 27 28 S 153 02 E Bristol Bay Pacific Ocean 57 00 N 160 00 W Bristol Channel Atlantic Ocean 51 18 N 3 30 W Britain (see Great Britain) United Kingdom 54 00 N 2 00 W British Bechuanaland (region; South Africa 27 30 S 23 30 E former name for northwest South Africa) British Central African Malawi 13 30 S 34 00 E Protectorate (former name of Nyasaland) British East Africa (former Kenya, Tanzania, 1 00 N 38 00 E name for British possessions Uganda in eastern Africa) British Guiana (former name Guyana 5 00 N 59 00 W for Guyana) British Honduras (former name Belize 17 15 N 88 45 W for Belize) British Solomon Islands Solomon Islands 8 00 S 159 00 E (former name for Solomon Islands) British Somaliland (former Somalia 10 00 N 49 00 E name for northern Somalia) Brussels (capital) Belgium 50 50 N 4 20 E Bubiyan (island) Kuwait 29 47 N 48 10 E Bucharest (capital) Romania 44 26 N 26 06 E Budapest (capital) Hungary 47 30 N 19 05 E Buenos Aires (capital) Argentina 34 36 S 58 27 W Bujumbura (capital) Burundi 3 23 S 29 22 E Bukovina (region) Romania, Ukraine 48 00 N 26 00 E Byelarus (local name for Belarus 53 00 N 28 00 E Belarus) Byelorussia (former name for Belarus 53 00 N 28 00 E Belarus) Cabinda (province) Angola 5 33 S 12 12 E Cabo Verde (local name for Cape Verde 16 00 N 24 00 W Cape Verde) Cabot Strait Atlantic Ocean 47 20 N 59 30 W Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos 21 56 N 71 58 W Islands Cairo (capital) Egypt 30 03 N 31 15 E Calcutta (city) India 22 32 N 88 21 E Calgary (city) Canada 51 02 N 114 04 W California, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 28 00 N 112 00 W Cameroun (local name for Cameroon 6 00 N 12 00 E Cameroon) Campbell Island New Zealand 52 33 S 169 09 E Campeche, Bay of Atlantic Ocean 20 00 N 94 00 W Canal Zone (former name for Panama 9 00 N 79 45 W US possessions in Panama) Canarias Sea Atlantic Ocean 28 00 N 16 00 W Canary Islands Spain 28 00 N 15 30 W Canberra (capital) Australia 35 17 S 149 08 E Cancun (city) Mexico 21 10 N 86 50 W Canton (city; now Guangzhou) China 23 06 N 113 16 E Canton Island (Kanton Island) Kiribati 2 49 S 171 40 W Cape Juby (region; former Morocco 27 53 N 12 58 W name for Southern Morocco) Cape Province (region; former South Africa 31 30 S 22 30 E name for Northern, Western, and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa) Cape Town (legislative South Africa 33 57 S 18 25 E capital) Cape of Good Hope (cape; also South Africa 34 15 S 18 20 E alternate name for Cape Province of South Africa) Caracas (capital) Venezuela 10 30 N 66 56 W Cargados Carajos Shoals Mauritius 16 25 S 59 38 E Caribbean Sea Atlantic Ocean 15 00 N 73 00 W Caroline Islands Federated States of 7 30 N 148 00 E Micronesia, Palau Carpatho-Ukraine (region; Ukraine 48 22 N 23 32 E former name for Zakarpats'ka oblast') Carpentaria, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 14 00 S 139 00 E Casablanca (city) Morocco 33 35 N 7 34 W Castries (capital) Saint Lucia 14 01 N 61 00 W Catalonia (region) Spain 42 00 N 2 00 E Cato Island Australia 23 15 S 155 32 E Caucasus (region) Russia 42 00 N 45 00 E Cayenne (capital) French Guiana 4 56 N 52 20 W Celebes (island) Indonesia 2 00 S 121 00 E Celebes Sea Pacific Ocean 3 00 N 122 00 E Celtic Sea Atlantic Ocean 51 00 N 6 30 W Central African Empire Central African 7 00 N 21 00 E (former name for Central Republic African Republic) Ceram (Seram) Sea Pacific Ocean 2 30 S 129 30 E Ceska Republika (local name Czech Republic 49 45 N 15 30 E for Czech Republic) Ceskoslovensko (former local Czech Republic, 49 00 N 17 30 E name for Czechoslovakia) Slovakia Cetinje (capital city) Montenegro 42 24 N 18 55 E Ceuta (city) Spain 35 53 N 5 19 W Ceylon (former name for Sri Sri Lanka 7 00 N 81 00 E Lanka) Chafarinas, Islas (island) Spain 35 12 N 2 26 W Chagos Archipelago (Oil British Indian Ocean 6 00 S 71 30 E Islands) Territory Challenger Deep (Mariana Pacific Ocean 11 22 N 142 36 E Trench) Channel Islands Guernsey, Jersey 49 20 N 2 20 W Charlotte Amalie (capital) Virgin Islands 18 21 N 64 56 W Chatham Islands New Zealand 44 00 S 176 30 W Chechnya (region; also Russia 43 15 N 45 40 E Chechnia) Cheju Strait Pacific Ocean 34 00 N 126 30 E Cheju-do (island) Korea, South 33 20 N 126 30 E Chengdu (city) China 30 43 N 104 04 E Chennai (city; also Madras) India 13 04 N 80 16 E Chesterfield Islands (Iles New Caledonia 19 52 S 158 15 E Chesterfield) Chihli, Gulf of (see Bo Hai) Pacific Ocean 38 30 N 120 00 E Chiloe (island) Chile 42 50 S 74 00 W China, People's Republic of China 35 00 N 105 00 E China, Republic of Taiwan 23 30 N 121 00 E Chisinau (capital; also Moldova 47 00 N 28 50 E Kishinev) Choiseul (island) Solomon Islands 7 05 S 121 00 E Choson (local name for North North Korea 40 00 N 127 00 E Korea) Christmas Island (Indian Australia 10 25 S 105 39 E Ocean) Christmas Island (Pacific Kiribati 1 52 N 157 20 W Ocean; also Kiritimati) Chukchi Sea Arctic Ocean 69 00 N 171 00 W Chuuk Islands (Truk Islands) Federated States of 7 25 N 151 47 W Micronesia Cilicia (region) Turkey 36 50 N 34 30 E Ciskei (enclave) South Africa 33 00 S 27 00 E Citta del Vaticano (local Holy See 41 54 N 12 27 E name for Vatican City) Cochin China (region) Vietnam 11 00 N 107 00 E Coco, Isla del (island) Costa Rica 5 32 N 87 04 W Cocos Islands Cocos (Keeling) 12 30 S 96 50 E Islands Colombo (capital) Sri Lanka 6 56 N 79 51 E Colon, Archipielago de Ecuador 0 00 N 90 30 W (Galapagos Islands) Commander Islands Russia 55 00 N 167 00 E (Komandorskiye Ostrova) Comores (local name for Comoros 12 10 S 44 15 E Comoros) Con Son (islands) Vietnam 8 43 N 106 36 E Conakry (capital) Guinea 9 31 N 13 43 W Confederatio Helvetica (local Switzerland 47 00 N 8 00 E name for Switzerland) Congo (Brazzaville) (former Republic of the 1 00 S 15 00 E name for Republic of the Congo Congo) Congo (Leopoldville) (former Democratic Republic 0 00 N 25 00 E name for the Democratic of the Congo Republic of the Congo) Constantinople (city; former Turkey 41 01 N 28 58 E name for Istanbul) Cook Strait Pacific Ocean 41 15 S 174 30 E Copenhagen (capital) Denmark 55 40 N 12 35 E Coral Sea Pacific Ocean 15 00 S 150 00 E Corfu (island) Greece 39 40 N 19 45 E Corinth (region) Greece 37 56 N 22 56 E Corisco (island) Equatorial Guinea 0 55 N 9 19 E Corn Islands (Islas del Maiz) Nicaragua 12 15 N 83 00 W Corocoro Island Guyana, Venezuela 3 38 N 66 50 W Corsica (island; also Corse) France 42 00 N 9 00 E Cosmoledo Group (island Seychelles 9 43 S 47 35 E group; also Atoll de Cosmoledo) Cotonou (former capital) Benin 6 21 N 2 26 E Cotopaxi (volcano) Ecuador 0 39 S 78 26 W Courantyne River Guyana, Suriname 5 57 N 57 06 W Cozumel (island) Mexico 20 30 N 86 55 W Crete (island) Greece 35 15 N 24 45 E Crimea (region) Ukraine 45 00 N 34 00 E Crimean Peninsula Ukraine 45 00 N 34 00 E Crooked Island Passage Atlantic Ocean 22 55 N 74 35 W Crozet Islands (Iles Crozet) French Southern and 46 30 S 51 00 E Antarctic Lands Cyclades (island group) Greece 37 00 N 25 10 E Cyrenaica (region) Libya 31 00 N 22 00 E Czechoslovakia (former name Czech Republic, 49 00 N 18 00 E for the entity that Slovakia subsequently split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) D'Entrecasteaux Islands Papua New Guinea 9 30 S 150 40 E Dagestan (region) Russia 43 00 N 47 00 E Dahomey (former name for Benin 9 30 N 2 15 E Benin) Daito Islands Japan 43 00 N 17 00 E Dakar (capital) Senegal 14 40 N 17 26 W Dalmatia (region) Croatia 43 00 N 17 00 E Daman (city; also Damao) India 20 10 N 73 00 E Damascus (capital) Syria 33 30 N 36 18 E Danger Islands (see Pukapuka Cook Islands 10 53 S 165 49 W Atoll) Danish Straits Atlantic Ocean 58 00 N 11 00 E Danish West Indies (former Virgin Islands 18 20 N 64 50 W name for the Virgin Islands) Danmark (local name) Denmark 56 00 N 10 00 E Danzig (city; former name for Poland 54 23 N 18 40 E Gdansk) Dao Bach Long Vi (island) Vietnam 20 08 N 107 44 E Dar es Salaam (capital) Tanzania 6 48 S 39 17 E Dardanelles (strait) Atlantic Ocean 40 15 N 26 25 E Davis Strait Atlantic Ocean 67 00 N 57 00 W Dead Sea Israel, Jordan, West 32 30 N 35 30 E Bank Deception Island Antarctica 62 56 S 60 34 W Denmark Strait Atlantic Ocean 67 00 N 24 00 W Desolation Islands (Isles French Southern and 49 30 S 69 30 E Kerguelen) Antarctic Lands Deutschland (local name for Germany 51 00 N 9 00 E Germany) Devils Island (Ile du Diable) French Guiana 5 17 N 52 35 W Devon Island Canada 76 00 N 87 00 W Dhaka (capital) Bangladesh 23 43 N 90 25 E Dhivehi Raajje (local name Maldives 3 15 N 73 00 E for Maldives) Dhofar (region) Oman 17 00 N 54 10 E Diego Garcia (island) British Indian Ocean 7 20 S 72 25 E Territory Diego Ramirez (islands) Chile 56 30 S 68 43 W Dili (capital) East Timor 8 35 S 125 36 E Dilmun (former name for Bahrain 7 00 N 81 00 E Bahrain) Diomede Islands Russia (Big 65 47 N 169 00 W Diomede), United States (Little Diomede) Diu (region) India 20 42 N 70 59 E Djibouti (capital) Djibouti 11 30 N 43 15 E Dnieper (river) Belarus, Russia, 46 30 N 32 18 E Ukraine (Dnyapro, Dnepr, Dnipro) Dniester (river) Moldova, Ukraine 46 18 N 30 17 E (Nistru, Dnister) Dobruja (region) Bulgaria, Romania 43 30 N 28 00 E Dodecanese (island group) Greece 36 00 N 27 05 E Dodoma (city) Tanzania 6 11 S 35 45 E Doha (capital) Qatar 25 17 N 51 32 E Donets Basin Russia, Ukraine 48 15 N 38 30 E Douala (city) Cameroon 4 03 N 9 42 E Douglas (capital) Man, Isle of 54 09 N 4 28 W Dover, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 51 00 N 1 30 E Drake Passage Atlantic Ocean, 60 00 S 60 00 W Southern Ocean Druk Yul (local name for Bhutan 27 30 N 90 30 E Bhutan) Dubai, Dubayy (city) United Arab Emirates 25 18 N 55 18 E Dublin (capital) Ireland 53 20 N 6 15 W Duesseldorf (city) Germany 51 13 N 6 47 E Durban (city) South Africa 29 51 S 31 02 E Dushanbe (capital) Tajikistan 38 35 N 68 48 E Dutch Antilles (former name Netherlands Antilles 12 10 N 68 30 W for the Netherlands Antilles) Dutch East Indies (former Indonesia 5 00 S 120 00 E name for Indonesia) Dutch Guiana (former name for Suriname 4 00 N 56 00 W Suriname) Dutch West Indies (former Netherlands Antilles 12 10 N 68 30 W name for the Netherlands Antilles) Dzungarian Gate (valley) China, Kazakhstan 45 25 N 82 25 E East China Sea Pacific Ocean 30 00 N 126 00 E East Frisian Islands Germany 53 44 N 7 25 E East Germany (German Germany 52 00 N 13 00 E Democratic Republic; former name for eastern portion of Germany) East Korea Strait (Eastern Pacific Ocean 34 00 N 129 00 E Channel or Tsushima Strait) East Pakistan (former name Bangladesh 24 00 N 90 00 E for Bangladesh) East Siberian Sea Arctic Ocean 74 00 N 166 00 E Easter Island (Isla de Chile 27 07 S 109 22 W Pascua) Eastern Channel (East Korea Pacific Ocean 34 00 N 129 00 E Strait or Tsushima Strait) Eastern Samoa (former name American Samoa 14 20 S 170 00 W for American Samoa) Edinburgh (city) United Kingdom 55 57 N 3 11 W Eesti (local name for Estonia 59 00 N 26 00 E Estonia) Eire (local name for Ireland) Ireland 53 00 N 8 00 W Elba (island) Italy 42 46 N 10 17 E Elemi Triangle (region) Ethiopia (claimed), 5 00 N 35 30 E Kenya (de facto), Sudan (claimed) Ellada, Ellas (local name for Greece 39 00 N 22 00 E Greece) Ellef Ringnes Island Canada 78 00 N 103 00 W Ellesmere Island Canada 81 00 N 80 00 W Ellice Islands Tuvalu 8 00 S 178 00 E Ellsworth Land (region) Antarctica 75 00 S 92 00 W Elobey, Islas de (island Equatorial Guinea 0 59 N 9 33 E group) Enderbury Island Kiribati 3 08 S 171 05 W Enewetak Atoll (Eniwetok Marshall Islands 11 30 N 162 15 E Atoll) England (region) United Kingdom 52 30 N 1 30 W English Channel Atlantic Ocean 50 20 N 1 00 W Eniwetok Atoll (see Enewetak Marshall Islands 11 30 N 162 15 E Atoll) Eolie, Isole (island group) Italy 38 30 N 15 00 E Epirus, Northern (region) Albania, Greece 40 00 N 20 30 E Episkopi Cantonment (capital) Akrotiri, Dhekelia 34 40 N 32 51 E Ertra (local name for Eritrea 15 00 N 39 00 E Eritrea) Espana Spain 40 00 N 4 00 W Essequibo (region; claimed by Guyana 6 59 N 58 23 W Venezuela) Etorofu (island; also Iturup) Russia (de facto) 44 55 N 147 40 E Farquhar Group (island group; Seychelles 10 10 S 51 10 E also Atoll de Farquhar) Fergana Valley Kyrgyzstan, 41 00 N 72 00 E Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Fernando Po (island; see Equatorial Guinea 3 30 N 8 42 E Bioko) Fernando de Noronha (island Brazil 3 51 S 32 25 W group) Filipinas (local name for the Philippines 13 00 N 122 00 E Philippines; also Pilipinas) Finland, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 60 00 N 27 00 E Florence (city) Italy 43 46 N 11 16 E Flores (island) Indonesia 8 45 S 121 00 E Flores Sea Pacific Ocean 7 40 S 119 45 E Florida, Straits of Atlantic Ocean 25 00 N 79 45 W Fongafale (largest island of Tuvalu 8 30 S 179 12 E Funafuti) Former Soviet Union (FSU) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan Formosa (island) Taiwan 23 30 N 121 00 E Formosa Strait (see Taiwan Pacific Ocean 24 00 N 119 00 E Strait) Foroyar (local name for Faroe Faroe Islands 62 00 N 7 00 W Islands) Fort-de-France (capital) Martinique 14 36 N 61 05 W Frankfurt am Main (city) Germany 50 07 N 8 41 E Franz Josef Land (island Russia 81 00 N 55 00 E group) Freetown (capital) Sierra Leone 8 30 N 13 15 W French Cameroon (former name Cameroon 6 00 N 12 00 E for Cameroon) French Guinea (former name Guinea 11 00 N 10 00 W for Guinea) French Indochina (former name Cambodia, Laos, 15 00 N 107 00 E for French possessions in Vietnam southeast Asia) French Morocco (former name Morocco 32 00 N 5 00 W for Morocco) French Somaliland (former Djibouti 11 30 N 43 00 E name for Djibouti) French Sudan (former name for Mali 17 00 N 4 00 W Mali) French Territory of the Afars Djibouti 11 30 N 43 00 E and Issas (or FTAI; former name for Djibouti) French Togoland (former name Togo 8 00 N 1 10 E for Togo) French West Indies (former Guadeloupe, 16 30 N 62 00 W name for French possessions Martinique in the West Indies) Friendly Islands Tonga 20 00 S 175 00 W Frisian Islands Denmark, Germany, 53 35 N 6 40 E Netherlands Frunze (city; former name for Kyrgyzstan 42 54 N 74 36 E Bishkek) Funafuti (capital, atoll) Tuvalu 8 30 S 179 12 E Fundy, Bay of Atlantic Ocean 45 00 N 66 00 W Futuna Islands (Hoorn Wallis and Futuna 14 19 S 178 05 W Islands/Iles de Horne) Fyn (island) Denmark 55 20 N 10 25 E Gaborone (capital) Botswana 24 45 S 25 55 E Galapagos Islands Ecuador 0 00 N 90 30 W (Archipielago de Colon) Galicia (region) Poland, Ukraine 49 30 N 23 00 E Galicia (region) Spain 42 45 N 8 10 E Galilee (region) Israel 32 54 N 35 20 E Galleons Passage Atlantic Ocean 11 00 N 60 55 W Gambier Islands (Iles French Polynesia 23 09 S 134 58 W Gambier) Gaspar Strait Pacific Ocean 3 00 S 107 00 E Gdansk (city; formerly Poland 54 23 N 18 40 E Danzig) Geneva (city) Switzerland 46 12 N 6 10 E Genoa (city) Italy 44 25 N 8 57 E George Town (capital) Cayman Islands 19 20 N 81 23 W George Town (city) Malaysia 5 26 N 100 16 E George Town (city) The Bahamas 23 30 N 75 46 W Georgetown (capital) Guyana 6 48 N 58 10 W Georgetown (city) The Gambia 13 30 N 14 47 W German Democratic Republic Germany 52 00 N 13 00 E (East Germany; former name for eastern portion of Germany) German Southwest Africa Namibia 22 00 S 17 00 E (former name for Namibia) Germany, Federal Republic of Germany 51 00 N 9 00 E Gibraltar (city, peninsula) Gibraltar 36 11 N 5 22 W Gibraltar, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 35 57 N 5 36 W Gidi Pass Egypt 30 13 N 33 09 E Gilbert Islands Kiribati 1 25 N 173 00 E Goa (state) India 15 20 N 74 00 E Gobi (desert) China, Mongolia 42 30 N 107 00 E Godthab (capital; also Nuuk) Greenland 64 11 N 51 44 W Golan Heights (region) Syria 33 00 N 35 45 E Gold Coast (former name for Ghana 8 00 N 2 00 W Ghana) Golfo San Jorge (gulf) Atlantic Ocean 46 00 S 66 00 W Golfo San Matias (gulf) Atlantic Ocean 41 30 S 64 00 W Good Hope, Cape of South Africa 34 24 S 18 30 E Goteborg (city) Sweden 57 43 N 11 58 E Gotland (island) Sweden 57 30 N 18 33 E Gough Island Saint Helena 40 20 S 9 55 W Graham Land (region) Antarctica 65 00 S 64 00 W Gran Chaco (region) Argentina, Paraguay 24 00 S 60 00 W Grand Bahama (island) The Bahamas 26 40 N 78 35 W Grand Banks (fishing ground) Atlantic Ocean 47 06 N 55 48 W Grand Cayman (island) Cayman Islands 19 20 N 81 20 W Grand Turk (capital; also Turks and Caicos 21 28 N 71 08 W Cockburn Town) Islands Great Australian Bight Indian Ocean 35 00 S 130 00 E Great Belt (strait; also Atlantic Ocean 55 30 N 11 00 E Store Baelt) Great Bitter Lake Egypt 30 20 N 32 23 E Great Britain (island) United Kingdom 54 00 N 2 00 W Great Channel Indian Ocean 6 25 N 94 20 E Great Inagua (island) The Bahamas 21 00 N 73 20 W Great Rift Valley Ethiopia, Kenya 0 30 N 36 00 E Greater Sunda Islands Brunei, Indonesia, 2 00 S 110 00 E Malaysia Green Islands Papua New Guinea 4 30 S 154 10 E Greenland Sea Arctic Ocean 79 00 N 5 00 W Grenadines, Northern (island Saint Vincent and 13 15 N 61 12 W group) the Grenadines Grenadines, Southern (island Grenada 12 07 N 61 40 W group) Grytviken (town; on South South Georgia and 54 15 S 36 45 W Georgia) the South Sandwich Islands Guadalahara (city) Mexico 20 40 N 103 24 W Guadalcanal (island) Solomon Islands 9 32 S 160 12 E Guadalupe, Isla de (island) Mexico 29 11 N 118 17 W Guangzhou (city; also Canton) China 23 09 N 113 21 E Guantanamo Bay (US Naval Cuba 20 00 N 75 08 W Base) Guatemala (capital) Guatemala 14 38 N 90 31 W Guine-Bissau (local name for Guinea-Bissau 12 00 N 15 00 W Guinea-Bissau) Guinea Ecuatorial (local name Equatorial Guinea 2 00 N 10 00 E for Equatorial Guinea) Guinea, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 3 00 N 2 30 E Guinee (local name for Guinea 11 00 N 10 00 W Guinea) Guyane Francaise (local name French Guiana 4 00 N 53 00 W for French Guiana) Ha'apai Group (island group) Tonga 19 42 S 174 29 W Habomai Islands Russia (de facto) 43 30 N 146 10 E Hadhramaut (region) Yemen 15 00 N 50 00 E Hagatna (capital; formerly Guam 13 28 N 144 45 E Agana) Hague, The (seat of Netherlands 52 05 N 4 18 E government) Haifa (city) Israel 32 50 N 35 00 E Hainan Dao (island) China 19 00 N 109 30 E Haiphong (city) Vietnam 20 52 N 106 41 E Hala'ib Triangle (region) Egypt (claimed), 22 30 N 35 00 E Sudan (de facto) Halifax (city) Canada 44 39 N 63 36 W Halmahera (island) Indonesia 1 00 N 128 00 E Halmahera Sea Pacific Ocean 0 30 S 129 00 E Hamburg (city) Germany 53 34 N 9 59 E Hamilton (capital) Bermuda 32 17 N 64 46 W Han-guk (local name for South South Korea 37 00 N 127 30 E Korea Hanoi (capital) Vietnam 21 02 N 105 51 E Harare (capital) Zimbabwe 17 50 S 31 03 E Harvey Islands (former name Cook Islands 21 14 S 159 46 W for Cook Islands) Hatay (province) Turkey 36 30 N 36 15 E Havana (capital) Cuba 23 08 N 82 22 W Hawaii (island) United States 19 45 N 155 45 W Hawaiian Islands United States 21 00 N 157 45 W Hawar (island) Bahrain 25 40 N 50 47 E Hayastan (local name for Armenia 40 00 N 45 00 E Armenia) Heard Island Heard Island and 53 06 S 73 30 E McDonald Islands Hejaz (region) Saudi Arabia 24 30 N 38 30 E Helsinki (capital) Finland 60 10 N 24 58 E Herzegovina (political Bosnia and 44 00 N 18 00 E region) Herzegovina Hiiumaa (island) Estonia 58 50 N 22 30 E Hispaniola (island) Dominican Republic, 18 45 N 71 00 W Haiti Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Vietnam 10 45 N 106 40 E Saigon) Hokkaido (island) Japan 44 00 N 143 00 E Holland (region) Netherlands 52 30 N 5 45 E Hong Kong (special Hong Kong 22 15 N 114 10 E administrative region) Honiara (capital) Solomon Islands 9 26 S 159 57 E Honshu (island) Japan 36 00 N 138 00 E Hormuz, Strait of Indian Ocean 26 34 N 56 15 E Horn of Africa (region) Djibouti, Eritrea, 8 00 N 48 00 E Ethiopia, Somalia Horn, Cape (Cabo de Hornos) Chile 55 59 S 67 16 W Horne, Iles de (island group) Wallis and Futuna 14 19 S 178 05 W Hrvatska (local name for Croatia 45 10 N 15 30 E Croatia) Hudson Bay Arctic Ocean 60 00 N 86 00 W Hudson Strait Arctic Ocean 62 00 N 71 00 W Hunter Island New Caledonia, 22 24 S 172 06 E Vanuatu Iberian Peninsula Portugal, Spain 40 00 N 5 00 W Iceland Sea Arctic Ocean 68 00 N 20 00 W Ifni (region; former name of Morocco 29 22 N 10 09 W part of Spanish West Africa) Inaccessible Island Saint Helena 37 17 S 12 40 W Indochina (region) Cambodia, Laos, 15 00 N 107 00 E Vietnam Ingushetia (region) Russia 43 15 N 45 00 E Inhambane (region) Mozambique 22 30 S 34 30 E Inini (former name for French French Guiana 4 00 N 53 00 W Guiana) Inland Sea Japan 34 20 N 133 30 E Inner Hebrides (islands) United Kingdom 56 30 N 6 20 W Inner Mongolia (region; also China 42 00 N 113 00 E Nei Mongol) Ionian Islands Greece 38 30 N 20 30 E Ionian Sea Atlantic Ocean 38 30 N 18 00 E Irian Jaya (province) Indonesia 5 00 S 138 00 E Irish Sea Atlantic Ocean 53 30 N 5 20 W Iron Gate (river gorge) Romania, Serbia and 44 41 N 22 31 E Montenegro Iskenderun (region; formerly Turkey 36 34 N 36 08 E Alexandretta) Islamabad (capital) Pakistan 33 42 N 73 10 E Island (local name for Iceland 65 00 N 18 00 W Iceland) Islas Malvinas (island group) Falkland Islands 51 45 S 59 00 W (Islas Malvinas) Istanbul (city) Turkey 41 01 N 28 58 E Istrian Peninsula Croatia, Slovenia 45 00 N 14 00 E Italia (local name for Italy) Italy 42 50 N 12 50 E Italian East Africa (former Eritrea, Ethiopia, 8 00 N 38 00 E name for Italian possessions Somalia in eastern Africa) Italian Somaliland (former Somalia 10 00 N 49 00 E name for southern Somalia) Ittihad al-Imarat al-Arabiyah United Arab Emirates 24 00 N 54 00 E (local name for the United Arab Emirates) Iturup (island; see Etorofu) Russia (de facto) 44 55 N 147 40 E Ityop'iya (local name for Ethiopia 8 00 N 38 00 E Ethiopia) Ivory Coast (former name for Cote d'Ivoire 8 00 N 5 00 W Cote d'Ivoire) Iwo Jima (island) Japan 24 47 N 141 20 E Izmir (region) Turkey 38 25 N 27 10 E Jakarta (capital) Indonesia 6 10 S 106 48 E James Bay Arctic Ocean 54 00 N 80 00 W Jamestown (capital) Saint Helena 15 56 S 5 44 W Jammu (city) India 32 42 N 74 52 E Jammu and Kashmir (region) India, Pakistan 34 00 N 76 00 E Japan, Sea of Pacific Ocean 40 00 N 135 00 E Jars, Plain of Laos 19 27 N 103 10 E Java (island) Indonesia 7 30 S 110 00 E Java Sea Pacific Ocean 5 00 S 110 00 E Jerusalem (capital, Israel, West Bank 31 47 N 35 14 E proclaimed) Jiddah, Jeddah (city) Saudi Arabia 21 30 N 39 12 E Johannesburg (city) South Africa 26 15 S 28 00 E Joseph Bonaparte Gulf Pacific Ocean 14 00 S 128 45 E Juan Fernandez, Islas de Chile 33 00 S 80 00 W (island group) Juan de Fuca, Strait of Pacific Ocean 48 18 N 124 00 W Jubal, Strait of Indian Ocean 27 40 N 33 55 E Judaea (region) Israel, West Bank 31 35 N 35 00 E Jugoslavia, Jugoslavija Bosnia and 43 00 N 21 00 E (local names for Yugoslavia, Herzegovina, a former Balkan federation) Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia Jutland (region) Denmark 56 00 N 9 15 E Juventud, Isla de la (Isle of Cuba 21 40 N 82 50 W Youth) Kabardino-Balkaria (region) Russia 43 30 N 43 30 E Kabul (capital) Afghanistan 34 31 N 69 12 E Kaduna (city) Nigeria 10 33 N 7 27 E Kailas Range China, India 30 00 N 82 00 E Kalaallit Nunaat (local name Greenland 72 00 N 40 00 W for Greenland) Kalahari (desert) Botswana, Namibia 24 30 S 21 00 E Kalimantan (region) Indonesia 0 00 N 115 00 E Kaliningrad (region; formerly Russia 54 30 N 21 00 E part of East Prussia) Kamaran (island) Yemen 15 21 N 42 34 E Kamchatka Peninsula Russia 56 00 N 160 00 E (Poluostrov Kamchatka) Kampala (capital) Uganda 0 19 N 32 25 E Kampuchea (former name for Cambodia 13 00 N 105 00 E Cambodia) Kane Basin (portion of Arctic Ocean 79 30 N 68 00 W channel) Kanton Island Kiribati 2 49 S 171 40 W Kara Sea Arctic Ocean 76 00 N 80 00 E Karachevo-Cherkessia (region) Russia 43 40 N 41 50 E Karachi (city) Pakistan 24 51 N 67 03 E Karafuto (island; former name Russia 50 00 N 143 00 E for southern Sakhalin Island) Karakoram Pass China, India 35 30 N 77 50 E Karelia, Kareliya (region) Finland, Russia 63 15 N 30 48 E Karelian Isthmus Russia 60 25 N 30 00 E Karimata Strait Pacific Ocean 2 05 S 108 40 E Kashmir (region) India, Pakistan 34 00 N 76 00 E Katanga (region) Democratic Republic 10 00 S 26 00 E of the Congo Kathmandu (capital) Nepal 27 43 N 85 19 E Kattegat (strait) Atlantic Ocean 57 00 N 11 00 E Kauai Channel Pacific Ocean 21 45 N 158 50 W Kazakstan (former name for Kazakhstan 48 00 N 68 00 E Kazakhstan) Keeling Islands Cocos (Keeling) 12 30 S 96 50 E Islands Kerguelen, Iles (island French Southern and 49 30 S 69 30 E group) Antarctic Lands Kermadec Islands New Zealand 29 50 S 178 15 W Kerulen River China, Mongolia 48 48 N 117 00 E Khabarovsk (city) Russia 48 27 N 135 06 E Khanka, Lake China, Russia 45 00 N 132 24 E Khartoum (capital) Sudan 15 36 N 32 32 E Khios (island) Greece 38 22 N 26 04 E Khmer Republic (former name Cambodia 13 00 N 105 00 E for Cambodia) Khuriya Muriya Islands (Kuria Oman 17 30 N 56 00 E Muria Islands) Khyber Pass Afghanistan, 34 05 N 71 10 E Pakistan Kibris (Turkish local name Cyprus 35 00 N 33 00 E for Cyprus) Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee Atlantic Ocean 53 53 N 9 08 E Kanal) Kiev (capital) Ukraine 50 26 N 30 31 E Kigali (capital) Rwanda 1 57 S 30 04 E Kingston (capital) Jamaica 18 00 N 76 48 W Kingston (capital) Norfolk Island 29 03 S 167 58 E Kingstown (capital) Saint Vincent and 13 09 N 61 14 W the Grenadines Kinshasa (capital) Democratic Republic 4 18 S 15 18 E of the Congo Kipros (Greek local name for Cyprus 35 00 N 33 00 E Cyprus) Kirghiziya, Kirgizia (former Kyrgyzstan 41 00 N 75 00 E name for Kyrgyzstan) Kirguizstan (local name for Kyrgyzstan 41 00 N 75 00 E Kyrgyzstan) Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Kiribati 1 52 N 157 20 W Kishinev (see Chisinau) Moldova 47 00 N 28 50 E Kithira Strait Atlantic Ocean 36 00 N 23 00 E Kobe (city) Japan 34 41 N 135 10 E Kodiak Island United States 57 49 N 152 23 W Kola Peninsula (Kol'skiy Russia 67 20 N 37 00 E Poluostrov) Kolonia (town; former Federated States of 6 58 N 158 13 E capital; changed to Palikir) Micronesia Korea Bay Pacific Ocean 39 00 N 124 00 E Korea Strait Pacific Ocean 34 00 N 129 00 E Korea, Democratic People's North Korea 40 00 N 127 00 E Republic of Korea, Republic of South Korea 37 00 N 127 30 E Koror (capital) Palau 7 20 N 134 29 E Kosovo (region) Serbia 42 30 N 21 00 E Kosrae (island) Federated States of 5 20 N 163 00 E Micronesia Kowloon (city) Hong Kong 22 18 N 114 10 E Kra, Isthmus of Burma, Thailand 10 20 N 99 00 E Krakatoa (volcano) Indonesia 6 07 S 105 24 E Krakow (city) Poland 50 03 N 19 56 E Kuala Lumpur (capital) Malaysia 3 10 N 101 42 E Kunashiri (island; also Russia (de facto) 44 20 N 146 00 E Kunashir) Kunlun Mountains China 36 00 N 84 00 E Kuril Islands Russia (de facto) 46 10 N 152 00 E Kuwait (capital) Kuwait 29 20 N 47 59 E Kuznetsk Basin Russia 54 00 N 86 00 E Kwajalein Atoll Marshall Islands 9 05 N 167 20 E Kyiv, Kyyiv (see Kiev) Ukraine 50 26 N 30 31 E Kyushu (island) Japan 33 00 N 131 00 E La Paz (administrative Bolivia 16 30 S 68 09 W capital) La Perouse Strait Pacific Ocean 45 45 N 142 00 E Labrador (peninsula, region) Canada 54 00 N 62 00 W Labrador Sea Atlantic Ocean 60 00 N 55 00 W Laccadive Islands India 10 00 N 73 00 E Laccadive Sea Indian Ocean 7 00 N 76 00 E Lagos (former capital) Nigeria 6 27 N 3 24 E Lahore (city) Pakistan 31 33 N 74 23 E Lake Erie Atlantic Ocean 42 30 N 81 00 W Lake Huron Atlantic Ocean 45 00 N 83 00 W Lake Michigan Atlantic Ocean 43 30 N 87 30 W Lake Ontario Atlantic Ocean 43 30 N 78 00 W Lake Superior Atlantic Ocean 48 00 N 88 00 W Lakshadweep (Laccadive India 10 00 N 73 00 E Islands) Lantau Island Hong Kong 22 15 N 113 55 E Lao (local name for Laos) Laos 18 00 N 105 00 E Laptev Sea Arctic Ocean 76 00 N 126 00 E Las Palmas (city) Spain (Canary 28 06 N 15 24 W Islands) Latakia (region) Syria 36 00 N 35 50 E Latvija (local name for Latvia 57 00 N 25 00 E Latvia) Lau Group (island group) Fiji 18 20 S 178 30 E Lefkosa (see Nicosia) Cyprus 35 10 N 33 22 E Leipzig (city) Germany 51 21 N 12 23 E Lemnos (island) Greece 39 54 N 25 21 E Leningrad (city; former name Russia 59 55 N 30 15 E for Saint Petersburg) Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesia 9 00 S 120 00 E Lesvos (island) Greece 39 15 N 26 15 E Leyte (island) Philippines 10 50 N 124 50 E Liancourt Rocks (claimed by South Korea 37 15 N 131 50 E Japan) Liaodong Wan (gulf) Pacific Ocean 40 30 N 121 20 E Liban (local name for Lebanon 33 50 N 36 50 E Lebanon) Libreville (capital) Gabon 0 23 N 9 27 E Lietuva (local name for Lithuania 56 00 N 24 00 E Lithuania) Ligurian Sea Atlantic Ocean 43 30 N 9 00 E Lilongwe (capital) Malawi 13 59 S 33 44 E Lima (capital) Peru 12 03 S 77 03 W Lincoln Sea Arctic Ocean 83 00 N 56 00 W Line Islands Jarvis Island, 0 05 N 157 00 W Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Palmyra Atoll Lion, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 43 20 N 4 00 E Lisbon (capital) Portugal 38 43 N 9 08 W Little Belt (strait; also Atlantic Ocean 55 05 N 9 55 E Lille Baelt) Ljubljana (capital) Slovenia 46 03 N 14 31 E Llanos (region) Venezuela 8 00 N 68 00 W Lobamba (city) Swaziland 26 27 S 31 12 E Lombok (island) Indonesia 8 28 S 116 40 E Lombok Strait Indian Ocean 8 30 S 115 50 E Lome (capital) Togo 6 08 N 1 13 E London (capital) United Kingdom 51 30 N 0 10 W Longyearbyen (capital) Svalbard 78 13 N 15 33 E Lord Howe Island Australia 31 30 S 159 00 E Lorraine (region) France 48 42 N 6 11 E Louisiade Archipelago Papua New Guinea 11 00 S 153 00 E Lourenco Marques (city; Mozambique 25 56 S 32 34 E former name for Maputo) Loyalty Islands (Iles New Caledonia 21 00 S 167 00 E Loyaute) Luanda (capital) Angola 8 48 S 13 14 E Lubnan (local name for Lebanon 33 50 N 36 50 E Lebanon) Lubumbashi (city) Democratic Republic 11 40 S 27 28 E of the Congo Lusaka (capital) Zambia 15 25 S 28 17 E Luxembourg (capital) Luxembourg 49 45 N 6 10 E Luzon (island) Philippines 16 00 N 121 00 E Luzon Strait Pacific Ocean 20 30 N 121 00 E Lyakhov Islands Russia 73 45 N 138 00 E Macao Macau 22 10 N 113 33 E Macau (special administrative China 22 10 N 113 33 E region) Macquarie Island Australia 54 36 S 158 54 E Madagasikara (local name for Madagascar 20 00 S 47 00 E Madagascar) Maddalena, Isola Italy 41 13 N 09 24 E Madeira Islands Portugal 32 40 N 16 45 W Madras (city; see Chennai) India 13 04 N 80 16 E Madrid (capital) Spain 40 24 N 3 41 W Magellan, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 54 00 S 71 00 W Maghreb (region) Algeria, Libya, 34 00 N 3 00 E Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia Magreb (local name for Morocco 32 00 N 5 00 W Morocco) Magyarorszag (local name for Hungary 47 00 N 20 00 E Hungary) Mahe Island Seychelles 4 41 S 55 30 E Maiz, Islas del (Corn Nicaragua 12 15 N 83 00 W Islands) Majorca Island (Isla de Spain 39 30 N 3 00 E Mallorca) Majuro (capital) Marshall Islands 7 05 N 171 08 E Makassar Strait Pacific Ocean 2 00 S 117 30 E Makedonija (local name for Macedonia 41 50 N 22 00 E Macedonia) Malabo (capital) Equatorial Guinea 3 45 N 8 47 E Malacca, Strait of Indian Ocean 2 30 N 101 20 E Malagasy Republic Madagascar 20 00 S 47 00 E Malay Archipelago Brunei, Indonesia, 2 30 N 120 00 E Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Malay Peninsula Malaysia, Thailand 7 10 N 100 35 E Male (capital) Maldives 4 10 N 73 31 E Mallorca, Isla de (island; Spain 39 30 N 3 00 E also Majorca) Malmady (region) Belgium 50 26 N 6 02 E Malpelo, Isla de (island) Colombia 4 00 N 90 30 W Malta Channel Atlantic Ocean 56 44 N 26 53 E Malvinas, Islas (island Falkland Islands 51 45 S 59 00 W group) (Islas Malvinas) Mamoutzou (capital) Mayotte 12 47 S 45 14 E Managua (capital) Nicaragua 12 09 N 86 17 W Manama (capital) Bahrain 26 13 N 50 35 E Manchukuo (former state) China 44 00 N 124 00 E Manchuria (region) China 44 00 N 124 00 E Manila (capital) Philippines 14 35 N 121 00 E Manipa Strait Pacific Ocean 3 20 S 127 23 E Mannar, Gulf of Indian Ocean 8 30 N 79 00 E Manua Islands American Samoa 14 13 S 169 35 W Maputo (capital) Mozambique 25 58 S 32 35 E Marcus Island (Minami-tori- Japan 24 16 N 154 00 E shima) Margarita, Isla (island) Venezuela 10 00 N 64 00 W Mariana Islands Guam, Northern 16 00 N 145 30 E Mariana Islands Marie Byrd Land (region) Antarctica 77 00 S 130 00 W Marion Island South Africa 46 51 S 37 52 E Marmara, Sea of Atlantic Ocean 40 40 N 28 15 E Marquesas Islands (Iles French Polynesia 9 00 S 139 30 W Marquises) Marseille (city) France 43 18 N 5 23 E Martin Vaz, Ilhas (island Brazil 20 30 S 28 51 W group) Mas a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Chile 33 38 S 78 52 W Island) Mascarene Islands Mauritius, Reunion 21 00 S 57 00 E Maseru (capital) Lesotho 29 28 S 27 30 E Mata-Utu (capital) Wallis and Futuna 13 57 S 171 56 W Matsu (island) Taiwan 26 13 N 119 56 E Matthew Island New Caledonia, 22 20 S 171 20 E Vanuatu Mauritanie (local name for Mauritania 20 00 N 12 00 W Mauritania) Mazatlan (city) Mexico 23 13 N 106 25 W Mbabane (capital) Swaziland 26 18 S 31 06 E McDonald Islands Heard Island and 53 06 S 73 30 E McDonald Islands Mecca (city) Saudi Arabia 21 27 N 39 49 E Mediterranean Sea Atlantic Ocean 36 00 N 15 00 E Melbourne (city) Australia 37 49 S 144 58 E Melilla (exclave) Spain 35 19 N 2 58 W Memel (region) Lithuania 55 43 N 21 30 E Mesopotamia (region) Iraq 33 00 N 44 00 E Messina, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 38 15 N 15 35 E Mexico City (capital) Mexico 19 24 N 99 09 W Mexico, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 25 00 N 90 00 W Middle Congo (former name for Republic of the 1 00 S 15 00 E Republic of the Congo) Congo Milan (city) Italy 45 28 N 9 11 E Milwaukee Deep (Puerto Rico Atlantic Ocean 19 55 N 65 27 W Trench) Minami-tori-shima (Marcus Japan 24 16 N 154 00 E Island) Mindanao (island) Philippines 8 00 N 125 00 E Mindanao Sea Pacific Ocean 9 15 N 124 30 E Mindoro (island) Philippines 12 50 N 121 05 E Mindoro Strait Pacific Ocean 12 20 N 120 40 E Mingrelia (region) Georgia 42 30 N 41 52 E Minicoy Island India 8 17 N 73 02 E Minorca Island (Isla de Spain 40 00 N 4 00 E Menorca) Minsk (capital) Belarus 53 54 N 27 34 E Misr (local name for Egypt) Egypt 27 00 N 30 00 E Mitla Pass Egypt 30 02 N 32 54 E Mocambique (local name for Mozambique 18 15 S 35 00 E Mozambique) Mogadishu (capital) Somalia 2 04 N 45 22 E Moldavia (region) Moldova, Romania 47 00 N 29 00 E Molucca Sea Pacific Ocean 2 00 N 127 00 E Moluccas (Spice Islands) Indonesia 2 00 S 128 00 E Mombasa (city) Kenya 4 03 S 39 40 E Mona Passage Atlantic Ocean 18 30 N 67 45 W Monaco (capital) Monaco 43 44 N 7 25 E Mongol Uls (local name for Mongolia 46 00 N 105 00 E Mongolia) Monrovia (capital) Liberia 6 18 N 10 47 W Monterrey (city) Mexico 25 40 N 100 19 W Montevideo (capital) Uruguay 34 53 S 56 11 W Montreal (city) Canada 45 31 N 73 34 W Moravia (region) Czech Republic 49 30 N 17 00 E Moravian Gate (pass) Czech Republic 49 35 N 17 50 E Moroni (capital) Comoros 11 41 S 43 16 E Mortlock Islands (Nomoi Federated States of 5 30 N 153 40 E Islands) Micronesia Moscow (capital) Russia 55 45 N 37 35 E Mount Pinatubo (volcano) Philippines 15 08 N 120 21 E Mozambique Channel Indian Ocean 19 00 S 41 00 E Mumbai (city; also Bombay) India 18 58 N 72 50 E Munich, Muenchen (city) Germany 48 08 N 11 35 E Muritaniyah (local name for Mauritania 20 00 N 12 00 W Mauritania) Musandam Peninsula Oman, United Arab 26 18 N 56 24 E Emirates Muscat (capital) Oman 23 37 N 58 35 E Muscat and Oman (former name Oman 21 00 N 57 00 E for Oman) Myanma, Myanmar Burma 22 00 N 98 00 E N'Djamena (capital) Chad 12 07 N 15 03 E Nagorno-Karabakh (region) Azerbaijan 40 00 N 46 40 E Nairobi (capital) Kenya 1 17 S 36 49 E Namib (desert) Namibia 24 00 S 15 00 E Nampo-shoto (island group) Japan 30 00 N 140 00 E Nan Madol (ruins) Federated States of 6 85 N 158 35 E Micronesia Naples (city) Italy 40 51 N 14 15 E Nassau (capital) The Bahamas 25 05 N 77 21 W Natal (region) South Africa 29 00 S 30 25 E Natuna Besar Islands Indonesia 3 30 N 102 30 E Natuna Sea Pacific Ocean 3 30 N 108 00 E Naxcivan (region) Azerbaijan 39 20 N 45 20 E Naxos (island) Greece 37 05 N 25 30 E Nederland (local name for the Netherlands 52 30 N 5 45 E Netherlands) Nederlandse Antillen (local Netherlands Antilles 12 15 N 68 45 W name for the Netherlands Antilles) Negev (region) Israel 30 30 N 34 55 E Negros (island) Philippines 10 00 N 123 00 E Nejd (region) Saudi Arabia 24 05 N 45 15 E Netherlands East Indies Indonesia 5 00 S 120 00 E (former name for Indonesia) Netherlands Guiana (former Suriname 4 00 N 56 00 W name for Suriname) Nevis (island) Saint Kitts and 17 09 N 62 35 W Nevis New Britain (island) Papua New Guinea 6 00 S 150 00 E New Delhi (capital) India 28 36 N 77 12 E New Guinea (island) Indonesia, Papua New 5 00 S 140 00 E Guinea New Hebrides (island group) Vanuatu 16 00 S 167 00 E New Ireland (island) Papua New Guinea 3 20 N 152 00 E New Siberian Islands Russia 75 00 N 142 00 E New Territories (mainland Hong Kong 22 24 N 114 10 E region) Newfoundland (island, with Canada 52 00 N 56 00 W mainland area, and a province) Niamey (capital) Niger 13 31 N 2 07 E Nicobar Islands India 8 00 N 93 30 E Nicosia (capital; also Cyprus 35 10 N 33 22 E Lefkosia) Nightingale Island Saint Helena 37 25 S 12 30 W Nihon, Nippon (local name for Japan 36 00 N 138 00 E Japan) Nomoi Islands (Mortlock Federated States of 5 30 N 153 40 E Islands) Micronesia Norge (local name for Norway) Norway 62 00 N 10 00 E Norman Isles (Channel Guernsey, Jersey 49 20 N 2 20 W Islands) North Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean 30 00 N 45 00 W North Channel Atlantic Ocean 55 10 N 5 40 W North Frisian Islands Denmark, Germany 54 50 N 8 12 E North Greenland Sea Arctic Ocean 78 00 N 5 00 W North Island New Zealand 39 00 S 176 00 E North Ossetia (region) Russia 43 00 N 44 10 E North Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean 30 00 N 165 00 W North Sea Atlantic Ocean 56 00 N 4 00 E North Vietnam (former name Vietnam 23 00 N 106 00 E for northern portion of Vietnam) North Yemen (Yemen Arab Yemen 15 00 N 44 00 E Republic; now part of Yemen) Northeast Providence Channel Atlantic Ocean 25 40 N 77 09 W Northern Areas Pakistan 36 0 N 75 0 E Northern Cyprus (region) Cyprus 35 15 N 33 44 E Northern Epirus (region) Albania, Greece 40 00 N 20 30 E Northern Grenadines Saint Vincent and 12 45 N 61 15 W (political region) the Grenadines Northern Ireland United Kingdom 54 40 N 6 45 W Northern Rhodesia (former Zambia 15 00 S 30 00 E name for Zambia) Northwest Passages Arctic Ocean 74 40 N 100 00 W Norwegian Sea Atlantic Ocean 66 00 N 6 00 E Nouakchott (capital) Mauritania 18 06 N 15 57 W Noumea (capital) New Caledonia 22 16 S 166 27 E Nouvelle-Caledonie (local New Caledonia 21 30 S 165 30 E name for New Caledonia) Nouvelles Hebrides (former Vanuatu 16 00 S 167 00 E name for Vanuatu) Novaya Zemlya (islands) Russia 74 00 N 57 00 E Nubia (region) Egypt, Sudan 20 30 N 33 00 E Nuku'alofa (capital) Tonga 21 08 S 175 12 W Nunavut (region) Canada 72 00 N 90 00 W Nuuk (capital; also Godthab) Greenland 64 11 N 51 44 W Nyasaland (former name for Malawi 13 30 S 34 00 E Malawi) Nyassa (region) Mozambique 13 30 S 37 00 E Oahu (island) United States 21 30 N 158 00 W (Hawaii) Ocean Island (Banaba) Kiribati 0 52 S 169 35 E Ocean Island (Kure Island) United States 28 25 N 178 20 W Oesterreich (local name for Austria 47 20 N 13 20 E Austria) Ogaden (region) Ethiopia, Somalia 7 00 N 46 00 E Oil Islands (Chagos British Indian Ocean 6 00 S 71 30 E Archipelago) Territory Okhotsk, Sea of Pacific Ocean 53 00 N 150 00 E Okinawa (island group) Japan 26 30 N 128 00 E Oland (island) Sweden 56 45 N 16 40 E Oman, Gulf of Indian Ocean 24 30 N 58 30 E Ombai Strait Pacific Ocean 8 30 S 125 00 E Oran (city) Algeria 35 43 N 0 43 W Orange River Colony (region; South Africa 28 20 S 26 40 E former name of Free State Province of South Africa) Oranjestad (capital) Aruba 12 33 N 70 06 W Oresund (The Sound) (strait) Atlantic Ocean 55 50 N 12 40 E Orkney Islands United Kingdom 59 00 N 3 00 W Osaka (city) Japan 34 42 N 135 30 E Oslo (capital) Norway 59 55 N 10 45 E Osumi Strait (Van Diemen Pacific Ocean 31 00 N 131 00 E Strait) Otranto, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 40 00 N 19 00 E Ottawa (capital) Canada 45 25 N 75 40 W Ouagadougou (capital) Burkina Faso 12 22 N 1 31 W Outer Hebrides (islands) United Kingdom 57 45 N 7 00 W Outer Mongolia (region) Mongolia 46 00 N 105 00 E P'yongyang (capital) North Korea 39 01 N 125 45 E Pacific Islands, Trust Marshall Islands, 10 00 N 155 00 E Territory of the (former name Federated States of of a large area of the Micronesia, Northern western North Pacific Ocean) Mariana Islands, Palau Pagan (island) Northern Mariana 18 08 N 145 47 E Islands Pago Pago (capital) American Samoa 14 16 S 170 42 W Palawan (island) Philippines 9 30 N 118 30 E Palermo (city) Italy 38 07 N 13 21 E Palestine (region) Israel, West Bank 32 00 N 35 15 E Palikir (capital) Federated States of 6 55 N 158 08 E Micronesia Palk Strait Indian Ocean 10 00 N 79 45 E Pamirs (mountains) China, Tajikistan 38 00 N 73 00 E Pampas (region) Argentina 35 00 S 63 00 W Panama (capital) Panama 8 58 N 79 32 W Panama Canal Panama 9 00 N 79 45 W Panama, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 8 00 N 79 30 W Panay (island) Philippines 11 15 N 122 30 E Pantelleria, Isola di Italy 36 47 N 12 00 E (island) Papeete (capital) French Polynesia 17 32 S 149 34 W Paramaribo (capital) Suriname 5 50 N 55 10 W Parece Vela (island) Japan 20 20 N 136 00 E Paris (capital) France 48 52 N 2 20 E Pascua, Isla de (Easter Chile 27 07 S 109 22 W Island) Pashtunistan (region) Afghanistan, 32 00 N 69 00 E Pakistan Passion, Ile de la (island) Clipperton Island 10 17 N 109 13 W Patagonia (region) Argentina 48 00 S 61 00 W Peking (see Beijing) China 39 56 N 116 24 E Pelagian Islands (Isole Italy 35 40 N 12 40 E Pelagie) Peleliu (Beliliou) (island) Palau 7 01 N 134 15 E Peloponnese (peninsula) Greece 37 30 N 22 25 E Pemba Island Tanzania 5 20 S 39 45 E Penang Island Malaysia 5 23 N 100 15 E Pentland Firth (channel) Atlantic Ocean 58 44 N 3 13 W Perim (island) Yemen 12 39 N 43 25 E Perouse Strait, La Pacific Ocean 44 45 N 142 00 E Persia (former name for Iran) Iran 32 00 N 53 00 E Persian Gulf Indian Ocean 27 00 N 51 00 E Perth (city) Australia 31 56 S 115 50 E Pescadores (islands) Taiwan 23 30 N 119 30 E Peshawar (city) Pakistan 34 01 N 71 40 E Peter I Island Antarctica 68 48 S 90 35 W Petrograd (city; former name Russia 59 55 N 30 15 E for Saint Petersburg) Philip Island Norfolk Island 29 08 S 167 57 E Philippine Sea Pacific Ocean 20 00 N 134 00 E Phnom Penh (capital) Cambodia 11 33 N 104 55 E Phoenix Islands Kiribati 3 30 S 172 00 W Pinatubo, Mount (volcano) Philippines 15 08 N 120 21 E Pines, Isle of (island; Cuba 21 40 N 82 50 W former name for Isla de la Juventud) Pleasant Island Nauru 0 32 S 166 55 E Plymouth (capital) Montserrat 16 44 N 62 14 W Podgorica (administrative Montenegro 42 26 N 19 16 E capital) Polska (local name) Poland 52 00 N 20 00 E Polynesie Francaise (local French Polynesia 15 00 S 140 00 W name for French Polynesia) Pomerania (region) Germany, Poland 53 40 N 15 35 E Ponape (Pohnpei) (island) Federated States of 6 55 N 158 15 E Micronesia Port Louis (capital) Mauritius 20 10 S 57 30 E Port Moresby (capital) Papua New Guinea 9 30 S 147 10 E Port-Vila (capital) Vanuatu 17 44 S 168 19 E Port-au-Prince (capital) Haiti 18 32 N 72 20 W Port-of-Spain (capital) Trinidad and Tobago 10 39 N 61 31 W Porto-Novo (capital) Benin 6 29 N 2 37 E Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 18 15 S 35 00 E (former name for Mozambique) Portuguese Guinea (former Guinea-Bissau 12 00 N 15 00 W name for Guinea-Bissau) Portuguese Timor (former name East Timor 9 00 S 126 00 E for East Timor) Poznan (city) Poland 52 25 N 16 55 E Prague (capital) Czech Republic 40 55 N 21 00 E Praia (capital) Cape Verde 14 55 N 23 31 W Prathet Thai (local name for Thailand 15 00 N 100 00 E Thailand) Pretoria (administrative South Africa 25 45 S 28 10 E capital) Prevlaka peninsula Croatia 42 24 N 18 31 E Pribilof Islands United States 57 00 N 170 00 W Prince Edward Island Canada 46 20 N 63 20 W Prince Edward Islands South Africa 46 35 S 38 00 E Prince Patrick Island Canada 76 30 N 119 00 W Principe (island) Sao Tome and 1 38 N 7 25 E Principe Prussia (region) Germany, Poland, 53 00 N 14 00 E Russia Pukapuka Atoll Cook Islands 10 53 S 165 49 W Punjab (region) India, Pakistan 30 50 N 73 30 E Puntland (region) Somalia 8 21 N 49 08 E Qazaqstan (local name for Kazakhstan 48 00 N 68 00 E Kazakhstan) Qita Ghazzah (local name Gaza Gaza Strip 31 25 N 34 20 E Strip) Quebec (city) Canada 46 48 N 71 15 W Queen Charlotte Islands Canada 53 00 N 132 00 W Queen Elizabeth Islands Canada 78 00 N 95 00 W Queen Maud Land (claimed by Antarctica 73 30 S 12 00 E Norway) Quemoy (island) Taiwan 24 27 N 118 23 E Quito (capital) Ecuador 0 13 S 78 30 W Rabat (capital) Morocco 34 02 N 6 51 W Ralik Chain (island group) Marshall Islands 8 00 N 167 00 E Rangoon (capital; also Burma 16 47 N 96 10 E Yangon) Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Chile 27 07 S 109 22 W Ratak Chain (island group) Marshall Islands 9 00 N 171 00 E Red Sea Indian Ocean 20 00 N 38 00 E Redonda (island) Antigua and Barbuda 16 55 N 62 19 W Republica Dominicana (local Dominican Republic 19 00 N 70 40 W name for Dominican Republic) Republique Centrafricain Central African 7 00 N 21 00 E (local name for Central Republic African Republic) Republique Francaise (local France 46 00 N 2 00 E name for France) Republique Gabonaise (local Gabon 1 00 S 11 45 E name for Gabon) Republique Rwandaise (local Rwanda 2 00 S 30 00 E name for Rwanda) Republique Togolaise (local Togo 8 00 N 1 10 E name for Togo) Revillagigedo Island United States 55 35 N 131 06 W (Alaska) Revillagigedo Islands Mexico 19 00 N 112 45 W Reykjavik (capital) Iceland 64 09 N 21 57 W Rhodes (island) Greece 36 10 N 28 00 E Rhodesia, Northern (former Zambia 15 00 S 30 00 E name for Zambia) Rhodesia, Southern (former Zimbabwe 20 00 S 30 00 E name for Zimbabwe) Riga (capital) Latvia 56 57 N 24 06 E Riga, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 57 30 N 23 30 E Rio Muni (mainland region) Equatorial Guinea 1 30 N 10 00 E Rio de Janiero (city) Brazil 22 55 S 43 17 W Rio de Oro (region) Western Sahara 23 45 N 15 45 W Rio de la Plata (gulf) Atlantic Ocean 35 00 S 59 00 W Riyadh (capital) Saudi Arabia 24 38 N 46 43 E Road Town (capital) British Virgin 18 27 N 64 37 W Islands Robinson Crusoe Island (Mas a Chile 33 38 S 78 52 W Tierra) Rocas, Atol das (island) Brazil 3 51 S 33 49 W Rockall (island) United Kingdom 57 35 N 13 48 W Rodrigues (island) Mauritius 19 42 S 63 25 E Rome (capital) Italy 41 54 N 12 29 E Roncador Cay (island) Colombia 13 32 N 80 03 W Roosevelt Island Antarctica 79 30 S 162 00 W Roseau (capital) Dominica 15 18 N 61 24 W Ross Dependency (claimed by Antarctica 80 00 S 180 00 E New Zealand) Ross Island Antarctica 81 30 S 175 00 W Ross Sea Antarctica, Southern 76 00 S 175 00 W Ocean Rossiya (local name for Russia 60 00 N 100 00 E Russia) Rota (island) Northern Mariana 14 10 N 145 12 E Islands Rotuma (island) Fiji 12 30 S 177 05 E Ruanda (former name for Rwanda 2 00 S 30 00 E Rwanda) Rub al Khali (desert) Saudi Arabia 19 30 N 49 00 E Rumelia (region) Albania, Bulgaria, 42 00 N 22 30 E Macedonia Ruthenia (region; former name Ukraine 48 22 N 23 32 E for Carpatho-Ukraine) Ryukyu Islands Japan 26 30 N 128 00 E Saar (region) Germany 49 25 N 7 00 E Saaremaa (island) Estonia 58 25 N 22 30 E Saba (island) Netherlands Antilles 17 38 N 63 10 W Sabah (state) Malaysia 5 20 N 117 10 E Sable Island Canada 43 55 N 59 50 W Safety Islands (Iles du French Guiana 5 20 N 52 37 W Salut) Sahara Occidental (former Western Sahara 24 30 N 13 00 W name for Western Sahara) Sahel (region) Burkina Faso, Chad, 15 00 N 8 00 W The Gambia, Guinea- Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal Saigon (city; former name for Vietnam 10 45 N 106 40 E Ho Chi Minh City) Saint Barthelemy (island; Guadeloupe 17 55 N 62 52 W also Saint Bart's) Saint Brandon (Cargados Mauritius 16 25 S 59 38 E Carajos Shoals) Saint Christopher (island) Saint Kitts and 17 20 N 62 45 W Nevis Saint Christopher and Nevis Saint Kitts and 17 20 N 62 45 W Nevis Saint Eustatius (island) Netherlands Antilles 17 30 N 63 00 W Saint George's (capital) Grenada 12 03 N 61 45 W Saint George's Channel Atlantic Ocean 52 00 N 6 00 W Saint Helena Island Saint Helena 15 57 S 5 42 W Saint Helens, Mount (volcano) United States 46 15 N 122 12 W Saint Helier (capital) Jersey 49 12 N 2 07 W Saint John (city) Canada (New 45 16 N 66 04 W Brunswick) Saint John's (capital) Antigua and Barbuda 17 06 N 61 51 W Saint Lawrence Island United States 49 30 N 67 00 W Saint Lawrence Seaway Atlantic Ocean 49 15 N 67 00 W Saint Lawrence, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 48 00 N 62 00 W Saint Paul Island Canada 47 12 N 60 09 W Saint Paul Island United States 57 11 N 170 16 W Saint Paul Island (Ile Saint- French Southern and 38 43 S 77 29 E Paul) Antarctic Lands Saint Peter Port (capital) Guernsey 49 27 N 2 32 W Saint Peter and Saint Paul Brazil 0 23 N 29 23 W Rocks (Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo) Saint Petersburg (city; Russia 59 55 N 30 15 E former capital) Saint Thomas (island) Virgin Islands 18 21 N 64 55 W Saint Vincent Passage Atlantic Ocean 13 30 N 61 00 W Saint-Denis (capital) Reunion 20 52 S 55 28 E Saint-Martin (island; also Guadeloupe 18 04 N 63 04 W Sint Maarten) Saint-Pierre (capital) Saint Pierre and 46 46 N 56 11 W Miquelon Saipan (island) Northern Mariana 15 12 N 145 45 E Islands Sak'art'velo (local name for Georgia 42 00 N 43 30 E Georgia) Sakhalin Island (Ostrov Russia 51 00 N 143 00 E Sakhalin) Sakishima Islands Japan 24 30 N 124 00 E Sala y Gomez, Isla (island) Chile 26 28 S 105 00 W Salisbury (city; former name Zimbabwe 17 50 S 105 00 W for Harare) Salzburg (city) Austria 47 48 N 13 02 E Samar (island) Philippines 12 00 N 125 00 E Samaria (region) West Bank 32 15 N 35 10 E Samoa Islands American Samoa, 14 00 S 171 00 W Samoa Samos (island) Greece 37 48 N 26 44 E San Ambrosio, Isla (island) Chile 26 21 S 79 52 W San Andres y Providencia, Colombia 13 00 N 81 30 W Archipielago (island group) San Bernardino Strait Pacific Ocean 12 32 N 124 10 E San Felix, Isla (island) Chile 26 17 S 80 05 W San Jose (capital) Costa Rica 9 56 N 84 05 W San Juan (capital) Puerto Rico 18 28 N 66 07 W San Marino (capital) San Marino 43 56 N 12 25 E San Salvador (capital) El Salvador 13 42 N 89 12 W Sanaa (capital) Yemen 15 21 N 44 12 E Sandzak (region) Montenegro, Serbia 43 05 N 19 45 E Santa Cruz (city) Bolivia 17 48 S 63 10 W Santa Cruz Islands Solomon Islands 11 00 S 166 15 E Santa Sede (local name for Holy See 41 54 N 12 27 E the Holy See) Santiago (capital) Chile 33 27 S 70 40 W Santo Antao (island) Cape Verde 17 05 N 25 10 W Santo Domingo (capital) Dominican Republic 18 28 N 69 54 W Sao Paulo (city) Brazil 23 35 S 46 43 W Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo, Brazil 0 23 N 29 23 W Penedos de (rocks) Sao Tiago (island) Cape Verde 15 05 N 23 40 W Sao Tome (island) Sao Tome and 0 12 N 6 39 E Principe Sapporo (city) Japan 43 04 N 141 20 E Sapudi Strait Pacific Ocean 7 05 S 114 10 E Sarajevo (capital) Bosnia and 43 52 N 18 25 E Herzegovina Sarawak (state) Malaysia 2 30 N 113 30 E Sardinia (island) Italy 40 00 N 9 00 E Sargasso Sea (region) Atlantic Ocean 30 00 N 55 00 W Sark (island) Guernsey 49 26 N 2 21 W Savage Island (former name Niue 19 02 S 169 52 W for Niue) Savu Sea Pacific Ocean 9 30 S 122 00 E Saxony (region) Germany 51 00 N 13 00 E Schleswig-Holstein (region) Germany 54 31 N 9 33 E Schweiz (local German name Switzerland 47 00 N 8 00 E for Switzerland) Scopus, Mount Israel, West Bank 31 48 N 35 14 E Scotia Sea Atlantic Ocean, 56 00 S 40 00 W Southern Ocean Scotland (region) United Kingdom 57 00 N 4 00 W Scott Island Antarctica 67 24 S 179 55 W Senegambia (region; former The Gambia, Senegal 13 50 N 15 25 W name of confederation of Senegal and The Gambia) Senyavin Islands Federated States of 6 55 N 158 00 E Micronesia Seoul (capital) South Korea 37 34 N 127 00 E Serendib (former name for Sri Sri Lanka 7 00 N 81 00 E Lanka) Serrana Bank (shoal) Colombia 14 25 N 80 16 W Serranilla Bank (shoal) Colombia 15 51 N 79 46 W Settlement, The (capital) Christmas Island 18 44 N 64 19 W Severnaya Zemlya (island Russia 79 30 N 98 00 E group; also Northland) Shaba (region) Democratic Republic 8 00 S 27 00 E of the Congo Shag Island Heard Island and 53 00 S 72 30 E McDonald Islands Shag Rocks South Georgia and 53 33 S 42 02 W the South Sandwich Islands Shanghai (city) China 31 14 N 121 30 E Shenyang (city; also Mukden) China 41 46 N 123 24 E Shetland Islands United Kingdom 60 30 N 1 30 W Shikoku (island) Japan 33 45 N 133 30 E Shikotan (island) Russia (de facto) 43 47 N 146 45 E Shqiperia (local name for Albania 41 00 N 20 00 E Albania) Siam (former name for Thailand 15 00 N 100 00 E Thailand) Siberia (region) Russia 60 00 N 100 00 E Sibutu Passage Pacific Ocean 4 50 N 119 35 E Sicily (island) Italy 37 30 N 14 00 E Sicily, Strait of Atlantic Ocean 37 20 N 11 20 E Sidra, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean 31 30 N 18 00 E Sikkim (state) India 27 50 N 88 30 E Silesia (region) Czech Republic, 51 00 N 17 00 E Germany, Poland Sinai Peninsula Egypt 29 30 N 34 00 E Singapore (capital) Singapore 1 17 N 103 51 E Singapore Strait Pacific Ocean 1 15 N 104 00 E Sinkiang (autonomous region; China 42 00 N 86 00 E also Xinjiang) Sint Eustatius (island) Netherlands Antilles 17 29 N 62 58 W Sint Maarten (island; also Netherlands Antilles 18 04 N 63 04 W Saint-Martin) Sjaelland (island) Denmark 55 30 N 12 00 E Skagerrak (strait) Atlantic Ocean 57 45 N 9 00 E Skopje (capital) Macedonia 41 59 N 21 26 E Slavonia (region) Croatia 45 27 N 18 00 E Slovenija (local name for Slovenia 46 00 N 15 00 E Slovenia) Slovensko (local name for Slovakia 48 40 N 19 30 E Slovakia) Smyrna (region; former name Turkey 38 25 N 27 10 E for Izmir) Society Islands (Iles de la French Polynesia 17 00 S 150 00 W Societe) Socotra (island) Yemen 12 30 N 54 00 E Sofia (capital) Bulgaria 42 41 N 23 19 E Solomon Islands, northern Papua New Guinea 6 00 S 155 00 E Solomon Islands, southern Solomon Islands 8 00 S 159 00 E Solomon Sea Pacific Ocean 8 00 S 153 00 E Somaliland (region) Somalia 9 30 N 46 00 E Somers Islands (former name Bermuda 32 20 N 64 45 W for Bermuda) Songkhla (city) Thailand 7 12 N 100 36 E Sound, The (strait; also Atlantic Ocean 55 50 N 12 40 E Oresund) South Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean 30 00 S 15 00 W South China Sea Pacific Ocean 10 00 N 113 00 E South Georgia (island) South Georgia and 54 15 S 36 45 W the South Sandwich Islands South Island New Zealand 43 00 S 171 00 E South Korea South Korea 37 00 N 127 30 E South Orkney Islands Antarctica 61 00 S 45 00 W South Ossetia (region) Georgia 42 20 N 44 00 E South Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean 30 00 S 130 00 W South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and 57 45 S 26 30 W the South Sandwich Islands South Shetland Islands Antarctica 62 00 S 59 00 W South Tyrol (region) Italy 46 30 N 10 30 E South Vietnam (former name Vietnam 12 00 N 108 00 E for the southern portion of Vietnam) South Yemen (People's Yemen 14 00 N 48 00 E Democratic Republic of Yemen; now part of Yemen) South-West Africa (former Namibia 22 00 S 17 00 E name for Namibia) Southern Grenadines (island Grenada 12 20 N 61 30 W group) Southern Rhodesia (former Zimbabwe 20 00 S 30 00 E name for Zimbabwe) Soviet Union (former name of Armenia, Azerbaijan, a large Eurasian empire, Belarus, Estonia, roughly coequal with the Georgia, Kazakhstan, former Russian Empire) Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan Spanish Guinea (former name Equatorial Guinea 2 00 N 10 00 E for Equatorial Guinea) Spanish Morocco (former name Morocco 32 00 N 7 00 W for northern Morocco) Spanish North Africa Spain (Ceuta, Islas 35 15 N 4 00 W (exclaves) Chafarinas, Melilla, Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera) Spanish Sahara (former name) Western Sahara 24 30 N 13 00 W Spanish West Africa (former Morocco, Western 25 00 N 13 00 W name for Ifni and Spanish Sahara Sahara) Spice Islands (Moluccas) Indonesia 2 00 S 28 00 E Spitsbergen (island) Svalbard 78 00 N 20 00 E St. John's (city) Canada 47 34 N 52 43 W (Newfoundland) Stanley (capital) Falkland Islands 51 42 S 57 41 W (Islas Malvinas) Stockholm (capital) Sweden 59 20 N 18 03 E Strasbourg (city) France 48 35 N 7 44 E Stuttgart (city) Germany 48 46 N 9 11 E Sucre (constitutional Bolivia 19 02 S 65 17 W capital) Suez Canal Egypt 29 55 N 32 33 E Suez, Gulf of Indian Ocean 28 10 N 33 27 E Suisse (local French name for Switzerland 47 00 N 8 00 E Switzerland) Sulawesi (island; Celebes) Indonesia 2 00 S 121 00 E Sulawesi Sea Pacific Ocean 3 00 N 122 00 E Sulu Archipelago (island Philippines 6 00 N 121 00 E group) Sulu Sea Pacific Ocean 8 00 N 120 00 E Sumatra (island) Indonesia 0 00 N 102 00 E Sumba (island) Indonesia 10 00 S 120 00 E Sumba Strait Pacific Ocean 9 10 S 120 00 E Sumbawa (island) Indonesia 8 30 S 118 00 E Sunda Islands (Soenda Isles) Indonesia, Malaysia 2 00 S 110 00 E Sunda Strait Indian Ocean 6 00 S 105 45 E Suomi (local name for Finland 64 00 N 26 00 E Finland) Surabaya (city) Indonesia 7 13 S 112 45 E Surigao Strait Pacific Ocean 10 15 N 125 23 E Surinam (former name for Suriname 4 00 N 56 00 W Suriname) Suriyah (local name for Syria 35 00 N 38 00 E Syria) Surtsey (volcanic island) Iceland 63 17 N 20 40 W Suva (capital) Fiji 18 08 S 178 25 E Sverdlovsk (city; also Russia 56 50 N 60 39 E Yekaterinburg) Sverige (local name for Sweden 62 00 N 15 00 E Sweden) Svizzera (local Italian name Switzerland 47 00 N 8 00 E for Switzerland) Swains Island American Samoa 11 03 S 171 15 W Swan Islands Honduras 17 25 S 83 56 W Sydney (city) Australia 33 53 S 151 13 E T'bilisi (capital) Georgia 41 43 N 44 49 E Tadzhikistan (former name for Tajikistan 39 00 N 71 00 E Tajikistan) Tahiti (island) French Polynesia 17 37 S 149 27 W Taipei (capital) Taiwan 25 03 N 121 30 E Taiwan Strait Pacific Ocean 24 00 N 119 00 E Tallinn (capital) Estonia 59 25 N 24 45 E Tanganyika (former name for Tanzania 6 00 S 35 00 E the mainland portion of Tanzania) Tangier (city) Morocco 35 48 N 5 45 W Tannu-Tuva (region) Russia 51 25 N 94 45 E Tarawa (island) Kiribati 1 25 N 173 00 E Tartary, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 50 00 N 141 00 E Tashkent (capital) Uzbekistan 41 20 N 69 18 E Tasman Sea Pacific Ocean 4 30 S 168 00 E Tasmania (island) Australia 43 00 S 147 00 E Tatar Strait Pacific Ocean 50 00 N 141 00 E Taymyr Peninsula (Poluostrov Russia 76 00 N 104 00 E Taymyr) Tchad (local name for Chad) Chad 15 00 N 19 00 E Tegucigalpa (capital) Honduras 14 06 N 87 13 W Tehran (capital) Iran 35 40 N 51 26 E Tel Aviv (capital, de facto) Israel 32 05 N 34 48 E Teluk Bone (gulf) Pacific Ocean 4 00 S 120 45 E Teluk Tomini (gulf) Pacific Ocean 0 30 S 121 00 E Terre Adelie (claimed by Antarctica 66 30 S 139 00 E France; also Adelie Land) Terres Australes et French Southern and 43 00 S 67 00 E Antarctiques Francaises Antarctic Lands (local name for the French Southern and Antarctic Lands) Thailand, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 10 00 N 101 00 E The Former Yugoslav Republic Macedonia 41 50 N 22 00 E of Macedonia Thessaloniki (city; also Greece 40 38 N 22 57 E Salonika) Thimphu (capital) Bhutan 27 28 N 89 39 E Thuringia (region) Germany 51 00 N 11 00 E Thurston Island Antarctica 72 20 S 99 00 W Tiberias, Lake Israel 32 48 N 35 35 E Tibet (autonomous region; China 32 00 N 90 00 E also Xizang) Tibilisi (see T'bilisi) Georgia 41 43 N 44 49 E Tien Shan (mountains) China, Kyrgyzstan 42 00 N 80 00 E Tierra del Fuego (island, Argentina, Chile 54 00 S 69 00 W island group) Timor (island) East Timor, 9 00 S 125 00 E Indonesia Timor Sea Pacific Ocean 11 00 S 128 00 E Timor-Leste, Timor Lorosa'e East Timor 9 00 N 126 00 E (local names for East Timor) Tinian (island) Northern Mariana 15 00 N 145 38 E Islands Tiran, Strait of Indian Ocean 28 00 N 34 27 E Tirana, Tirane (capital) Albania 41 20 N 19 50 E Tirol, Tyrol (region) Austria, Italy 47 00 N 11 00 E Tobago (island) Trinidad and Tobago 11 15 N 60 40 W Tokyo (capital) Japan 35 42 N 139 46 E Tonkin, Gulf of Pacific Ocean 20 00 N 108 00 E Toronto (city) Canada 43 40 N 79 23 W Torres Strait Pacific Ocean 10 25 S 142 10 E Torshavn (capital) Faroe Islands 62 01 N 6 46 W Toshkent (see Tashkent) Uzbekistan 41 20 N 69 18 E Transcarpathia (region; Ukraine 48 22 N 23 32 E alternate name for Carpatho- Ukraine) Transjordan (former name for Jordan 31 00 N 36 00 E Jordan) Transkei (enclave) South Africa 32 15 S 28 15 E Transvaal (region; former South Africa 25 10 S 29 25 E name for northeastern South Africa) Transylvania (region) Romania 46 30 N 24 00 E Trindade, Ilha de (island) Brazil 20 31 S 29 20 W Trinidad (island) Trinidad and Tobago 10 22 N 61 15 W Tripoli (capital) Libya 32 54 N 13 11 E Tripoli (city) Lebanon 34 26 N 35 51 E Tripolitania (region) Libya 31 00 N 14 00 E Tristan da Cunha Group Saint Helena 37 15 S 12 30 W (island group) Trobriand Islands Papua New Guinea 8 38 S 151 04 E Trucial Coast (former name United Arab Emirates 24 00 N 54 00 E for the United Arab Emirates) Trucial Oman (former name for United Arab Emirates 24 00 N 54 00 E the United Arab Emirates) Trucial States (former name United Arab Emirates 24 00 N 54 00 E for the United Arab Emirates) Truk Islands (former name for Federated States of 7 25 N 151 47 E the Chuuk Islands) Micronesia Tsugaru Strait Pacific Ocean 41 35 N 141 00 E Tuamotu Islands (Iles French Polynesia 19 00 S 142 00 W Tuamotu) Tubuai Islands (Iles Tubuai) French Polynesia 23 00 S 150 00 W Tunb al Kubra (island) Iran 26 14 N 55 19 E Tunb as Sughra (island) Iran 26 14 N 55 09 E Tunis (capital) Tunisia 36 48 N 10 11 E Turin (city) Italy 45 04 N 7 40 E Turkish Straits (see Bosporus Atlantic Ocean 40 40 N 28 00 E and Dardenelles) Turkiye (local name for Turkey 39 00 N 35 00 E Turkey) Turkmenia, Turkmeniya (former Turkmenistan 40 00 N 60 00 E name for Turkmenistan) Turks Island Passage Atlantic Ocean 21 40 N 71 00 W Tuscany (region) Italy 43 25 N 11 00 E Tutuila (island) American Samoa 14 18 S 170 42 W Tyrrhenian Sea Atlantic Ocean 40 00 N 12 00 E Ubangi-Shari (former name for Central African 6 38 N 20 33 E the Central African Republic Republic Ukrayina (local name for Ukraine 49 00 N 32 00 E Ukraine) Ulaanbaatar (capital) Mongolia 47 55 N 106 53 E Ullung-do (island) South Korea 37 29 N 130 52 E Ulster (region) Ireland, United 54 35 N 7 00 W Kingdom Uman (local name for Oman) Oman 21 00 N 57 00 E Unimak Pass (strait) Pacific Ocean 54 20 N 164 50 W Union of Soviet Socialist Armenia, Azerbaijan, Republics or USSR (former Belarus, Estonia, name of a large Eurasian Georgia, Kazakhstan, empire, roughly coequal with Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, the former Russian Empire) Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan United Arab Republic or UAR Egypt, Syria (former name for a federation between Egypt and Syria) Upper Volta (former name for Burkina Faso 13 00 N 2 00 W Burkina Faso) Ural Mountains Kazakhstan, Russia 60 00 N 60 00 E Urdunn (local name for Jordan 31 00 N 36 00 E Jordan) Urundi (former name for Burundi 3 30 S 30 00 E Burundi) Ussuri River China, Russia 48 28 N 135 02 E Vaduz (capital) Liechtenstein 47 09 N 9 31 E Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) Afghanistan 37 00 N 73 00 E Valletta (capital) Malta 35 54 N 14 31 E Valley, The (capital) Anguilla 18 13 N 63 04 W Van Diemen Strait (Osumi Pacific Ocean 31 00 N 131 00 E Strait) Vancouver (city) Canada 49 16 N 123 08 W Vancouver Island Canada 49 45 N 126 00 W Vatican City (capital) Holy See 41 54 N 12 27 E Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Spain 35 11 N 4 18 W (island) Venda (enclave) South Africa 23 00 S 31 00 E Verde Island Passage Pacific Ocean 13 34 N 120 51 E Victoria (capital) Seychelles 4 38 S 55 27 E Victoria (island) Canada 71 00 N 110 00 W Victoria Land (region) Antarctica 72 00 S 155 00 E Vienna (capital) Austria 48 12 N 16 22 E Vientiane (capital) Laos 17 58 N 102 36 E Vilnius (capital) Lithuania 54 41 N 25 19 E Viti Levu (island) Fiji 18 00 S 178 00 E Vladivostok (city) Russia 43 10 N 131 56 E Vojvodina (region) Serbia 45 35 N 20 00 E Volcano Islands Japan 25 00 N 141 00 E Vostok Island Kiribati 10 06 S 152 23 W Wake Atoll Wake Island 19 17 N 166 39 E Wakhan Corridor (see Vakhan) Afghanistan 37 00 N 73 00 E Walachia (region) Romania 44 45 N 26 05 E Wales (region) United Kingdom 52 30 N 3 30 W Wallis Islands Wallis and Futuna 13 17 S 176 10 W Walvis Bay (city; former Namibia 22 59 S 14 31 E exclave) Warsaw (capital) Poland 52 15 N 21 00 E Washington, DC (capital) United States 38 53 N 77 02 W Weddell Sea Southern Ocean 72 00 S 45 00 W Wellington (capital) New Zealand 41 28 S 174 51 E West Frisian Islands Netherlands 53 26 N 5 30 E West Germany (Federal Germany 53 22 N 5 20 E Republic of Germany; former name for western portion of Germany) West Island (capital) Cocos (Keeling) 12 10 S 96 55 E Islands West Korea Strait (Western Pacific Ocean 34 40 N 129 00 E Channel) West Pakistan (former name Pakistan 30 00 N 70 00 E for present-day Pakistan) West Siberian Plain Russia 60 00 N 75 00 E Western Channel (West Korea Pacific Ocean 34 40 N 129 00 E Strait) Western Samoa (former name Samoa 13 35 S 172 20 W for Samoa) Wetar Strait Pacific Ocean 8 20 S 126 30 E White Sea Arctic Ocean 65 30 N 38 00 E Wilkes Land (region) Antarctica 71 00 S 120 00 E Willemstad (capital) Netherlands Antilles 12 06 N 68 56 W Windhoek (capital) Namibia 22 34 S 17 06 E Windward Passage Atlantic Ocean 20 00 N 73 50 W Winnipeg (city) Canada 49 53 N 97 10 W Wrangel Island (Ostrov Russia 71 14 N 179 36 W Vrangelya) Xianggang (local name for Hong Kong 22 15 N 114 10 E Hong Kong) Y'israel (local name for Israel 31 30 N 34 45 E Israel) Yaitopya (local name for Ethiopia 8 00 N 38 00 E Ethiopia) Yalu River China, North Korea 39 55 N 124 20 E Yamoussoukro (capital) Cote d'Ivoire 6 49 N 5 17 W Yangon (see Rangoon) Burma 16 47 N 96 10 E Yaounde (capital) Cameroon 3 52 N 11 31 E Yap Islands Federated States of 9 30 N 138 00 E Micronesia Yaren (governmental center) Nauru 0 32 S 166 55 E Yekaterinburg (city; formerly Russia 56 50 N 60 39 E Sverdlovsk) Yellow Sea Pacific Ocean 36 00 N 123 00 E Yemen Arab Republic (also Yemen 15 00 N 44 00 E Yemen (Sanaa); former name for northern portion of Yemen) Yemen, People's Democratic Yemen 14 00 N 46 00 E Republic of (also Yemen (Aden); former name for southern portion of Yemen) Yerevan (capital) Armenia 40 11 N 44 30 E Yokohama (city) Japan 35 26 N 139 37 E Youth, Isle of (Isla de la Cuba 21 40 N 82 50 W Juventud) Yucatan Channel Atlantic Ocean 21 45 N 85 45 W Yucatan Peninsula Mexico 19 30 N 89 00 W Yugoslavia (former name for a Montenegro, Serbia 43 00 N 21 00 E federation of Serbia and Montenegro) Yugoslavia, Kingdom of Bosnia and 43 00 N 19 00 E (former name for a Balkan Herzegovina, federation) Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Bosnia and 43 00 N 19 00 E Republic of (former name for Herzegovina, a Balkan federation) Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia Zagreb (capital) Croatia 45 48 N 15 58 E Zaire (former name for the Democratic Republic 15 00 S 30 00 E Democratic Republic of the of the Congo Congo) Zakhalinskiy Zaliv (bay) Pacific Ocean 54 00 N 142 00 E Zaliv Shelikhova (bay) Pacific Ocean 60 00 N 157 30 E Zambezia (region) Mozambique 16 00 S 37 00 E Zanzibar (island) Tanzania 6 10 S 39 11 E Zhong Guo, Zhonghua (local China 35 00 N 105 00 E name for China) Zion, Mount (locale in Israel, West Bank 31 46 N 35 14 E Jerusalem) Zurich (city) Switzerland 47 23 N 8 32 E

Note: At this time, only three countries - Burma, Liberia, and the US - have not adopted the International System of Units (SI, or metric system) as their official system of weights and measures. Although use of the metric system has been sanctioned by law in the US since 1866, it has been slow in displacing the American adaptation of the British Imperial System known as the US Customary System. The US is the only industrialized nation that does not mainly use the metric system in its commercial and standards activities, but there is increasing acceptance in science, medicine, government, and many sectors of industry.

10^18 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 one quintillion 10^15 or 1,000,000,000,000,000 one quadrillion 10^12 or 1,000,000,000,000 one trillion 10^9 or 1,000,000,000 one billion 10^6 or 1,000,000 one million 10^3 or 1,000 one thousand 10^2 or 100 one hundred 10^1 or 10 ten 10^0 or 1 one 10^-1 or 0.1 one-tenth 10^-2 or 0.01 one-hundredth 10^-3 or 0.001 one-thousandth 10^-6 or 0.000 001 one-millionth 10^-9 or 0.000 000 001 one-billionth 10^-12 or 0.000 000 000 001 one-trillionth 10^-15 or 0.000 000 000 000 001 one-quadrillionth 10^-18 or 0.000 000 000 000 000 001 one-quintillionth

exa E 10^18 10^36 10^54 peta P 10^15 10^30 10^45 tera T 10^12 10^24 10^36 giga G 10^9 10^18 10^27 mega M 10^6 10^12 10^18 hectokilo hk 10^5 10^10 10^15 myria ma 10^4 10^8 10^12 kilo k 10^3 10^6 10^9 hecto h 10^2 10^4 10^6 basic unit - 1 meter, 1 gram, 1 meter^2 1 meter^3 1 liter deci d 10^-1 10^-2 10^-3 centi c 10^-2 10^-4 10^-6 milli m 10^-3 10^-6 10^-9 decimilli dm 10^-4 10^-8 10^-12 centimilli cm 10^-5 10^-10 10^-15 micro u 10^-6 10^-12 10^-18 nano n 10^-9 10^-18 10^-27 pico p 10^-12 10^-24 10^-36 femto f 10^-15 10^-30 10^-45 atto a 10^-18 10^-36 10^-54

acres ares 40.468 564 224 acres hectares 0.404 685 642 24 acres square feet 43,560 acres square kilometers 0.004 046 856 422 4 acres square meters 4,046.856 422 4 acres square miles (statute) 0.001 562 50 acres square yards 4,840 ares square meters 100 ares square yards 119.599 barrels, US beer gallons 31 barrels, US beer liters 117.347 77 barrels, US petroleum gallons (British) 34.97 barrels, US petroleum gallons (US) 42 barrels, US petroleum liters 158.987 29 barrels, US proof spirits gallons 40 barrels, US proof spirits liters 151.416 47 bushels (US) bushels (British) 0.968 9 bushels (US) cubic feet 1.244 456 bushels (US) cubic inches 2,150.42 bushels (US) cubic meters 0.035 239 07 bushels (US) cubic yards 0.046 090 96 bushels (US) dekaliters 3.523 907 bushels (US) dry pints 64 bushels (US) dry quarts 32 bushels (US) liters 35.239 070 17 bushels (US) pecks 4 cables fathoms 120 cables meters 219.456 cables yards 240 carat milligrams 200 centimeters feet 0.032 808 40 centimeters inches 0.393 700 8 centimeters meters 0.01 centimeters yards 0.010 936 13 centimeters, cubic cubic inches 0.061 023 744 centimeters, square square feet 0.001 076 39 centimeters, square square inches 0.155 000 31 centimeters, square square meters 0.000 1 centimeters, square square yards 0.000 119 599 chains, square surveyor's ares 4.046 86 chains, square surveyor's square feet 4,356 chains, surveyor's feet 66 chains, surveyor's meters 20.116 8 chains, surveyor's rods 4 cords of wood cubic feet 128 cords of wood cubic meters 3.624 556 cords of wood cubic yards 4.740 7 cups liquid ounces (US) 8 cups liters 0.236 588 2 degrees Celsius degrees Fahrenheit multiply by 1.8 and add 32 degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius subtract 32 and divide by 1.8 dekaliters bushels 0.283 775 9 dekaliters cubic feet 0.353 146 7 dekaliters cubic inches 610.237 4 dekaliters dry pints 18.161 66 dekaliters dry quarts 9.080 829 8 dekaliters liters 10 dekaliters pecks 1.135 104 drams, avoirdupois avoirdupois ounces 0.062 55 drams, avoirdupois grains 27.344 drams, avoirdupois grams 1.771 845 2 drams, troy grains 60 drams, troy grams 3.887 934 6 drams, troy scruples 3 drams, troy troy ounces 0.125 drams, liquid (US) cubic inches 0.226 drams, liquid (US) liquid drams (British) 1.041 drams, liquid (US) liquid ounces 0.125 drams, liquid (US) milliliters 3.696 69 drams, liquid (US) minims 60 fathoms feet 6 fathoms meters 1.828 8 feet centimeters 30.48 feet inches 12 feet kilometers 0.000 304 8 feet meters 0.304 8 feet statute miles 0.000 189 39 feet yards 0.333 333 3 feet, cubic bushels 0.803 563 95 feet, cubic cubic decimeters 28.316 847 feet, cubic cubic inches 1,728 feet, cubic cubic meters 0.028 316 846 592 feet, cubic cubic yards 0.037 037 04 feet, cubic dry pints 51.428 09 feet, cubic dry quarts 25.714 05 feet, cubic gallons 7.480 519 feet, cubic gills 239.376 6 feet, cubic liquid ounces 957.506 5 feet, cubic liquid pints 59.844 16 feet, cubic liquid quarts 29.922 08 feet, cubic liters 28.316 846 592 feet, cubic pecks 3.214 256 feet, square acres 0.000 022 956 8 feet, square square centimeters 929.030 4 feet, square square decimeters 9.290 304 feet, square square inches 144 feet, square square meters 0.092 903 04 feet, square square yards 0.111 111 1 furlongs feet 660 furlongs inches 7,920 furlongs meters 201.168 furlongs statute miles 0.125 furlongs yards 220 gallons, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.133 680 6 gallons, liquid (US) cubic inches 231 gallons, liquid (US) cubic meters 0.003 785 411 784 gallons, liquid (US) cubic yards 0.004 951 13 gallons, liquid (US) gills (US) 32 gallons, liquid (US) liquid gallons (British) 0.832 67 gallons, liquid (US) liquid ounces 128 gallons, liquid (US) liquid pints 8 gallons, liquid (US) liquid quarts 4 gallons, liquid (US) liters 3.785 411 784 gallons, liquid (US) milliliters 3,785.411 784 gallons, liquid (US) minims 61,440 gills (US) centiliters 11.829 4 gills (US) cubic feet 0.004 177 517 gills (US) cubic inches 7.218 75 gills (US) gallons 0.031 25 gills (US) gills (British) 0.832 67 gills (US) liquid ounces 4 gills (US) liquid pints 0.25 gills (US) liquid quarts 0.125 gills (US) liters 0.118 294 118 25 gills (US) milliliters 118.294 118 25 gills (US) minims 1,920 grains avoirdupois drams 0.036 571 43 grains avoirdupois ounces 0.002 285 71 grains avoirdupois pounds 0.000 142 86 grains grams 0.064 798 91 grains kilograms 0.000 064 798 91 grains milligrams 64.798 910 grains pennyweights 0.042 grains scruples 0.05 grains troy drams 0.016 6 grains troy ounces 0.002 083 33 grains troy pounds 0.000 173 61 grams avoirdupois drams 0.564 383 39 grams avoirdupois ounces 0.035 273 961 grams avoirdupois pounds 0.002 204 622 6 grams grains 15.432 361 grams kilograms 0.001 grams milligrams 1,000 grams troy ounces 0.032 150 746 6 grams troy pounds 0.002 679 23 hands (height of horse) centimeters 10.16 hands (height of horse) inches 4 hectares acres 2.471 053 8 hectares square feet 107,639.1 hectares square kilometers 0.01 hectares square meters 10,000 hectares square miles 0.003 861 02 hectares square yards 11,959.90 hundredweights, long avoirdupois pounds 112 hundredweights, long kilograms 50.802 345 hundredweights, long long tons 0.05 hundredweights, long metric tons 0.050 802 345 hundredweights, long short tons 0.056 hundredweights, short avoirdupois pounds 100 hundredweights, short kilograms 45.359 237 hundredweights, short long tons 0.044 642 86 hundredweights, short metric tons 0.045 359 237 hundredweights, short short tons 0.05 inches centimeters 2.54 inches feet 0.083 333 33 inches meters 0.025 4 inches millimeters 25.4 inches yards 0.027 777 78 inches, cubic bushels 0.000 465 025 inches, cubic cubic centimeters 16.387 064 inches, cubic cubic feet 0.000 578 703 7 inches, cubic cubic meters 0.000 016 387 064 inches, cubic cubic yards 0.000 021 433 47 inches, cubic dry pints 0.029 761 6 inches, cubic dry quarts 0.014 880 8 inches, cubic gallons 0.004 329 0 inches, cubic gills 0.138 528 1 inches, cubic liquid ounces 0.554 112 6 inches, cubic liquid pints 0.034 632 03 inches, cubic liquid quarts 0.017 316 02 inches, cubic liters 0.016 387 064 inches, cubic milliliters 16.387 064 inches, cubic minims (US) 265.974 0 inches, cubic pecks 0.001 860 10 inches, square square centimeters 6.451 600 inches, square square feet 0.006 944 44 inches, square square meters 0.000 645 16 inches, square square yards 0.000 771 605 kilograms avoirdupois drams 564.383 4 kilograms avoirdupois ounces 35.273 962 kilograms avoirdupois pounds 2.204 622 622 kilograms grains 15,432.36 kilograms grams 1,000 kilograms long tons 0.000 984 2 kilograms metric tons 0.001 kilograms short hundredweights 0.022 046 23 kilograms short tons 0.001 102 31 kilograms troy ounces 32.150 75 kilograms troy pounds 2.679 229 kilometers meters 1,000 kilometers statute miles 0.621 371 192 kilometers, square acres 247.105 38 kilometers, square hectares 100 kilometers, square square meters 1,000,000 kilometers, square statute miles 0.386 102 16 knots (nautical mi/hr) kilometers/hour 1.852 knots (nautical mi/hr) statute miles/hour 1.151 leagues, nautical kilometers 5.556 leagues, nautical nautical miles 3 leagues, statute kilometers 4.828 032 leagues, statute statute miles 3 links, square surveyor's square centimeters 404.686 links, square surveyor's square inches 62.726 4 links, surveyor's centimeters 20.116 8 links, surveyor's chains 0.01 links, surveyor's inches 7.92 liters bushels 0.028 377 59 liters cubic feet 0.035 314 67 liters cubic inches 61.023 74 liters cubic meters 0.001 liters cubic yards 0.001 307 95 liters dekaliters 0.1 liters dry pints 1.816 166 liters dry quarts 0.908 082 98 liters gallons 0.264 172 052 liters gills (US) 8.453 506 liters liquid ounces 33.814 02 liters liquid pints 2.113 376 liters liquid quarts 1.056 688 2 liters milliliters 1,000 liters pecks 0.113 510 4 meters centimeters 100 meters feet 3.280 839 895 meters inches 39.370 079 meters kilometers 0.001 meters millimeters 1,000 meters statute miles 0.000 621 371 meters yards 1.093 613 298 meters, cubic bushels 28.377 59 meters, cubic cubic feet 35.314 666 7 meters, cubic cubic inches 61,023.744 meters, cubic cubic yards 1.307 950 619 meters, cubic gallons 264.172 05 meters, cubic liters 1,000 meters, cubic pecks 113.510 4 meters, square acres 0.000 247 105 38 meters, square hectares 0.000 1 meters, square square centimeters 10,000 meters, square square feet 10.763 910 4 meters, square square inches 1,550.003 1 meters, square square yards 1.195 990 046 microns meters 0.000 001 microns inches 0.000 039 4 mils inches 0.001 mils millimeters 0.025 4 miles, nautical kilometers 1.852 0 miles, nautical statute miles 1.150 779 4 miles, statute centimeters 160,934.4 miles, statute feet 5,280 miles, statute furlongs 8 miles, statute inches 63,360 miles, statute kilometers 1.609 344 miles, statute meters 1,609.344 miles, statute rods 320 miles, statute yards 1,760 miles, square nautical square kilometers 3.429 904 miles, square nautical square statute miles 1.325 miles, square statute acres 640 miles, square statute hectares 258.998 811 033 6 miles, square statute sections 1 miles, square statute square kilometers 2.589 988 110 336 miles, square statute square nautical miles 0.755 miles miles, square statute square rods 102,400 milligrams grains 0.015 432 358 35 milliliters cubic inches 0.061 023 744 milliliters gallons 0.000 264 17 milliliters gills (US) 0.008 453 5 milliliters liquid ounces 0.033 814 02 milliliters liquid pints 0.002 113 4 milliliters liquid quarts 0.001 056 7 milliliters liters 0.001 milliliters minims 16.230 73 millimeters inches 0.039 370 078 7 minims (US) cubic inches 0.003 759 77 minims (US) gills (US) 0.000 520 83 minims (US) liquid ounces 0.002 083 33 minims (US) milliliters 0.061 611 52 minims (US) minims (British) 1.041 ounces, avoirdupois avoirdupois drams 16 ounces, avoirdupois avoirdupois pounds 0.062 5 ounces, avoirdupois grains 437.5 ounces, avoirdupois grams 28.349 523 125 ounces, avoirdupois kilograms 0.028 349 523 125 ounces, avoirdupois troy ounces 0.911 458 3 ounces, avoirdupois troy pounds 0.075 954 86 ounces, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.001 044 38 ounces, liquid (US) centiliters 2.957 35 ounces, liquid (US) cubic inches 1.804 687 5 ounces, liquid (US) gallons 0.007 812 5 ounces, liquid (US) gills (US) 0.25 ounces, liquid (US) liquid drams 8 ounces, liquid (US) liquid ounces (British) 1.041 ounces, liquid (US) liquid pints 0.062 5 ounces, liquid (US) liquid quarts 0.031 25 ounces, liquid (US) liters 0.029 573 53 ounces, liquid (US) milliliters 29.573 529 6 ounces, liquid (US) minims 480 ounces, troy avoirdupois drams 17.554 29 ounces, troy avoirdupois ounces 1.097 143 ounces, troy avoirdupois pounds 0.068 571 43 ounces, troy grains 480 ounces, troy grams 31.103 476 8 ounces, troy pennyweights 20 ounces, troy troy drams 8 ounces, troy troy pounds 0.083 333 3 paces (US) centimeters 76.2 paces (US) inches 30 pecks (US) bushels 0.25 pecks (US) cubic feet 0.311 114 pecks (US) cubic inches 537.605 pecks (US) cubic meters 0.008 809 77 pecks (US) cubic yards 0.011 522 74 pecks (US) dekaliters 0.880 976 75 pecks (US) dry pints 16 pecks (US) dry quarts 8 pecks (US) liters 8.809 767 5 pecks (US) pecks (British) 0.968 9 pennyweights grains 24 pennyweights grams 1.555 173 84 pennyweights troy ounces 0.05 pints, dry (US) bushels 0.015 625 pints, dry (US) cubic feet 0.019 444 63 pints, dry (US) cubic inches 33.600 312 5 pints, dry (US) dekaliters 0.055 061 05 pints, dry (US) dry pints (British) 0.968 9 pints, dry (US) dry quarts 0.5 pints, dry (US) liters 0.550 610 47 pints, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.016 710 07 pints, liquid (US) cubic inches 28.875 pints, liquid (US) deciliters 4.731 76 pints, liquid (US) gallons 0.125 pints, liquid (US) gills (US) 4 pints, liquid (US) liquid ounces 16 pints, liquid (US) liquid pints (British) 0.832 67 pints, liquid (US) liquid quarts 0.5 pints, liquid (US) liters 0.473 176 473 pints, liquid (US) milliliters 473.176 473 pints, liquid (US) minims 7,680 points (typographical) inches 0.013 837 points (typographical) millimeters 0.351 459 8 pounds, avoirdupois avoirdupois drams 256 pounds, avoirdupois avoirdupois ounces 16 pounds, avoirdupois grains 7,000 pounds, avoirdupois grams 453.592 37 pounds, avoirdupois kilograms 0.453 592 37 pounds, avoirdupois long tons 0.000 446 428 6 pounds, avoirdupois metric tons 0.000 453 592 37 pounds, avoirdupois quintals 0.004 535 92 pounds, avoirdupois short tons 0.000 5 pounds, avoirdupois troy ounces 14.583 33 pounds, avoirdupois troy pounds 1.215 278 pounds, troy avoirdupois drams 210.651 4 pounds, troy avoirdupois ounces 13.165 71 pounds, troy avoirdupois pounds 0.822 857 1 pounds, troy grains 5,760 pounds, troy grams 373.241 721 6 pounds, troy kilograms 0.373 241 721 6 pounds, troy pennyweights 240 pounds, troy troy ounces 12 quarts, dry (US) bushels 0.031 25 quarts, dry (US) cubic feet 0.038 889 25 quarts, dry (US) cubic inches 67.200 625 quarts, dry (US) dekaliters 0.110 122 1 quarts, dry (US) dry pints 2 quarts, dry (US) dry quarts (British) 0.968 9 quarts, dry (US) liters 1.101 221 quarts, dry (US) pecks 0.125 quarts, dry (US) pints, dry (US) 2 quarts, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.033 420 14 quarts, liquid (US) cubic inches 57.75 quarts, liquid (US) deciliters 9.463 53 quarts, liquid (US) gallons 0.25 quarts, liquid (US) gills (US) 8 quarts, liquid (US) liquid ounces 32 quarts, liquid (US) liquid pints (US) 2 quarts, liquid (US) liquid quarts (British) 0.832 67 quarts, liquid (US) liters 0.946 352 946 quarts, liquid (US) milliliters 946.352 946 quarts, liquid (US) minims 15,360 quintals avoirdupois pounds 220.462 26 quintals kilograms 100 quintals metric tons 0.1 rods feet 16.5 rods meters 5.029 2 rods yards 5.5 rods, square acres 0.006 25 rods, square square meters 25.292 85 rods, square square yards 30.25 scruples grains 20 scruples grams 1.295 978 2 scruples troy drams 0.333 sections (US) square kilometers 2.589 988 1 sections (US) square statute miles 1 spans centimeters 22.86 spans inches 9 steres cubic meters 1 steres cubic yards 1.307 95 tablespoons milliliters 14.786 76 tablespoons teaspoons 3 teaspoons milliliters 4.928 922 teaspoons tablespoons 0.333 333 ton-miles, long metric ton-kilometers 1.635 169 ton-miles, short metric ton-kilometers 1.459 972 tons, gross register cubic feet of permanently 100 enclosed space tons, gross register cubic meters of 2.831 684 7 permanently enclosed space tons, long (deadweight) avoirdupois ounces 35,840 tons, long (deadweight) avoirdupois pounds 2,240 tons, long (deadweight) kilograms 1,016.046 909 8 tons, long (deadweight) long hundredweights 20 tons, long (deadweight) metric tons 1.016 046 908 8 tons, long (deadweight) short hundredweights 22.4 tons, long (deadweight) short tons 1.12 tons, metric avoirdupois pounds 2,204.623 tons, metric kilograms 1,000 tons, metric long hundredweights 19.684 130 3 tons, metric long tons 0.984 206 5 tons, metric quintals 10 tons, metric short hundredweights 22.046 23 tons, metric short tons 1.102 311 3 tons, metric troy ounces 32,150.75 tons, net register cubic feet of permanently 100 enclosed space for cargo and passengers tons, net register cubic meters of 2.831 684 7 permanently enclosed space for cargo and passengers tons, shipping cubic feet of permanently 42 enclosed cargo space

tons, short avoirdupois pounds 2,000 tons, short kilograms 907.184 74 tons, short long hundredweights 17.857 14 tons, short long tons 0.892 857 1 tons, short metric tons 0.907 184 74 tons, short short hundredweights 20 townships (US) sections 36 townships (US) square kilometers 93.239 572 townships (US) square statute miles 36 miles, square statute acres 640 miles, square statute hectares 258.998 811 033 6 miles, square statute square feet 27,878,400 miles, square statute square meters 2,589,988.110 336 miles, square statute square yards 3,097,600 yards centimeters 91.44 yards feet 3 yards inches 36 yards meters 0.914 4 yards miles 0.000 568 18 yards, cubic bushels 21.696 227 yards, cubic cubic feet 27 yards, cubic cubic inches 46,656 yards, cubic cubic meters 0.764 554 857 984 yards, cubic gallons 201.974 0 yards, cubic liters 764.554 857 984 yards, cubic pecks 86.784 91 yards, square acres 0.000 206 611 6 yards, square hectares 0.000 083 612 736 yards, square square centimeters 8,361.273 6 yards, square square feet 9 yards, square square inches 1,296 yards, square square meters 0.836 127 36 yards, square square miles 0.000 000 322 830 6

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